Having proclaimed the found-footage genre dead in my recent review of Lovely Molly, V/H/S could well be considered a tribute to its demise. The premise revolves around a group of criminals who are hired to steal a VHS tape from an abandoned house and wind up watching what they find there. This film is a collaborative piece from the directorial collective Radio Silence (a quartet of filmmakers based in Los Angeles) and numerous other directors including Ti West and Joe Swanberg. Together they have created a series of six short, and stand alone, horror flicks.
Individually the films are efficient, if not spectacular, with a few promising ideas dotted throughout. Sadly, though, none of them feature anything that hasn’t been seen before. My predominant mood post-screening was that if any of them were made into features, I would have no interest in seeing them. As a group, however, they’re just about varied enough to retain your interest for the duration of the film’s 93 minute runtime.
My personal V/H/S highlight was a segment that uses the idea of a miniature camera hidden within a set of glasses – this creates a more logical and believable outlook to proceedings, circumnavigating the usual issues with found footage. On the other hand, another segment which follows four friends who go on a trip to a forrest seems silly and highly unlikely in comparison. Everyone will take away different positives and negatives, and that’s the fun of it. As with any anthology, it’s a mixed bag; there are moments that work and others that don’t, but overall it feels relatively streamlined.
Found footage fans will inevitably find this more of an assortment of tried and tested tropes and tricks than anything revolutionary, but by merging them into one feature the filmmakers have created something unique. Some may find the scares a little sparse – though there’s plenty of blood and guts – but it’s ultimately a watchable experience, collectively it holds together and offers something that little bit different.
Tom has awarded V/H/S 3 Torches of Truth.
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