V/H/S Beyond is a powder keg of guts, allowing directors to splurge on their low-budget visions to maximum impact but lacks frights.
V/H/S Beyond is a gory, mostly fun time where fans of alien abductions and science fiction can bask in various tales and takes on the genre. A unique found footage horror anthology, it’s an inescapable kaleidoscope of stories. But the horror is in short supply in this volume. It’s more gruesome fun than terror-inducing. While terror is not present, the otherworldly quality of each segment adds a sliver of tension. The anthology also gives each tale its shine time, though some shine less than others. V/H/S Beyond is a powder keg of guts, allowing directors to splurge on their low-budget visions to maximum impact but lacks frights.
The latest installment of V/H/S Beyond is a treasure trove of variety, which contains six segments—five stories with the sixth wrapped around that set. Each story differs vastly from the previous, given the writer and director’s visions. The first segment, “Alien Abduction,” continues in clips throughout the film. Director Jay Cheel (How to Build a Time Machine, Cursed Films) delivers authenticity as it sounds like any special about aliens, complete with movie clips and narration about the types of people that believe or debunk evidence. While the conclusion feels anticlimactic, the build-up for the two VHS tapes that “prove” alien existence feels surprisingly believable.
V/H/S Beyond Has Hit and Miss But Always Fascinating
Some of the stories have a more engaging, entertaining plot. The first segment, “The Stork,” is fascinating. It has a first-person feel like many of the others. However, it has multiple perspectives as the squad of officers infiltrates a home looking for missing babies. So, it has the aesthetic of a game that meets the wild Wild West. Directed by Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter) and written by Downey and Kevin Stewart, the effects feel gross and uncomfortable. But there’s also an added discomfort, especially given how often officers violently target people in real life. So, it makes cheering for them challenging.
One of the odder stories in V/H/S Beyond is “Fur Babies,” where an extreme animal lover sees humans as lesser. But she also prefers the subservience of dogs and decides to take a unique approach to crafting her fur family. It shows how her love for animals stems from their unconditional affection. Therefore, it emphasizes her unhealthy obsession going to the extreme.
A segment that drags is the final one, “Stowaway,” written by Mike Flanagan (Absentia, Doctor Sleep) and directed by Kate Siegel (Hush, The Fall of the House of Usher). Always a fan of Flanagan’s work, this one struggles to connect with audiences. However, the greatest hindrance to fostering that connection is the camera quality. While shoddy camera work gives a more organic, older feel, it’s difficult to see or understand what’s happening when the quality is too blurry. That’s the case here, especially during the darker scenes. Still, within each tale housed within V/H/S Beyond, the range of practical effects—even when they miss the mark to build terror—is inspiring.
Gory Entertainment
Overall, V/H/S Beyond is a lot of fun, building some unique stories and continuing to push the envelope with various practical effects. Many of the segments lacked tension or discomfort. However, each presents a different vision, giving it a “something for everyone” appeal. It won’t be anyone’s favorite of the series (mine is V/H/S/99), but it’s a wonderful addition. V/H/S Beyond is lightweight horror fun that leans into some gory moments.
