Cast: Justin Long, Christian Long, Mitch Horowitz, Jay Cheel
Directors: Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Christian Long, Justin Long, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel
Writers: Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Kevin Stewart, Virat Pal, Evan Dickson, Mike Flanagan
Distribution: Shudder
Release Date: October 2024
Film Title: V/H/S Beyond – Read about the V/H/S Reboot
Review by: Mother of Movies
For more technology versus nature films, watch Bad Things, In Vitro, or #Manhole
This review discusses specific scenes and creature reveals without spoiling major plot twists. Some disturbing imagery involving animals and body horror is mentioned. You’ve been warned, brave souls.
When Alien Abduction Meets Anthology Excellence
The V/H/S franchise has been stumbling through space like a drunk astronaut for years. Occasionally bumping into brilliance, but often floating in the mediocre void of found footage fatigue. V/H/S Beyond finally course-corrects this anthology series. It trades tired tropes for genuine extraterrestrial terror that actually lands its punches.
Director Jay Cheel’s wraparound story “Abduction/Adduction” anchors this collection with the kind of conspiracy theory rabbit hole that would make Mulder weep with joy. The premise, a mysterious VHS tape containing “proof” of alien life is discovered at a flea market. It feels deliciously analog in our digital age. Expert Mitch Horowitz’s deadpan analysis of “grey form” aliens provides the perfect skeptical counterpoint to increasingly unhinged footage, creating that sweet spot between belief and disbelief that the best conspiracy stories inhabit.
What separates this entry from its predecessors isn’t just the science fiction focus; it’s the way each filmmaker understands that horror works best when it reflects our deepest anxieties. These aren’t just alien encounters; they’re examinations of parenthood, celebrity culture, survival instincts, and our fundamental fear of the unknown.
Justin Long’s Fur Babies: A Masterclass in Disturbing Comedy
Justin Long and Christian Long’s “Fur Babies” stands as the collection’s crown jewel, a twisted meditation on our obsession with preserving what we love, even when that preservation becomes perverse. Set in a doggy daycare where missing pets raise red flags, the segment builds tension through the kind of mundane horror that makes your skin crawl. Long’s directorial vision recalls his memorable turn in Kevin Smith’s “Tusk,” but here he’s firmly behind the camera, crafting something equal parts hilarious and horrifying.
The Long brothers understand that the most effective horror often comes wrapped in familiarity. A doggy daycare should be a place of joy and tail-wagging chaos, but when animal rights activists Becky and Bo go undercover with their dog Pickles, they uncover a truth that redefines the phrase “forever friends.” Without spoiling the delicious reveal, let’s just say taxidermy takes on a whole new meaning when love becomes literally suffocating.
V/H/S Beyond’s Genre-Blending Brilliance Across Multiple Segments
Jordan Downey’s “Stork” opens the collection with military precision. He follows the W.A.R.D.E.N unit as they investigate vanishing babies and encounter the brain-void Brooders. The first-person perspective creates genuine video game intensity, while the audio design, particularly a father’s agonized screams echoing through chaos, demonstrates how sound can be horror’s most effective weapon.
Virat Pal’s “Dream Girl” serves up a Bollywood-flavored critique of celebrity culture that would make “Black Mirror” proud. When paparazzi chase starlet Tara for exclusive footage, they discover she’s far more than human, and her manager’s shadowy motives run deeper than career ambition. The segment’s vibrant aesthetic masks a violent exploration of artificial intelligence. The price of perfection, complete with laser battles and crashing buildings that feel like “Star Wars” filtered through Mumbai’s neon-soaked streets.
Kate Siegel and Mike Flanagan’s “Stowaway” ventures into “Phoenix Forgotten” territory, following documentary filmmaker Halley. Halley investigates alien encounters in the Mojave Desert. The segment’s slow-burn approach pays off with body horror that feels earned rather than exploitative, while Siegel’s direction maintains the kind of atmospheric dread that made Flanagan’s Netflix series so compelling.
The Anthology Format Finally Finds Its Extraterrestrial Voice
What makes V/H/S Beyond work where previous entries faltered is its commitment to the alien theme without sacrificing individual filmmaker vision. Each segment feels distinctly personal while contributing to a larger narrative about humanity’s relationship with the unknown. The collection doesn’t just throw aliens at the screen and hope for scares; it uses extraterrestrial encounters to explore very terrestrial fears.
The technical craft across all segments shows marked improvement from recent franchise entries. Cinematography captures both intimate terror and cosmic scope. Practical effects work maintains the tactile quality that made early V/H/S films memorable. When digital effects appear, they enhance rather than replace the gritty found footage aesthetic that defines the series.
Shudder horror anthology review
Even “Live and Let Die’s” airplane-set chaos, while perhaps the collection’s weakest link, delivers genuine vertigo-inducing terror. Birthday party, passengers face an alien attack during freefall. The segment’s cliffhanger ending might frustrate some viewers, but its aerial cinematography creates genuine helplessness that lingers.
V/H/S Beyond proves that anthology horror can still surprise when filmmakers remember that the best scares come from recognizable humanity confronting incomprehensible otherness. After years of diminishing returns, this collection finally gives the franchise the extraterrestrial evolution it desperately needed.
- Official Shudder V/H/S Beyond Trailer
- V/H/S Beyond – Reddit: Join the conversation with the filmmaker of Dive.
- Need another similar film? Read about Dark Whispers Anthology / Flesh and Blood is part of a Hulu anthology.
V/H/S Beyond: The Anthology Series Finds Its Extraterrestrial Sweet Spot
V/H/S Beyond is rated
4 Alien Abductions That Actually Happened out of 5
