V/H/S Beyond (2024)
V/H/S in space!
V/H/S Beyond is the seventh installment of Shudder’s anthology series. This franchise has been around long enough to enter its midlife crisis phase, which, of course, means that it’s time for a “space” installment! Just like Jason X, Leprechaun, Critters, Hellraiser, and Amityville! Actually, very little of this movie is set in outer space, but most of it does feature creatures from alien worlds causing all manner of mayhem.
This movie has framing story, “Abduction/Adduction”. It’s a purported documentary about aliens from the perspective of both skeptics and believers. We are told that mysterious VHS tapes depicting alien encounters were found at a flea market. The framing story continues with interludes between the movie’s main segments.
To tell you the truth, I was surprised that this installment even had a frame narrative. Its immediate predecessor, V/HS/ ’99, didn’t. I don’t think this film particularly needed one, either. I didn’t rate the wraparound, but it would probably clock in at a 5 or 6. It was fine, but didn’t add that much to the movie.
Here’s a look at each segment:
“Stork”
Director: Jay Cheel
The first segment is about a police unit that’s trying to solve a series of baby kidnappings. They track the culprits to a dilapidated warehouse. The kidnappers are revealed to be grotesque alien monsters. One of them resembles a stork (hence the segment title). A gruesome bullet and chainsaw battle ensues.
This is my least favorite segment. We’ve seen countless movies about soldiers battling aliens. The creature design is cool and the writing has a nice dark sense of humor, but these qualities aren’t enough to differentiate it from the vast sea of similar material out there. I didn’t care about any of the characters and the segment didn’t offer much innovation or originality.
“Dream Girl”
Director: Virat Pal
This one is about a duo of paparazzi photographers who are pursuing Tara (Namrata Sheth), a beautiful Bollywood starlet who is saddled with an abusive manager. The photographers sneak into her movie set. One of them, Arnab (Sayandeep Sangupta), even has the chutzpah to hide in her trailer. He watches and records as Tara bursts into tears after getting berated by her manager.
Hoping to build a rapport with her, he comes out of his hiding spot and tells her that she doesn’t need her manager to be successful. Big mistake! Tara is not what she seems to be. Her boss, the paparazzi, and everyone else who has mistreated her will bear the brunt of her deadly wrath.
This segment is fun and utterly insane. Tara’s true identity doesn’t make much sense, but it fits right in with the wacky weirdness that the V/H/S franchise is known for. Her revenge will be cathartic for anyone who has been in her situation. I can imagine Sydney Sweeney or Selena Gomez wishing that they could do what she does in the final minutes of this segment.
“Live and Let Dive”
Director: Justin Martinez
A group of skydivers, who are celebrating their friend’s birthday, are flying in a small plane. As they head toward their jumping destination, they spot a UFO out the window. The craft smashes into their plane, causing it to break apart. Luckily, the skydivers are already wearing parachutes. They survive the fall, but their troubles are only beginning as the tentacled extraterrestrial monsters continue to pursue them.
This is another winning segment. It’s fast paced and chaotic. We have no idea why the aliens have targeted this group, but logic and backstory have never been what the V/H/S series is about. This segment is a fun rollercoaster ride with plenty of action and gore.
“Fur Babies”
Directors: Christian Long and Dustin Long
A group of animal rights activists attempt to infiltrate a corrupt doggy day care center. Stuart (Matthew Layton) and Angela (Braedyn Bruner) confront the business owner, an unsettlingly chipper woman named Becky (Libby Letlow). The activists end up getting way more than they bargained for. The shady business’s activities are beyond anything they could have imagined.
This is V/H/S Beyond‘s most random segment. It has more to do with the werewolf/wolfman subgenre than sci-fi horror. “Fur Babies” doesn’t fit particularly well with the film’s overarching theme, but it’s fun on its own. Letlow’s performance as the villain is definitely the highlight.
“Stowaway”
Director: Kate Siegel
Halley (Alanah Pearce), an amateur journalist, is filming a documentary about UFOs in the Mojave desert. She records interviews with townsfolk who claim to have seen aliens. Halley witnesses a UFO drop from the sky and encounters a mysterious spaceship. She decides to enter the craft and document her findings. Once she gets inside, strange events begin to occur.
This segment is the creepiest of the bunch. It also has the most ambiguous ending. If Halley was whisked off to an alien planet, how were her tapes ever found? Did the aliens slap some interstellar postal stamps on ’em and ship them back to Earth?
Segment Ratings (from 1 to 10):
“Stork” – 6
“Dream Girl” – 8
“Live and Let Dive” – 7.5
“Fur Babies” – 7
“Stowaway” – 7.5
Rating
Like all anthology movies, V/H/S Beyond features segments of varying quality. Overall, this is a strong effort, especially considering that this is the seventh installment of the series. The novelty should have worn off by now, but this inventive series continues to chug along. What theme will they tackle next? Maybe a series of tapes made by ghost hunters? That could be cool.
I also liked how all five segments gave legitimate reasons for the protagonists to be filming. My main pet peeve with found footage movies is that there is often no credible plot reason for the characters to keep recording while they are in life threatening danger.
The average segment rating is a 7.2, but I’m rounding it up. Most horror franchises are greater than the sum of their parts, and the fact that V/H/S Beyond is part of an ongoing series enhances the movie’s entertainment value.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 7.5
