V/H/S/94 – Film Review

A Shudder Original Film, V/H/S/94 is the fourth installment in the hit horror anthology franchise and marks the return of the infamous found footage anthology with segments from franchise alumni Simon Barrett (Séance) and Timo Tjahjanto (May the Devil Take You Too) in addition to acclaimed directors Jennifer Reeder (Knives & Skin), Ryan Prows (Lowlife) and Chloe Okuno (Slut). In V/H/S/94, after the discovery of a mysterious VHS tape, a brutish police swat team launch a high-intensity raid on a remote warehouse, only to discover a sinister cult compound whose collection of pre-recorded material uncovers a nightmarish conspiracy.

Creepy found-footage tapes and a setting in the 90s? How can you get a film better than that? Well, okay, you actually can but even still, V/H/S94 is an extremely fast-paced and remarkably entertaining horror film and definitely the best in the long-running franchise since the original, which is still the best. It suffers from segments that go on for too long and it doesn’t feel as chillingly real as the first, but it still serves as a solid return-to-form for the series.

The opening segment, Storm Drain, directed by Chloe Okuno, is legitimately eerie and definitely one of my favorites in the franchise. It follows a simple premise – two news reporters learn about a mythic, folkloric legend of an entity known as “The Rat Man”, and proceed to go down in the sewers to investigate. While investigating, the two quickly find out that they are in for much more than they asked for. It’s short, sweet, and legitimately unnerving. I loved it.

But perhaps the most technically impressive segment here is The Subject, directed by Timo Tjahjanto, which follows a man who wakes up and discovers that his body is gone. How is this possible? Well, he can chalk it up to an insane mad scientist who is experimenting with body parts in a secret facility. Some of the things that this segment documented got under my skin in all the right ways. I haven’t felt this uncomfortable watching something in a very long time.

This segment can feel insanely long, however, running well over ten minutes. After a while, this segment (and a few others) do outstay their welcome, but the things that they do with them are legitimately impressive. One thing I will say though, is that, for a film titled V/H/S/94, a large portion of these segments don’t give off a 90s feel to them at all, with the exception of the aforementioned Storm Drain.

On top of that, some of the CGI that they incorporate in this film looks quite shoddy and it is obvious when special effects are being used. But it’s hard to complain a whole lot when the finished product is a solidly creepy film that boasts some truly impressive writing and directing on display. I’ve always loved how the V/H/S franchise allows a whole plethora of directors to get a chance to shine, and V/H/S/94 certainly gives a handful of directors their moment of glory.