Ranking The ‘V/H/S/99’ Segments
Image Source: IGN
One of the more popular but underrated horror franchises is the V/H/S film series. The anthology series that started in 2012 now boasts five films, with the latest V/H/S/99 released exclusively on the streaming service Shudder. Given the anthology nature of the series, some segments are obviously better than others, something that we’ve looked at before. With the release of V/H/S/99, it’s worth ranking the segments of the new film from worst to first.
Now, bucking the trend of most anthology films, all segments are good. Some of them are just better than others.
RELATED:
5. Suicide Bid
Image Source: scifihistory.net
Again, none of the segments are bad, but one has to be in last place, and it’s going to be this one. The plot is that a college freshman is trying to get into the most exclusive sorority on campus but to do so, she must undergo severe hazing in the form of being buried alive.
While this one is good, it does lose points because there aren’t any surprises in the story. It hits every beat you think it’s going to, and there aren’t any surprising twists. Everything you think is going to happen happens. Despite the familiar story beats, it saves itself with solid acting and some pretty decent claustrophobic tension. It can’t be ranked higher because of its cliche nature, though.
4. The Gawkers
Image Source: rottentomatoes
The basic plot is that a bunch of dumb teenagers are crushing on the attractive woman who lives across the street, and their efforts to get a little closer than is probably appropriate.
While we all went through a phase where we were dumb teenagers (and some people never grew out of it), it doesn’t make for entertaining viewing at times. However, the characters play their parts well enough, and the story engages. The best part of the segment is the ending, with a twist best not spoiled here, though. Of course, by the time you get there, you might have a pretty good idea. The characters in ‘Suicide Bid’ are better and far less annoying, but the story here is more interesting, giving it the advantage.
3. Shredding
Image Source: TVOvermind
Given that the other films in the series have an overarching plot tying all of the segments forever, one would be forgiven for thinking that the first entry would be that. You’d be wrong. Uniquely, V/H/S/99 has no connecting story. Instead, we start out with a contained segment that stands out on its own. The plot is that an amateur rock band breaks into the old stomping grounds of an up-and-coming band that died after being trampled to death by their fans who were trying to escape an electrical fire, likely a reference to the real-life Station nightclub fire that claimed the lives of a hundred people, including the headlining band’s lead guitarist.
The film could have done a lot worse for an opening segment. There’s enough enjoyable mystery that keeps the viewer engaged, which is helped by the flashbacks to the band’s rise as well as the creepy aesthetics of the long-abandoned nightclub. The characters are pretty good, though there’s a split on who you want to see die and who you’d like to survive. The final shot is chilling and leaves an impact even as the film goes to the next scene. Very well done.
2. To Hell And Back
Image Source: Bloody Disgusting
This one is easily the funniest of the five segments. A group of cultists is trying to resurrect a demon into the world, but the ritual goes wrong, and the unwitting videographers hired to film the ritual find themselves trying to escape Hell.
Unlike the dumb teenagers in the previous segment, the dumb out-of-their-element friends make for hilarious protagonists. The highlight of the bit is easily the demon Mabel, who is helping the two of them escape. The nice thing about Mabel is that she’s genuinely as deep and interesting of a character as can be expected with the time constraints. In fact, she’s probably the best character in the movie. You almost want her to succeed in her goals more than wanting to see the protagonists return to Earth. The whole thing culminates in an unexpected but absolutely hilarious ending that’s well worth the trip through Hell.
1. Ozzy’s Dungeon
Image Source: SyFy
A simple choice for first place. The segment opens up with a wave of nostalgia for the old Nickelodeon game shows of the 90s, most notably Double Dare and, especially with the aesthetics, Legends of the Hidden Temple. However, instead of winning a cheap magic marker set or a low-grade cruise, the winner of the game show Ozzy’s Dungeon actually gets a wish granted. As in a real wish, not some small thing that the network gets you an imitation of. Win the game and wish for a billion bucks? All yours.
Out of all of the segments, this one is the hardest to get through. Some injuries make you cringe, tense scenes of psychological torture don’t make for fun viewing, and an ending that leaves you completely shocked. The interesting thing about this one is that there are no good people. Other than the young contestant, who is really just a pawn in everything, everyone else is a terrible person, either through action or inaction. When the last scene plays, you look at it and completely understand why things played out as they did, and it’s hard to imagine doing things differently. It’s the best.
With another film in the franchise set to come out on Shudder sometime in 2023, I hope to get another round of solid shorts to scare and disturb us. With everything that 99 showed, it should be worth the wait. The segments in the film are up and down; decent at its worst and pretty good at its best. Though flawed, there’s a lot to like.
READ NEXT:
Source(s): Shudder
Latest News
Featured
