“V/H/S BEYOND" (2024) Brings Terror To A Whole New Space! (REVIEW)

There isn’t much better than when two great sub-genres do a crossover, like found footage and anthology horror. Found footage movies can heighten tension by placing viewers in the perspective of the characters, making the horror feel more immediate and personal. When combined with the anthology format, it allows for multiple terrifying stories within a single film. This horror hybrid keeps the audience constantly on edge with each segment in this format delivering fresh scares, often drawing from different sub-genres. Doing so enjoyably all while the found footage aspect grounds the supernatural or terrifying events in a way that feels disturbingly real. This frightening fusion allows for creative storytelling within a framework that feels both chaotic and authentic, engaging viewers with a variety of horrors while maintaining an atmosphere of unpredictability. It is one of those rare experiences horror fans get to add for one hell of a viewing experience.

Recently we here at Macabre Daily decided to delve deep into the terrifying worlds of found footage and anthologies by dusting off our VHS machines to watch Shudder’s new original movie “V/H/S Beyond”. Much like the previous movies in the franchise, this one takes a group of talented writers, directors, and actors to provide us with a terrifying ensemble of stories based on an overall theme. “V/H/S Beyond” has a great list of directors involved in this one, including:

·      Jordan Downey (known for “ThanksKilling” & “The Head Hunter”)

·      Christian Long & Justin Long (known for “Jeepers Creepers” & “Barbarian”)

·      Justin Martinez (known for “V/H/S” & “Southbound”)

·      Virat Pal (known for “Recapture”)

·      Kate Siegel (known for “Hush” & “The Haunting on Hill House”)

·      And a special presentation by Jay Cheel (known for “How to Build a Time Machine”)

This new installment “V/H/S Beyond” focuses on the element of extraterrestrials and the insane situations people get themselves in when involving themselves with the unknowns of outer space. As with most anthology movies, “V/H/S Beyond” may feel like a mixed bag of suspense on paper, but it is one that you have to experience for yourself other than the normal trend these days of hating on a movie before it comes out. The reception from Fantastic Fest has been very good and it shows how much hard work and clever writing went into each of these for the amazingly talented people involved.

Not only is the writing and directing done truly well on this, but the acting in each segment is executed so perfectly. The actors in each of “V/H/S Beyond” convincingly portray the terror and immense fear that come with being part of these nightmarish situations. The reason why it will stand out among the rest of the franchise is that the fact nothing in this feels stiff or scripted. The filmmaking may come off as polished but the found footage horror elements of shaken footage and somewhat amateurish feel of it make it all feel very authentic. You almost feel that with the found footage element you may have stumbled upon a horrific video on the dark web or one you were never meant to see.

“V/H/S Beyond” delivers scary, unpredictable, and frightening moments fans of the franchise may or may not expect. There is an eerie aesthetic that is constant with each segment as they embrace their unique style of experimental horror. Great narratives and abstract visuals create such a surreal, nightmare-like atmosphere that makes you almost want to rewind and verify if the horrific scenes you just witnessed were real or something your mind came up with in the heat of the moment. The approaches taken will very much create an overwhelming sense of fear, and dread. There are even moments when you may want to hide your face behind your hands, such as arms being ripped off at ease, face-wearing villains (sadly not wielding a chainsaw), parachute decapitations, body horror animal transformations, and a peak into a brainless zombie’s head that may make you want to choke back your lunch. These are among the many visual terrors that are well enjoyed through the run time. Even seasoned viewers of the “V/H/S” franchise won’t be quite sure what to expect with each of these tales of out-of-this-world horror.

While all of these segments are truly enjoyable, there are going to be some segments that will stand out more than others. “Fur Babies” by Justin & Christian Long is a stand-out hit not only because it is an intense story, but the visual effects of the body horror and gore make you feel as if you were there. “Dream Girl” from Virat Pal will mess with your head a bit involving themes of vanity and psychological terror with the story following two paparazzi trying to get an inside scoop they will soon regret. “Live and Let Dive” by Justin Martinez was a surprise hit among the segments, based around friends who are going skydiving and getting attacked by an alien ship. All this while also trying to survive when they land on the ground to be followed and tortured by the aliens who force them to leave the plane. This segment was a bit of a surprise due to the fast-paced method of the transition from being on the plane, falling through the sky, and eventually finding what doom awaits them on the ground. On paper, it seems like this would be overwhelming but surprisingly it was well positioned on screen where the immense visuals didn’t take away from the terrifying story too much.

Some like “Stork” by Jordan Downey, “Stowaway” by Kate Siegel, and “The Wrap” by Jay Cheel, while they are their own stories have some overlapping themes. These three segments were very fast-paced, over too quickly, and left you wanting a bit more. “Stork” feels extremely quick with the story of police invading an abandoned home to find missing children and jumps into the horror, as well as action within a blink of an eye. “Stowaway” is a great premise at its foundation, but seems to rush the important parts of the storyline leading up to the climax. All while utilizing the found footage VHS aesthetic a bit more than was needed, making you feel as if you’re missing more of the visuals than you would like. Lastly “The Wrap”, which is the wraparound holding each of the segments together is all over the place with its back and forth of interviews, mixed in with found footage as well as the mockumentary style about a man who disappeared due to alien abduction to leave behind his proof that aliens exist. A lot of it is humorous insights into if people believe it is real, their thoughts on aliens, and analyzing the footage making it feel like you’re watching a behind-the-scenes segment with people discussing their thoughts on “The Blair Witch Project”.

With all that said, “V/H/S Beyond” successfully breathes terrifying new life into the found footage anthology franchisee by combining its traditional troupe of horror elements with a more outstanding contemporary exploration of space, aliens, and all the unknown elements of the great beyond and its impact on the human perception of it. “V/H/S Beyond” takes the top spot as the champion of the best installment in the franchise thus far. It is ambition and willingness from each writer/director to experiment with new takes on horror and utilize great practical effects that make this one of the more interesting and unsettlingly enjoyable parts of the series. Fans of the “V/H/S” franchise will not only appreciate the fresh take with these segments but those who may be new to the franchise itself will find enough terrifying and disturbing imagery to keep them on the edge of their seats long after the credits roll.

The newest installment in the franchise “V/H/S Beyond” will be exclusively available on Shudder Friday, October 4th, and will be one you won’t want to miss. For more in-depth reviews of all things horror, stay tuned to Macabre Daily as your source within the cinematic world of scares.

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