The latest instalment in the V/H/S horror anthology series has a sci-fi flavour.
While you might think this switches things up a bit, there have been many alien-themed segments in previous entries – and the general format is much the same.
There’s a wraparound story – the documentary style Abduction/Adduction – in among five tales of fear and suspense.
Opener Stork (helmed by Jordan Downey) is a bloody, relentless riot as it sees a police unit dubbed W.A.R.D.E.N. , armed with body cameras, laying siege to a building.
Things get more bat-s*** crazy as they progress and it compares well with the likes of Safe Haven from V/H/S/2 and V/H/S/94’sThe Subject .
It wasn’t the best move to follow Stork with Virat Pal’s Dream Girl as this is another full-on segment that sees a lot of death and destruction and leaves you needing to take a breath – with three more stories to come.
Justin Martinez, who contributed segments to the original V/H/S and fellow horror anthology Southbound , shows a lot of visual creativity with skydive-gone-wrong tale Live and Let Dive .
The camaraderie of the air-bound group quickly deteriorates into a fight for survival against an unexpected member of their crew.
Actor Justin Long and his brother Christian’s Fur Babies is probably the most bizarre, unsettling segment.
Long clearly took inspiration from his role in Kevin Smith’s Tusk and Libby Letlow ( Becky ) delivers the movie’s best performance as a sickly-sweet-turned-sinister dog lover with a penchant for twisted transformations.
The final segment, Stowaway, was written by Mike Flanagan ( Doctor Sleep , Hush , The Haunting of Hill House ) and helmed by his wife Kate Siegel, making her directorial bow.
It’s the best looking and shot story, proving Siegel has a flair for the art, but the least interesting to watch.
Overall, V/H/S/Beyond is another frighteningly fun entry in the franchise which continues to give a platform to exciting fresh filmmakers.
● Are you a fan of the V/H/S movies? Which one is your favourite?
Pop me an email at [email protected] and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.
● V/H/S/Beyond is streaming on Shudder now.
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