V/H/S/85

Short review: This is the definition of "if you like these films then you are going to like V/H/S/85." This film stays true to what we have come to expect from this franchise. The dark, gritty and often highly disturbing tone is all apparent here. But this one also has a few tricks that you won't have seen before. I won't spoil anything, but just know that there are some structural changes and they are game-changing and excellent additions.

As usual in these movie a few of the segments are better than the rest. There was certainly no absolute dud that ruined the film for 20 minutes by any means though. If you want to feel unclean and see some messed up things for 110 minutes then look no further than this film. It has everything you're after. 5.5/10.

During a recording of a TV program called "Total Copy" which documents a tragic circumstance in which scientists studied a shapeshifting being known as "Rory", the footage is periodically interrupted by footage from five other stories dealing with the supernatural.

V/H/S/85 is the sixth installment in the V/H/S franchise and third overall made and released for horror based streaming service Shudder. Secretly filmed back to back with prior installment V/H/S/99 and featuring much of the same producing team, V/H/S/85 continues its run with an installment that I personally feel is the best since V/H/S/2.

The frame story, Total Copy directed by David Bruckner and written by David Bruckner, follows an episode of a television docuseries called Total Copy which details a group of scientists observing a shapeshifting entity known as "Rory" while hinting at a tragic fate that befell the team. A mixture of homages to the likes of Unsolved Mysteries with mixtures of E. T. inspired first contact films as well as John Carpenter's The Thing, the short does a good job of establishing the look and feel for its era nicely capturing the framing and aesthetics of an 80s VHS recording of a TV program. It doesn't break too far from its Thing-esque influences, but it does lead to a darkly humorous payoff.

The first short, No Wake written and directed by Mike P. Nelson follows a group of friends and siblings on a trip to a lake where an excursion of fun turns into a nightmare as they're shot at by an unseen shooter. Despite featuring the old standard of "friends off to the (blank) to party", Nelson knows how to make the characters more endearing than annoying as has been the sin of some who utilize the formula (even in prior V/H/S segments. While the segment starts as a relatively more grounded trip into fear than typical for a V/H/S, it keeps going after its conclusion in a unique way that segues nicely into a later segment.

The next segment, God of Death written and directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, follows a Mexican news crew whose broadcast is interrupted during an Earthquake leaving only the cameraman alive in the studio who is escorted out by a rescue team while still recording. As the group are forced to travel further downward due to the quake having cut off above ground access points, they soon come across an ancient evil. The segment features a pretty convincing sense of scale with how big Guerrero manages to make the quake seem even as the action remains relatively confined and the sense of claustrophobia is nicely done. Once again it's pretty standard stuff as it plays like a shorter version of The Descent only with more cultural specific elements used in the payoff, but they're well constructed and feature some impressive work on display.

The third segment, TKNOGD (pronounced technogod) written by Zoe Cooper and directed by Natasha Kermani, follows a performance artist named Ada Lovelace putting on a performance detailing the death of the old gods by mankind in favor of the new god of technology utilizing a new VR system to summon this god into existence only to prove it to be very real. Playing like a mixture of Tron, Hellraiser, and a one woman stage show, I felt the short did an interesting job setting up tension and unease in a circumstance in which there's really only one active character and the incorporation of the VR gimmick was nicely done while still fitting within the 80s aesthetic.

The fourth segment, Ambrosia written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, follows what at first seems like a family celebration of their daughter's completion of some rite of passage only to be revealed to be something darker and inhuman. Playing as a payoff to No Wake the opening segment where it's staged like a graduation or birthday party with guests talking about acts of evil as casually as family reunion anecdotes is low key disturbing even if it's not as scary as No Wake by removing some of the mystique of the attack. It's more or less a form of comeuppance for the No Wake story complete with appropriate punishment, but it does have a memorable stinger at the end.

The final segment, Dreamkill directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and collaborator C. Robert Cargill is definitely the standout of the group as it features the documenting of a police investigation where brutal murders recorded on VHS tapes are sent to the police station before the murders have even been committed. Taking elements of police procedural as well as more fantastical genre fare like Dreamscape or The Dead Zone, Derrickson and Cargill craft an engrossing mystery with a strong sense of dread. The two also manage to play with the VHS format in a really clever way by allowing more freedom by crafting an explanation for the tapes that was really very interesting and leads to a climax that's equal parts chilling and violent. This segment is honestly so good I kind of hope they consider giving it the feature treatment like other other VHS spin-offs Siren or Kids vs. Aliens.

V/H/S/85 is a really good entry in this anthology series and is probably the most I've liked an entry in this franchise since the second one as its definitely the most consistently good with none of the segments ever feeling like a drag on the overall quality. Definitely a high point for the series and leaves you wanting more.

V/H/S/85 is my least favourite out of the new V/H/S/ films. It's a shame because I was looking forward to this one. It's not a bad movie or anything like V/H/S: Viral.

There were some compelling ideas, with one segment involving a lake with supernatural abilities if you go into the water. Or how about a detective receiving video tapes filmed by a serial killer of a series of murders that has yet to happen, and the detective must track down the potential victims before it happens?

Speaking of that, the segment Dreamkill by director Scott Derrickson was my favourite. I noticed that Derrickson pulled ideas from his other movies, such as his 2012 film 'Sinister', where we get a Super 8-found footage POV of the killer committing the horrific acts. Or how the crime scenes looked straight out of Michael Mann's 'Manhunter'. Great stuff.

The scene transitions could have been smoother, as it did feel like I was watching a Nick Crowley YouTube video at times, which isn't an insult to Crowley himself; it's just a unique editing style that I didn't expect a movie production to take on board, intentional or not. It took me a bit to realize when the next horror segment started, as it wasn't always crystal clear.

Despite that, I'm still looking forward to more movies in the future. Again, it is not a bad movie, just a bit disappointed.

I know this is going to sound really bizarre but V/H/S/85 is totally creepy if you put it on a TV "in the background" while you're doing other things, because many of the scenes are genuinely surreal or disturbing if you just randomly look up now and then. I started watching this movie with the sincere intention of watching it closely, like I would with most films, but it just wasn't solid enough in the first vignette to capture my interest. Maybe if I had turned this flick off impulsively I would have given it a much lower rating, but instead I just let it play and wow what an unsettling ambiance this style of film making creates.

I think it helps that I'm old enough to remember 80s television but also young enough that I was a child at the time, so there's something a bit jarring about seeing clips of real commercials blended in from almost 40 years ago that I had half-forgotten. This technique ups the authenticity factor but not if you pay attention too closely.

Although it doesn't show off the variety & versatility this franchise is renowned for, this newer expansion still possesses plenty of charm and freshness of its own that will help keep the audience committed for the entire course.

If you are an ardent follower of the V/H/S series or a general admirer of Found Footage features, you will find yourself right at home with sufficient blood and gore to satisfy your appetite. However, others may not get the appeal and might be confused about the rationale of the plot and its bizarre structuring. And that is completely understandable, as it is not made for everyone.

Please bear that in mind.