V/H/S/94

Well I've waited for this for a very long time. I love the first one, second one was decent ("Safe Haven" the best of them all), Viral was not good, and by the trailer I expected more.

The first segment was ok, didn't really scare me, even though it was a bit creepy, so I'll give it a pass. The one with the doctor and robots was the best one of the whole movie!! So cool and futuristic! He's done it again.

The other segments were.. well.. boring and not good. The entire general plot was not good. Too bad, the vibe did remind me of the first one but the first VHS has so many good and scary stories, you just can't compare. Please - if you do another one, do BETTER stories, not just strange monsters.

Timo Tjajhanto's segment "The Subject" is the vivid standout in this messy found-footage sequel which heads back to its grainy-cassette-tape roots. After the last installment bombed, it needed franchise returnees Timo Tjajhanto and Simon Barett, plus a conceptualizer in David Bruckner to inject some interest back into this anthology series. Similar to the "Safe Haven" segment by Gareth Evans and Timo Tjajhanto in V/H/S 2, Timo pulls off yet another audio-visual showcase here that melds CGI and practical effects in an action-packed (but non-scary) thirty-minute stretch shot entirely in first-person. This segment towers over the rest in terms of its core idea, slick production design, and bucketfuls of gore. It's the only segment worth revisiting in the film altogether.

I also enjoyed Chloe Okuno's Storm Drain in bits & pieces, especially for its typical found-footage claustrophobia, wacky effects, and an unexpected tinge of dark humor. Simon Barett's "The Empty Wake" initially gets its mood and atmosphere right before squandering all of it for something unintentionally laughable. The exciting bits in Ryan Prows' "Terror" are far too less to really mean anything other than its authentic '90s touches. Jennifer Reeder's wraparound segment "Holy Hell" suffers from poor performances and frequent breaks - the tension is wholly lacking. What's uniformly remarkable all through is the film's aesthetics. The news reports actually resemble the ones from the 90s; there's also retro CGI and even a fake infomercial that looks too darn legit. Add some grunge music, CRT televisions, and shades of the early internet into the mix, and we get a pretty decent throwback of sorts.

BUT YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING !!!!!

Why bother creating a movie. We lived through the 'VHS' years and they were never as bad as this. Why bother filming something if you have it either, jumpy, dark or add effects to make you NOT SEE ANYTHING.

So frustrating.

V/H/S franchise started during the found-footage phenomenon and has been noteworthy for offering new, up-n-coming horror filmmakers an avenue to demonstrate their creative talent. This anthology series has always been a mixed bag as a whole but there's no denying that it has a cult following. Having spawned a few sequels since its inception, V/H/S/94 is the latest entry in the saga.

The film features four short segments connected by a frame narrative that follows a police raid being conducted at an abandoned warehouse which contains remnants of a ritualistic cult mass suicide. It has a grittier, gorier & more unholy feel than its predecessors and also features shorts that are collectively in closer proximity in their tone n mood, which makes it better than its predecessors.

The first short is Storm Drain, written & directed by newcomer Chloe Okuno, and follows a news reporter & her cameraman as they investigate an urban legend. It has a grainy, dirty aesthetic that adds to its uneasy vibe, plus the film just takes its absurd premise and runs with it. The old-school creature effects are done well and it definitely evokes the early 90s feel while offering some splendid scares.

The second short The Empty Wake is written & directed by franchise returnee Simon Barrett and unfolds at a funeral home where a young woman is assigned to host a wake as a severe thunderstorm rages outside. It's a simple & straightforward segment with predictable scares that are routine and has got nothing new or refreshing to offer. But the interest doesn't fizzle out at least and that's the only good thing about it.

The third segment is hands down my favourite and single-handedly makes this sequel worth the price of admission. Written & directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes For Us & May the Devil Take You), The Subject is a crazy blend of body horror, sci-fi & action that splatters the screen with blood, guts & metal and is crafted with glee & passion. Tjahjanto lets his love for excess take over and brings his short to life with brain & brutality.

The final short is Terror, written & directed by Ryan Prows, and concerns a white supremacist group plotting to blow up a government building and take back America. It aptly captures the brainwashed vision of such losers but is also unsettling when demonstrating their devotion to the cause. But once it escalates into a mayhem, it's just fun, hilarious & entertaining to watch and culminates on a bloody good note even if the scares are by the numbers.

Overall, V/H/S/94 makes for a better evolved & more fulfilling entry in the infamous franchise and features a better collection of short segments that keeps the entire ride tense & thrilling for the most part. The acting is all over the place but the 90s video culture vibe & aesthetics are carried out with finesse. It's the frame narrative actually that turns out to be the weakest of all but it doesn't derail the good portions. Worth viewing for madman Tjahjanto's segment alone.

The shorts here are great. Tjahjanto, Prowse, and Okuno bring very unique tales that are genuinely scary. Barrett's segment is adequate and on par with segments in previous the previous films. However, the wraparound by Jennifer Reeder is awful and taints the pros of the individual segments. The last 3 minutes of the film close the wrap segment and is the worst part of the film by far. Though not as bad as the wraparound in VHS Viral, this film didn't do much better for its framing device. Overall the film sits around the quality of the first two.

6/10.