Movie Reviews

‘V/H/S/85’ review: An authentically frightful good time

80’s vibes and gore galore.

October 6, 2023

The 6th installment of the V/H/S found footage horror anthology series is yet another excellent addition to the franchise. If you’ve seen the other V/H/S films, then you know what you’re getting into in terms of the format; each film in the series has a “wraparound” that begins and ends the film, in 85 weaving around each of the other 4 short films. With the V/H/S series, you don’t need to see the other films, though – each movie in the V/H/S franchise is enjoyable as part of the series, and also great on their own.

If, like me, the last season of Stranger Things (and the hype surrounding the Netflix series) has you completely burned out on the 80’s revival trend, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that V/H/S/85 doesn’t overdo the 80’s vibe; the outfits do not look like they were purchased from the 1980s costume section of Spirit Halloween. Stranger Things is over though, so if you do need something to fill the 80s-nostalgia void, this installation of the V/H/S anthology should do the trick.

The first short film of the anthology, No Wake/Ambrosia uses handheld camera footage to really bring us right into the 1980s vibe. Back in the day before everyone recorded everything on cell phones, you had to lug around a handheld video camera to record memories. Rob, played by Alex Galick, films his group of friends as they go on a camping vacation. The group makes a classic horror mistake right away, ignoring some ominous warning signs (no trespassing, no swimming), and they head right out to the lake.

The group of friends is relatable, and despite the film’s short duration (and their classic horror movie mistakes), they’re interesting enough to get just a little bit attached to – which is great, as they are soon brutally (and mysteriously) attacked. The practical effects in director Mike P. Nelson’s short film are fantastic, and set the tone for the rest of the short films.

Shudder

While the first short was about the horrors of the unknown or perhaps supernatural, the second short film of V/H/S/85, God of Death, is about a horror that is all too real. The crew of a local news station in Mexico City goof around with one another, cracking jokes at each other’s expense as they prepare to film a news segment. This short is shown through the point of the news camera – and was filmed with an actual VHS camera. During the segment, an earthquake strikes and a rescue team comes to find survivors. There’s a physical horror here that will make you wince. Director Gigi Saul Guerrero short is the funniest of V/H/S/85; the sense of humor balanced against terror and awe makes this segment one to remember.

TKNOGOD, the third segment of V/H/S/85, brings us a performance artist who uses her platform to preach about the dangers of integrating technology into our culture. It’s a performance that resonates today — I feel like I could go see this being performed anywhere in any city in America this week, and I wouldn’t think twice. But it also fits right in in 1985, and provides satisfying imagery and sound for anyone who’s craving synth and neon 80s vibes. Actress Chivonne Michelle is magnetizing in her role as the performance artist; it’s easy to see how the audience is completely mesmerized, even as her performance goes totally off the rails.

Shudder

The last short segment of V/H/S/85, Dreamkill, is its most surprising. Director Scott Derrickson’s short is funny and weird and kind of all over the place — in the best way possible. It starts as a short about a murderous family, and becomes about police searching for a murderer who’s been sending the police tapes of murders before they happen. Dreamkill is really fun, and features some great performances and the largest cast of the short segments of this film. It’s wildly violent and all-out, again featuring excellent practical effects.

Total Copy is the wraparound; it’s something of a sci-fi horror mockumentary. While director David Bruckner’s contribution to this V/H/S film (this is the fourth film of the franchise that he’s been involved in) is great on it’s own, it doesn’t really add much to the total quality of V/H/S/85; the way that the first and last short film tie into one another accomplishes what the wraparound segment usually seeks to do. The rest of the shorts have the effect of being taped directly from the TV right over this mockumentary, which is an interesting bit of nostalgia, but overall, Total Copy is lacking the punch that the other shorts have.

V/H/S/85 will be loved by fans of the other V/H/S movies and fans of action-packed 80’s horror. It’s funny, it’s gross and gory, there are crazy-good practical effects galore, and plenty of references to horror movies of the 80s. While it runs a bit long for a fun horror movie like this (just under 2 hours) it’s a great addition to the franchise with some truly memorable shorts.