Directors: Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel
Writers: Evan Dickson, Jordan Downey, Mike Flanagan
Stars: Phillip Andre Botello, Dane DiLiegro, Jolene Andersen
Synopsis: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi inspired hell landscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.
For the fourth time in four years, we have yet another entry in the V/H/S franchise. It’s a bit surreal to think that this started over a decade ago, despite more than half of the films coming out in such a rapid span. Nevertheless, it’s a rather exciting prospect for several reasons. It proves that these films have an audience. It proves that the space of genre horror is still bursting with creativity and intriguing ideas. It proves that films made without inflated budgets can look fantastic. And it proves that there are perhaps few things more exciting in the world than discovering great filmmakers through the lens of constraint and ingenuity. With a limited budget and a finite amount of time for each segment, the filmmakers involved in each of the V/H/S films need to get in and out as quickly as possible, all while providing the maximum amount of tension and entertainment possible. While cohesion of the film takes priority in the name of collaboration, there’s the exciting prospect of each filmmaker in their given segment doing all they can to secure the spot of “most memorable.” And with V/H/S Beyond, I’d argue that several filmmakers are duking it out for the title; but not just within this entry. This latest film features some of the most exciting segments in the entire franchise.
An instant highlight for the film is Christian and Justin Long’s “Fur Babies.” It’s completely ridiculous, and leaves you wincing at its awkward humor. This is all complimentary, as the Long Brothers’ ability to blend such a wacky idea with genuine gross-out horror works very well. It’s never necessarily scary, but it’s also really not trying to be. It’s just a chilling look at what might go on in the basement of somebody who presents themselves as bubbly and completely ordinary. Thinking of Justin Long’s appearance in Barbarian, one can’t help but wonder if basements have been on his mind a whole lot more. The coda of this segment in particular provided a deep belly laugh, as it fully embraces just how silly the entire venture is in the first place. If these films can provide anything, it’s that there’s fun to be had even in the most zany of ideas. While this is one of the two segments that doesn’t really relate in any capacity to the overall framing of the film, the next two are very much integral.
Smack-dab in the middle of the film is Justin Martinez’ “Live and Let Dive.” This one had me fully lean forward in my seat with intrigue and horror at what transpired. In fact, if standing on its own, it would likely be my favorite short film of the year, and a true favorite in a very long while. The initial hook is simple: A group of friends are in a plane preparing to skydive (scary) when something goes terribly wrong (also scary). It’s that something that goes wrong though, which was able to capture a moment in my life of such fright and helplessness that I found myself completely transfixed in the theater. For those reading from New York, particularly Queens, you might remember the Night of the Blue Light (which borders on sounding like urban legend). But right before New Year’s Eve of 2018, I was home alone, waiting for some friends who were driving over that night. I suddenly got a call from my mom telling me to run outside and look up. I went out my front door, and looked up into the dark night sky. I saw nothing and was confused, only to turn my head when going back inside to see a shockingly clear and dazzlingly bright blue light in the sky. It was both awesome and frightening. It almost looked as if there was a line drawn randomly in the sky, as the two halves I could see from my front door were a bright, vibrant blue, and pitch-black. We had no idea what it was, and I just remember her saying she was turning around and coming back home. And something about the way she said it made it feel so real. It’s funny to look back on now, but at that moment, I began putting on my shoes. My friends called and the first thing they said was, “Are you seeing this?” They lived nearby, but far enough away that it really frightened me that they could see it from their point-of-view. And that’s when the fear set in. The horror-minded fan in me instantly believed it was aliens. And in that moment, however brief it may have actually been, I felt completely and utterly helpless. I had no plan. No idea where to go, what to do or bring, or who to call. Within an hour, it was guessed by myself, my parents, and my friends (all having now arrived at the house), that it was an electrical fire at the ConEd plant a few miles away. Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed to be the case. Many of my friends and neighbors from the area laugh when thinking back on how genuinely scared we all were. But the horror in the hopelessness of that moment was so real. And “Live and Let Dive” captures just how fragile the systems we’ve built around us really are. In the face of something larger than us, it’s fairly easy to crumble as it all gets torn apart by shocking revelations. That same sense of hopelessness is also wholly felt in “Stowaway.”
Directed by Kate Siegel and written by Mike Flanagan, “Stowaway” stars Alanha Pearce as a woman recording her hike through the desert in hopes of capturing proof of other-worldly life. Beyond operating as a spooky found-footage film in the middle of vast nothingness, this segment has a ton of heart despite never outright highlighting it. That’s by design. Siegel shows us mere glimpses of who this woman is through taped cutaways and mutterings of her emotional state. Pearce plays a mother who, by her own admittance, feels as if she has failed in some ways. But there are always more birthdays to make up for time lost and memories erased. At least, that’s what we can all hope for. This segment also captures a true sense of hopelessness. Without revealing much, this woman’s curiosity gets the better of her. And through that incredibly relatable emotion, those opportunities for future birthdays are snatched away. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. Some have consequences far more devastating than others. In the case of V/H/S Beyond, they’re often horrific. The same can be said for “Stowaway”, but in this particular instance, tragic feels more apt. It’s clear through cues provided that this woman has been labeled as illegitimate by her peers. They’re the non-believers, as the overarching framework of the film repeatedly refers to some people as. Through Pearce’s character, Siegel captures this very human idea that we’re all trying to prove we’re not failures. And in the case of this character, she certainly isn’t, but she’s been taken too deep to ever reap the rewards of such validation. As we see the final moments of the segment play out, you can’t help but feel saddened by the outcome despite her being correct. This segment is chilling, but it’s one of the more purely human segments in the V/H/S franchise. And by that design, it stands as one of my favorites.
As with any of the films in the franchise, it will be most exciting to see which filmmakers use V/H/S Beyond as a filmmaking springboard. Further, it’s exciting to see this franchise take a formula that they’ve been doing time and time again, and still have talented creatives inject fresh life into it. One can only hope that with future installments, the team behind the franchise extend themselves even further. It would be fantastic to see local filmmakers shoot in their home countries, other languages, perhaps even slightly altered styles. The visual language of the V/H/S franchise remains tried-and-true, but this is a series of films designed around the notion of bringing bold ideas to life. In that regard, it’s exciting to wait and see what’s coming up next.
V/H/S Beyond celebrated its World Premiere at the 2024 edition of Fantastic Fest. It will be released on Shudder starting October 4, 2024.
