‘V/H/S ‘99’ Review: Back To The Past
Image Source: IGN
When it comes to the mid to late 1990s, the various technological innovations and cultural movements left a mark on human history while also invoking feelings of nostalgia. Although not invented in the 90s, the VHS tape holds a place close to the heart of movie fans. There is nothing like the look of a movie on videotape, warps and scratches included.
V/H/S '99 looks to invoke the memories associated with the Y2K era of human culture, even if it wasn't always positive. Besides remembering the good times of grunge music and wacky game shows, they also make sure to bring up the more uncomfortable aspects of the 90s, such as racism and Christian fundamentalism. The newest entry to the found footage horror anthology series was released on the streaming service Shudder on October 20, produced by Bloody Disgusting and other production companies. Like other anthologies, V/H/S '99 features five segments, each written and directed by different people.
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Fans of the V/H/S franchise will notice that, unlike previous entries, V/H/S '99 lacks the usual, often clunky, framing narrative that attempts to connect each segment with an overarching story. Instead, it appears as if each various piece is spliced into one tape. Despite the different directors, each segment seems to share similar messages between them. Namely, "your friends and family may be horrible people" and "karma is a cruel bitch".
While the consistent message between segments can be somewhat heavyhanded at times, it still provides entertainment because each character from each segment is their own. For example, the punk rock band from "Shredding" (written and directed by Maggie Levin) acts much differently from the childish group of teenagers from "The Gawkers" (directed by Tyler MacIntyre). Every segment seems as if each role was created for that particular actor; it fits their role perfectly.
Image Source: The Cinemaholic
Even if the overarching messages between segments are similar, there's no sense of boredom or staleness when it comes to any of them. Whether it's the vengeful ghost story of "Suicide Bid" (written and directed by Johannes Roberts) or the much more ambitious and tense "To Hell and Back" (written and directed by Vanessa and Joseph Winter), expect each story to be cohesive enough for anyone to understand with the crumbs of context given for each short. However, the best story has to go to "Ozzy's Dungeon." Written by Zoe Cooper and Flying Lotus (yes, that Flying Lotus), each gruesome twist only adds more and more terror to the atmosphere, playing off the nostalgia of old obstacle course game shows, such as Double Dare.
Regarding the visible aspect of V/H/S '99, expect the quality to match up for some segments. Depending on which part you're watching, some viewers may find the practical effects to range from disappointingly fake to butt-clenchingly realistic. Regardless, it is evident that passion and heart are put into each decision, especially regarding terror and dread.
Image Source: Variety
While some horror fans may not like the found footage genre of horror movies, V/H/S '99 is consistently entertaining, with a very high amount of quality put into each segment. Fans of the V/H/S series may observe that each segment takes the best aspects of the previous films and elevates their concepts. While not perfect, it's safe to say that, at worst, the movie is cheesy and absurd. But, overall, V/H/S '99 is tense, terrifying, occasionally funny, and worth the subscription to Shudder. After all, what good is a horror movie if it isn't fun to watch?
Rating: 7.5/10
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Source(s): Wikipedia
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