V/H/S Beyond is streaming now globally on Shudder.
Synopsis
Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.
Review
The V/H/S franchise returns with V/H/S Beyond, the seventh entry in this found-footage anthology series. But does it breathe new life into the format, or is it fading to static?
Following the series’ tropes, we’re presented with five new segments, this time focused primarily on aliens rather than ghosts and the paranormal. These are framed within an overarching narrative of an alien abduction documentary.
I’ll break down my views on each segment individually to give them their due.
“Stork”
First up is “Stork,” which follows police officers via bodycam as they raid the house of a suspected child kidnapper. It’s certainly the most action-packed of the five tales, and at times gave me an intense Resident Evil vibe. Gorgeously gory and wildly fun, it features some truly unsettling visuals of the “people” residing within. Not much else could be said for this one, but it’s a wild way to kick off the film.
“Stork” was all kinds of fun, and the final few minutes deliver a satisfying twist.
“Dream Girl”
This segment is set in India and follows two paparazzi who sneak onto the set of a new Bollywood film to get compromising shots of the lead actress. However, their snooping accidentally unleashes someone’s monstrous alter ego.
This one felt weird to me, and not in a good way. We’re treated to a Bollywood dance number, and the footage frequently jumps between two different cameras. For found footage, this is confusing, as it’s supposed to be a tape from a singular perspective. Did someone edit it together?
There’s also very little to connect this to the “alien” motif that the overarching documentary claims confirms aliens are among us. At one point, I thought the twist would be the actress switching bodies with the paparazzi, as he’s jealous of her success and comments that he wishes he were in her position.
This wasn’t the strongest segment for me. The gore is wild when we see it, but the chaos overshadows the plot and leaves me more confused than horrified.
“Live and Let Dive”
Tape 3 is my favorite in this film, with only one major flaw. It’s set from the perspective of a guy on his 30th birthday who has been convinced by his loved ones to skydive, with a GoPro strapped to his head.
Before they can jump, however, they’re intercepted by a UFO, blown out of the plane, and hurled towards the earth. Limbs, bodies, and plane parts fall through the sky!
It’s a unique story about UFOs and aliens, and it kicks off incredibly well!
The scenes on the ground raise the stakes as the survivors run from aliens who are picking them off one by one. It has some shockingly gory moments that took me by surprise! The scenario is original and fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed this segment until the final 20 seconds.
I won’t spoil the ending, but I have to question who found the footage, based on where the character ends up.
In my opinion, found-footage films need to follow at least two rules: 1) If it’s from a handheld camera and a single incident (meaning not over numerous days), there shouldn’t be any noticeable editing involved, like cutting to different angles; and 2) The camera or tape needs to be left somewhere for someone to find it. This segment followed the first rule but broke the second. Other than that, this was the highlight of V/H/S/ Beyond for me, and I loved it!
“Fur Babies”
Now, from the best segment to the worst. “Fur Babies” follows animal rights activists targeting a woman who makes dog collars with cameras, simply because she has two stuffed dogs in the background of her commercial. The activists are quickly captured by the woman and her son, who take over the filming. All the while, she surgically turns the activists and one other person into dogs by grafting on dog parts and mutilating them.
This was written and directed by Justin Long, and you can see he tried to appeal to the Tusk audience. I’m sorry to say, though, this segment was pretty awful. It felt out of place and was just a furry horror flick. It also had nothing to do with aliens, as far as I could tell.
It’s a shame, as it brings down the momentum of the film, being the penultimate short before the finale.
“Stowaway”
The final segment is an amateur documentary with a young woman who discusses aliens and how they might travel through space. During filming, she encounters a UFO and, throwing caution to the wind, steps inside to investigate. Remaining consistently calm throughout her journey, she discovers strange things like healing nanobots, the aliens themselves, and a spider in a small pod.
The nanobots don’t quite know how to “heal” her injuries like a cut on her finger, so every time she’s injured, she’s healed in subtle but increasingly horrific ways.
The concept was cool, but the lead character’s calmness undermined the sense of worry. No one in their right mind would be so relaxed in this situation, especially venturing into space on an alien spaceship. This brings me back to my two rules. Like “Live and Let Dive,” it followed the first rule of no cuts or edits, but doesn’t explain how the footage was found. This ruins the immersion of found-footage horror, as there’s no plausible way anyone on Earth could have recovered the footage.
That said, this final segment was an enjoyable watch, especially with the glimpses of body horror. It was also written by the legendary Mike Flanagan, who has a strong track record in horror, and directed by his wife, Kate Siegel.
The overarching documentary segment was easily missable for me. It mainly consisted of people discussing alien footage and theories, although it did feature a fun cameo from the popular YouTube channel “Corridor Crew.” The film ends with bizarre “found footage” of an alien interacting with a man in his bedroom, but again, it adds nothing substantial to the overall experience of V/H/S/ Beyond.
Verdict
V/H/S/ Beyond is another fun addition to the ever-expanding V/H/S franchise. While not the strongest entry, its focus on aliens was mostly successful in 3 out of the 5 segments. They could have been reordered for better pacing thought, and the removal of “Fur Babies” for another alien focused short would have been a blessing, as it’s arguably one of the long running franchise’s weakest shorts. The difficulty in justifying how the “found footage” was recovered further suggests that the V/H/S franchise needs to solidify its rules for future anthologies.
⭐⭐⭐
