V/H/S/BEYOND (2024)

At this point, it’s pretty clear to state that the V/H/S series is the most successful and beloved horror anthology series of all time. Let’s say it again, it is the most successful (with 7 movies and counting) and beloved (they’ve only really ranged from good to excellent, never really bad) horror anthology series in the entire horror genre. Speaking in hyperbole is never really my style (with the exception of comedic effect of course) but it’s hard to think of another horror anthology series that’s had the amount of consistency and by sheer numbers, the number of movies for a horror anthology. This is considered a historic event in the horror genre, to have a series of movies that are not centered around a slasher but rather a platform for various directors/writers/actors/etc. to tell short stories within the horror anthology format. Just needed to throw that out there because the latest in the series, V/H/S/Beyond somehow still manages to keep the tone and direction of the series fresh and exciting with this entry leaning harder towards the Sci/Fi genre which plays quite well with the found footage format. Without further ado, onto the SPOOKY SCARY!

Abduction/Adduction

Director(s): Jay Cheel

Writer(s): Jay Cheel

Starring: Brian Baker, Trevor Dow, Mitch Horowitz

This was both an interesting and impactful wrap-around story for this entry. The format was documentary style, which is new for the wrap around story and focused on found footage of an extraterrestrial encounter through recorded footage. In between the segments, they would showcase different Subject Matter Experts that discuss the validity of the footage and by the end of the story, you get a nice pay off by seeing the footage and seeing the reaction of the skeptics that were weary of the evidence throughout the movie. It’s a very interesting and entertaining take on how to do a wrap around story since it doesn’t necessarily go into each individual tale like the previous movies have done, but rather ties everything together from a more theoretical level, like, why we are scared of what’s beyond. A very fun way to get the ball moving on this flick.

Stork

Director(s): Jordan Downey

Writer(s): Jordan Downey, Kevin Stewart

Starring: Thom Hallum, James C. Burns, Jolene Andersen

A lot of these found footage horror shorts are going the way of trying to make it look like it came straight from a video game and I’m not complaining. There’s something really cool about seeing a first-person shooter (or runner) getting into a situation and suspensefully waiting for the outcome. This was a fast-paced, action-packed, and most importantly, entertaining entry that truly benefits from being a short movie. A special group of armed individuals are about to raid a house based on an investigation regarding the disappearance of infants. There was not much exposition because the horrific action gets down pretty quick with several “zombie-like” creatures attacking the group on several rooms/floors of the house and again, pretty much plays like a video game until they get to the “final boss.” Love the practical effect used in this entry and the CGI that was used was done quite well with the found footage format. The designs of the creatures were spectacular with a sort of gothic vibe.

Dream Girl

Director(s): Virat Pal

Writer(s): Virat Pal, Evan Dickson

Starring: Namrata Sheth, Sayandeep Sengupta, Rohan Joshi

This was a wildly chaotic entry where meeting a hot superstar leads to a frenzied slaughter! The entry follows two paparazzi getting the job of a lifetime that would make their careers by being able to meet the country’s hottest Bollywood star. What comes next is a bloody splatter fest where you can’t help but think what you would do in a situation where a crazed killing entity (trying to stay spoiler free here lol) is having their way with anything that moves in an area that provides no real place to hide. This entry gives me real Terminator vibes but with the crazed energy of any zombie flick where those F*ckers actually run instead of walk and as a bonus, has a pretty catchy soundtrack from the killer pop star herself.

Live and Let Dive

Director(s): Justin Martinez

Writer(s): Justin Martinez, Ben Turner

Starring: Bobby Slaski, Rhett Wellington, Bix Krieger

Being one who is afraid of heights already, this entry doubled down by adding ALIENS to the mix! This sky-diving experience took a turn for the worse when the passengers noticed a UFO in the distance that then spiraled down (pun intended) into chaos as the folks who are already on a free fall thousands of feet from the ground also have to contend with an alien creature trying to get to them before gravity does the job! The first half of this entry really triggered me because monster and aliens, sure, that’s already pretty terrifying but when you’re in a situation where you can’t defend yourself, like, let’s say FALLING DOWN TO YOUR DEATH, it gives it an extra layer of terror that was shot wonderfully for this entry. The other half focuses on the aftermath as some of the passengers were able to land (somewhat) safely and now have to deal with the creature on the ground. The ending of this entry was the icing on the cake since it gives you pause and then comes the thoughts of the existential threats of the universe…all in the creepiness of the dark, of course.

Fur Babies

Director(s): Justin Long, Christian Long

Writer(s): Justin Long, Christian Long

Starring: Libby Letlow, Matthew Layton, Braedyn Bruner

Aaaaaaaand now we get to my favorite entry in this series. This was a great entry filled with creepy characters, suspense and yes, practical makeup/effects! This flick was very reminiscent of many horror flicks that deal with investigating a total weirdo, only for it to take a turn for the horrific and bizarre. A group of animal rights activists investigate a dog sitting operation at a house owned by an eccentric woman which led to sending two of their members undercover. What followed were brilliant scenes of tension, suspense, and the eventual scenes of the macabre. Since we’re on the topic, the makeup for the creatures in this entry were fantastic. There was some wonderful creature feature work on this entry that’s both monstrous but also seems like having fun with the story being told. Without spoiling too much, although this is a short entry as part of an anthology series, this feels like it has the potential to be a full feature, which is a clear indicator of a great entry. There are so many elements in this entry that I can picture they can explore further. You have imprisonment with a deranged warden-like character, monstrous experiments, and the kind of tension where you’re rooting for people to try to escape. It’s interesting that this entry was co-written/directed by Justin Long who’s had the FLEX in starring in various horror movies himself and perhaps he took some inspiration from one of his best roles in the genre, Tusk which had similar themes? Okay, I’ll leave it at that to keep this being as spoiler free as possible but for those who know…know 😊

Stowaway

Director(s): Kate Siegel

Writer(s): Mike Flanagan

Starring: Alanah Pearce, Boomer Feith, Yuritzi Bojorquez

This was a nice entry to end this series since I would say that from both a story and visual standpoint, this entry leaned heaviest into the Sci/Fi genre. It follows a woman who has left everything she cared about behind to investigate the extraterrestrial and finds herself inside an alien ship. Visually, it was very entertaining to see the technology and design of the alien ship but also does a great job in the terror of the unknown since you start to see the impact the environment has on the woman who boarded the ship. I especially enjoyed the makeup effects of this entry that seemed very Cronenberg-esque in its design, meaning it was grotesque but also very NEAT.

There you have it folks! The last entry for 2024 ends on a HIGH note with one of my favorite horror series and yes, again I’ll have to say it, the most SUCCESSFUL horror anthology movie series of all time. The evolution of how this series became a household name for horror anthologies (and subsequent spin offs) was a pleasure to watch and I look forward to the next entry. SEE YOU FREAKS IN 2025!

Life is FAR more interesting when we take interest in things that scare us.