V/H/S/94 (2021) Review

With the latest two instalments of the hit horror anthology franchise, V/H/S/99 (2022) and V/H/S/85 (2023) available to stream on Shudder, fans can now add the fourth and arguable best of the series to their DVD and Blu-Ray collections. To celebrate its home release, I’m dusting off the VCR player and diving into the grainy B-movie thrills of V/H/S/94.

As with previous instalments, we kick off with the introduction to the wrap-around story. “Holy Hell,” is directed by Jennifer Reeder and she wastes no time in showing us why these movies have endured for over a decade. There’s something already so inherently creepy about using the video format. Those grainy and glitchy defects on the screen, the uncertainty of the handheld motion mixed with the singular low light. It tunes you into a weird feeling like you’re watching something you’re not supposed to be. It feels real, it feels like we’ve accidentally stumbled across some bootlegged video from a serial killer’s private collection. And what horrible thing waits for us in the blurry blue darkness?

That’s what an unsuspecting SWAT team is about to find out. Upon entering a seemingly abandoned warehouse, they discover a collection of disturbing video tapes and the remnants of a sinister cult. While more atmospheric than outright scary, it works to effectively transition into each segment, or ‘tape,’ and creates a mystery to the overall narrative.

Firstly, we’re into “Storm Drain,” where an ambitious local TV news reporter and her cameraman are investigating rumours of a monstrous creature, dubbed ‘Rat Man’ (all hail!), lurking in the city sewers. What’s really cool here is the use of practical effects for ‘Rat Man’ (all hail!). He’s vile and unsettling to look at, especially through the grain of the video. Chloe Okuno has a lot of fun in the setup, building up the mystery just enough and then leaning hard into the creature feature vibe. It’s a strong opening act that sets the tone for the rest of the film, showcasing great practical effects, an effective jumpscare and best of all, it manages to pull off some sinister laughs with the help of some gruesome gore.

Next up is “The Empty Wake,” which takes a sharp turn from creature feature into chilling gothic horror, with a darkly comedic edge. This sees a young woman called Hailey assigned to host a wake for a man whose family has requested the service be recorded. When a storm sets in, strange noises start coming from the casket and paranoia sets. As the night draws on, no one shows up, the lights go out, and the thumps get louder from the coffin. It’s a great exercise in building tension that works by keeping things simple. And when things inevitably do go off the rails, it’s genuinely creepy and sinister.

Timo Tjahjanto’s segment “The Subject” is my standout, however it isn’t for the faint-hearted. Things get brutal as it follows a doctor turned mad scientist conducting experiments on an unlucky kidnapped couple turning them into terrifying human/machine hybrids. It’s a smart choice to transition the audience into the point of view of the unfortunate victim’s new mechanical head as there’s something quite gut-wrenching watching these horrors seemingly happen to you. But then the voltage turns up to eleven. As the police come to our rescue, things go haywire and the mad doctor’s ultimate creation is unleashed. Brutal, bloody chaos unfolds, as this machine-monster-man-thing lets rip on the police team. Things don’t let up as we continue on a rampage through the underground lab, stumbling upon more weird techno-human creations reminiscent of the ones in the that terrible Jamie Lee Curtis movie Virus (1999) that no one saw. It’s relentless in its gore and violence, and by the time it came to its visceral end I was exhausted from all the adrenaline that had suddenly flooded my system.

Taking a breather from the outrageous gore, the final segment “Terror,” follows a group of right-wing extremists plotting to “take back America”. Set in their compound, it’s revealed they’re using the blood of a vampire they’ve chained up in their basement to build a bomb to blow up a local government building. To celebrate their upcoming victory they decide to spend a night on the moonshine. It’s a fun idea with a darkly comedic take on the cluelessness of these extremist groups as one by one they meet their demise at the hands of the supernatural power they’re hiding. It’s a satisfying watch as the blood shed starts and it does a good job at getting you to root for the vampire. Overall, it’s another good segment but it feels overshadowed by its previous three that just stand head and shoulders above this one.

I think it’s a given at this point that every anthology movie has stronger sections than others but overall, V/H/S/94 is full of great ideas that feel inventive and fresh. The film delivers on its premise of creepy and often unhinged nightmare scenarios. Its use of practical effects and fun monster designs are only enhanced by the gritty and grainy aesthetic of the VHS approach. Everything here feels like it’s been hidden away since the 90s, unwittingly discovered from some horrible damp loft space, found in a damaged cardboard box that reads “Do not watch”. Which makes it, of course, all the more tempting to watch!

Movie Rating:

V/H/S/94 trailer