It’s been a fun ride watching this franchise resurrect itself from the ashes of 2014’s V/H/S/Viral. Shudder’s regular releases have been a win for horror fans, laden with the found footage nightmares that range from schlock to brilliance. Not every segment is a hit but most shine. V/H/S/Beyond is an attempt to go fully sci-fi and I think it’s one of the best, if not THE best, of the bunch. Might not have the best segment, definitely doesn’t have the worst. This is, sequence for sequence, the most consistent and entertaining from start to finish.
It helps to have some very good choices to bring in new directing talent. V/H/S/ has always been a good place to find directors to watch, from Ti West (X, Pearl, MaXXXine) to David Bruckner (Hellraiser [2022]) to the duo of Benson/Moorehead (The Endless, Spring). This year’s crop has latched onto multiple different talent that is new to this series. Justin Long (Barbarian, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Undeclared) jumps in to join Kate Siegel and her husband, Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Bly Manor) alongside returning talent Jay Cheel and Justin Martinez to offer what I find to be maybe my favorite entry in this franchise.
The challenge of focusing on sci-fi opens some unique avenues for gruesome little shorts. This anthology format is perfect for the concept, allowing for maybe the best variety we’ve gotten thus far. Alien invasion, abduction, and even a glorious Bollywood number all kick in to keep this as innovative and entertaining as it is thoughtful. Even the scares span a wide breadth, from gruesome and gory to deeply upsetting, and when V/H/S/Beyond is hitting it’s wonderful.
This mix, which spans from knockoffs of Aliens to Fire in the Sky and even The Island of Doctor Moreau, tightens up and creates an ironclad set of stories all slewn throughout a documentary about the possibility of proof of extraterrestrial life. Cheel’s wraparound is much more fun than most previous ideas, which ranged from a disturbed child playing with toy soldiers to a group of burglars/sexual assaulters breaking into a house. Cheel, known for his two seasons of Shudder docuseries Cursed Films, creates a fun look at the concept of what belief and skepticism looks like and how hard it would be to convince either camp of proven reality (once obtained, of course). A recent trend of horror films referencing/using podcasters and YouTube creators continues by bringing in The Corridor Crew, a VFX house famous for breaking down special effects shots and attempting to recreate or smooth some. This entire wraparound weaponizes these things perfectly, weaving a documentary that wouldn’t be too far off from a more interesting episode of Unsolved Mysteries or Ancient Aliens. It’s fun, decently informative, and includes contextual references to sci-fi horror that definitely added to my watchlist.
The grounded sensibility of the wraparound only lets the more eclectic segments to shine forth. Thankskilling director Jordan Downey brings us a blend of zombie-hunter cops and body horror, Virat Pal a song and dance sensation, and the less I tell you about Justin Long’s dog-sitter segment the better. Wouldn’t want to spoil things, would I?
The real standouts, though, are Justin Martinez’s “Live & Let Dive” and Kate Siegal’s “Stowaway.” Martinez’s segment takes to the skies with a group of friends celebrating the lead’s birthday, ready to jump out of an airplane together when a UFO shows up and begins wreaking havoc. Siegal’s segment, written with partner and long-time collaborator Mike Flanagan, is less scare-a-minute and more an upsetting look at what a person stowing away on an alien spacecraft would entail. I dare say that Siegal’s short, one of the briefest segments in V/H/S/ history, has become one of my favorites overall. I wouldn’t hold it quite to the status of Timo Tjahjanto & Garth Huw’s “Safe Haven,” but it’s damn close.
Anthology films are a fun but uneven beast, which makes V/H/S/Beyond all the more impressive for remaining consistently entertaining and eerie throughout. It’s one of, if not the best entry in the franchise, and horror fans with a stomach that can handle found-footage stories will be feasting.
V/H/S/Beyond is streaming on Shudder.
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