Film Review: ‘V/H/S/Beyond’ Gives the Anthology Horror Franchise a Sci-Fi Spin

It’s nice to see the V/H/S franchise string together some strong entries in a row. Previously, we’ve seen the series swing back and forth in terms of quality over the years. Initially, it was a solid if never spectacular anthology outing, one that seemed to have its time come and go a while ago. Then, perhaps unexpectedly, V/H/S/94 gave the property new life three years ago. Two years ago, V/H/S/99 moved forward in time, if somewhat of a step back in quality. Last year, we had something new in V/H/S/85, which was in the upper tier, overall, as well as being the first to have no bad segments. Now, we have V/H/S/Beyond, which again doesn’t really have a lowlight. Plus, there’s a genre shift of sorts that really gives the work a fresh feeling. Consider me fairly delighted by this, too. The film is as gory and mean as ever, but there’s a definite sense of fun and creativity at play alongside that.

V/H/S/Beyond is a horror movie for those who love science fiction as well. There’s a definite sci-fi bent to all of the segments, though it’s still a very recognizable flick within the property. The wraparound material is a bit forgettable, but everything else would stand out as a solid entry in any other previous outing. So, that counts for something here, to be sure.

After the first part of the framing device, dubbed Abduction/Adduction, we kick off with Stork, which sees a group of cops investigating a string of kidnappings. This leads them to a run down home with some zombie like creatures. It’s a shoot-em-up type situation, though the climax gets into sci-fi and is about as unexpected as it gets. Then, it’s Dream Girl, which features a pair of paparazzi chasing an Indian star (Namrata Sheth) to her Bollywood production. What they discover is pretty horrifying. The first segment is rock solid, while the second has a little more middling execution, but they set things up for the second half.

Live and Let Dive has the wild concept of a group of skydivers having their experienced ruined by the plane colliding with a UFO. The subsequent encounter with aliens is gory and pretty insane. What follows is Fur Babies, which is a riff on Tusk, interestingly enough. Here, a group of animal rights activists are investigating a petsitter who they think is abusing animals. What they find is far darker. Finally, we have Stowaway, which sees a woman investigating UFO style lights, only to end up on a ship, thinking she’s becoming a peaceful ambassador to a highly developed alien race. She’s right, but also very, very, wrong.

It’s once again much more about the filmmakers than the cast here. As usual, the wraparound device segment (Abduction/Adduction) is on the forgettable side, but it has a nice style from writer/director Jay Cheel. Stork is directed by Jordan Downey (co-written by Downey and Kevin Stewart) in a first person shooter style. It’s old-fashioned V/H/S done well, so I appreciated it on those simple terms. Dream Girl is helmed by Virat Pal (co-written by Pal and Evan Dickson) and has a fun Bollywood bent, even if the sci-fi/horror resolution did less for me than the rest. Live and Let Dive has the most creative idea and execution at its core, as director Justin Martinez (co-writing with Ben Turner) really leans into the skydiving sequence. It got me in a way only someone with a fear of heights can be got. Fur Babies comes from Christian Long and Justin Long (yes, that Justin Long), with the latter clearly influenced by Kevin Smith‘s Tusk. It won’t surprise you to find that I was a fan, even though they play it pretty straight. This is likely to be the most divisive segment. Finally, Stowaway has some pedigree, coming from director Kate Siegel and writer Mike Flanagan. It’s slightly more sophisticated than the rest, which makes it stand out, either for better or worse, depending on your taste. I liked the curveball, personally.

V/H/S/Beyond won’t necessarily turn you around on the franchise, but if you like sci-fi horror, this should really scratch that itch. The series is on very firm ground these days, so if there’s more in the tank for another installment, count me in. There’s a rhythm in place now that’s really been working for me.

SCORE: ★★★