While being generally of the same, inconsistent, quality of previous V/H/S installments, there was a noticable feeling that the anthology franchise had become somewhat unwound after V/H/S: Viral back in 2014. Yes, it had the token strong segment that was surrounded by various other stories of inferior quality, outcast a whole the entire found footage/multiple story angle was feeling as spent as Jack Sparrow’s rum supply.
However, in a comeback that nobody saw coming, the streaming platform Shudder decided to press play on the hibernating series and in 2021 gave us V/H/S/94 – however, this time the brains behind the whole deal made a couple of subtle changes that managed to not only give the franchise renewed vigor, but also upped the general quality of the installments as a whole, allowing yet another clutch of indie filmmakers to have a crack with the format in a period setting. Do not adjust your sets – V/H/S was making a comeback.
As we begin, we open with “Holy Hell”, the standard wraparound segment that this time focuses on a SWAT team infiltrating a mysterious cult that worships a series of sinister snuff films recorded on the titular format. However, once we push past those formalities, we launch right into our first tale with “Storm Drain” that has Holly Marciano, a ambitious news reporter from Westerville, Ohio, chasing up a local urban legend known as the Rat Man. After a string of interviews, she complains to her cameraman, Jeff that this is nothing more than a puff piece, but as they descend into the sewers, Holly realises that the bigger story of homeless people living upon the turds could get her the plaudits she desires. However, on closer inspection, she soon finds that something lurks beneath the streets that far more worrying than someone’s bowel movement – the subterranean deity known to his followers as Raatma.
Next up is The Empty Wake, the story of the Jensen Funeral home as the fresh-faced Hailey is assigned to host an all-night wake for the recently departed Andrew Edwards who died from leaping off a roof while babbling incoherently. Alone with the coffin as the deserted wake is being recorded, Hailey worries that the violent storm that’s raging will cause issues, but that’s nothing compared to the fact that Edwards doesnt seem to be entirely dead.
Next up is the impressively chaotic “The Subject” that takes us into the warped mind of Indonesian scientist, Dr. James Suhendra, who has become obsessed with fusing the fleshy bodies of kidnapped youths with homemade, bionic implants to make them murderous cyborgs. However, when a heavily armoured squad of police show up to put a stop to Suhendra’s body mauling shenanigans, all hell breaks lose with one of his experiments desperately trying to escape.
Finally, in “Terror” we get to spend some highly questionable “quality” with a white supremacist group known as the First Patriots Movement Militia who have managed to obtain a mysterious super weapon that they’re planning to unleash upon a local government building. However, as the date of the terror-attack soon approaches, certain questions arise – who is the whimpering man they assassinate over and over again every morning and what is it about his blood that causes such an explosive reaction in sunlight?
Up until now, the V/H/S series has usually coasted by on one superlative installment with the rest of the bunch trailing with so-so results, however, with this rebirth, the filmmakers have finally realised the mechanics that makes the series work. Jumping into a period setting, the V/H/S gimmick finally makes sense as each tale is able to oddly move more freely within the confines of the rules found footage and as a result, the overall quality is greatly improved. Is there anything here that matches David Bruckner’s “Amateur Night” from the first V/H/S, or Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans’ “‘Safe Haven”? Not quite, but some entries sure come fucking close.
Unfortunately, one of the series continuing weak spots is still the wraparound and Jennifer Reeder’s “‘Holy Hell” proves to be no exception as yet another V/H/S bookend struggles vainly to tie everything together. However, things immediately perk up as V/H/S/94 fies on to show that it doesn’t have a duff entry among its proper segments. Arguably the least of them is The Empty Wake, a rather subdued entry that takes the Paranormal Activity route of following the creepy, deliberately paced action with fixed cameras and long periods of quiet. It’s a solid entry and still leagues ahead of other, lesser entries in the franchise and it has an impressive pay off as the dead Edwards’ inevitably rises from his coffin to sightlessly stalk his victim with half his mangled head still laying on the floor – it just a shame that its denouement is a little muddled.
However, matters slam matters into a higher gear with Ryan Prows concluding segment, “Terror”, which has us following along with a dangerous militia as they plot a bomb attack with supernatural means. Slowly building intrigue and gradually explaining itself as it progresses, the story of a bunch of redneck racists planning to use the explosives effects of vampire blood in sunlight to bomb a building is certainly an original one and while the payoff may be easy to predict (what, you think there’s a chance the vampire won’t escape and rip them all to pieces?), the vampire design is neatly over the top (it makes the split-faced Reapers from Blade II look positively restrained by comparison) and watching white supremacists get theirs is always fun.
Taking things up another notch is Chloe Okuno’s Sorm Drain, whose only real flaw is that it simply isn’t long enough. Digging into other such sewer-set flicks such as Alligator, C.H.U.D., and The Relic, it slowly unravels a cult that surrounds the mysterious Raatma, a rodent/human hybrid whose black, toxic, saliva fatally sears those deemed unworthy. It’s a wild fucking concept and it’s great fun (we even get a faux commercial in the middle guest directed by Astro-6’s Steven Kostanski), but the real catch her is Raatma himself, an absolutely bizarre creation that really deserved more screentime. In fact, if any V/H/S segment is screaming to become a full length feature, it’s this as the possibilities raised by the face melting climax could be magnificent.
However, just pipping Raatma to the post is “The Subject” which Mark’s Timo Tjahjanto’s second time serving up the cream of the crop after co-ditecting V/H/S/2’s unforgettable “Safe Haven”. While similar in structure (measured set-up gives way to frenzied action), Tjahjanto goes full cyber punk, offering up a bunch of half human, half robot killing machines that immediately set upon police with predictably gory results. Some may complain that it’s a bit too similar to the virtually identical Frankenstein’s Army, but the shorter run time gives the film the energy of an atomic powered energizer bunny as we see the majority of the carnage through the viewfinder of the hapless S.A. as she struggles to accept her horrific new form by way of action scenes that resemble a first person shooter.
A slight shift of the franchise’s priorities meant that not only did V/H/S make a successful comeback from obsolescence, but it gave it such renewed life that the entire franchise now comes out on a yearly basis, giving new filmmakers a chance to shine while established names get to have a little fun. The V/H/S format may be dead in this time of HD and streaming, but thanks to streaming, the V/H/S franchise has fast forwarded it’s way to greater glories.
All hail Raatma.
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