For a series that has become an annual event, it really is remarkable how solid this franchise is. The use of found footage as the way these short films are presented give everything a connection point and makes it so the films don’t need to be big budget. The series is also a great place for established filmmakers to do something weird or for up-and-comers to cut their teeth with filmmaking. While not every “episode” of the films is fully successful – or memorable- they all bring something interesting and unique. Truly, if there’s a great place to look for ways that found footage can still be interesting and groundbreaking then look no further than this series.
V/H/S/: Beyond is a science fiction entry into the popular series and finds things set up with a very fun wraparound that ties the film together and really works the best out of the entire series. The episodes that make the film tell stories of aliens, androids, and mad scientists. Whatever may have happened to the people behind the cameras, at least we know their films live on.
Like other entries in the series this is a mixed bag. Overall it’s a fun film with some good entries, “Stowaway” being the standout. The acting is good, the stories are interesting, and each as its own look and feel. And if you are looking for gore, well, welcome aboard, you’ll have plenty to look forward to. Your milage will vary on which episodes you connect with but I have found that this format really shines a lot on the most frustrating aspect of found footage and that is that they often end with lots of questions and very little resolution. When done well, it works, but in short films like these they often feel like they end abruptly and left me furrowing my brow. There’s also the aspect that I think we’re at a point where we can have “discovered” footage that doesn’t require everyone to die.
Just saying.
As found footage, the shorts all work, though, as usual, we are often left asking – OK, so who the heck FOUND this footage, exactly? That’s the big knock on the best episode because there’s no real way that makes sense that the footage would be found but hey, who knows? (I will say that one entry DOES show footage that doesn’t feature wholly doomed people, which was a really fun change of pace).
It’s a fun movie and another strong entry in the series. It’d be cool if they traded off and one year do horror stories and another do sci-fi. Heck, a fantasy one’d be interesting even if they can figure a way to make it work. I may not have loved it all but it’s got lots to recommend and fans of the series and subgenre should love it.
3.75 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 