V/H/S 94

V/H/S 94
Original title:V/H/S 94
Director:Jennifer Reeder, Simon Barrett, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows, Timo Tjahjanto
Release:Shudder
Running time:100 minutes
Release date:06 october 2021
Rating:
After the discovery of a mysterious VHS tape from 1994, a team of police officers launch a raid on a warehouse, only to discover the existence of a Satanist cult.

Mulder's Review

This year the Fantastic Fest festival has allowed us to discover some excellent films like V/H/S 94 destined for release on the streaming platform Shudder. This anthology horror film is the fourth part of the cinematographic saga V/H/S and is based on five segments directed by different directors but all based on a script written by David Bruckner. As in the previous parts, we find this image of bad quality voluntarily and inspired by the format of the video cassettes which knew their hour of glory in the 80s. It would therefore be wise to establish our review on each of the more or less very convincing parts making V/H/S 94 an excellent horrific and disturbing sketch film.

It is interesting to see that these stories are united by the one that constitutes the main line of the film. Holy Helle directed by Jennifer Reeder (Knives & Skin) presents us with a SWAT raid that has to force its way into a smuggling lab that turns out to be the center of a dangerous cult with a violent and charismatic leader. This dive into hell constitutes the spinal cord of the film and proves to be particularly disturbing and violent and reminds us easily of the film REC (2007) by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. Certainly this idea of having a SWAT team circulate in which each screen will refer to a different story proves to be successful and cements to perfection the adhesion of the spectators to this film.

In Storm Drain by Chloe Okuno (Slut), we feel a cynical criticism of the media always ready to search for a scoop that can increase the ratings. We follow a field reporter who investigates the rumor of a human monster called Rat-Man (far from being a character in a comic book). When she and her cameraman find themselves in the middle of a storm drain, they are confronted with a cult that worships a demonic and monstrous entity worthy of the stories of H.P H. P. Lovecraft. Certainly this first story is really frightening and relies on mastered and sticky special effects reminding us of all the strength of the horrific cinema of the 70s. We will especially remember the last minutes worthy of the great horror films and we will think of David Cronenberg's Videodrome.

In the Empty Wake, director Simon Barrett (V/H/S, Seance) offers us a story worthy of the best episodes of the series Creepshow or Tales from the Crypt. With a real economy of means, this segment introduces us to a young mortician who organizes a wake during the night while recording images for the memorial of the deceased. The deceased turns out not to be completely dead. Very violent and with elaborate special effects, this segment is definitely one of the best and brings us back to our own fears of losing someone close.

In The subject, director Timo Tjahjanto (V/H/S, Headshot, May The Devil Take You Too) seems to draw his inspiration from the Frankenstein myth by presenting us with a mad scientist who wishes to advance human evolution by crossing humans with machines. We discover from the point of view of one of the victims, a woman who has been kidnapped, the horror of a filthy laboratory and a mad scientist who has no humanity left and is led by his fole. When a troop of the army intervenes to try to save the survivors, they will find themselves facing hybrid monsters beyond their imagination. It is impossible not to think of Paul Verhoeven's Robocop (1987) in this mixture of flesh and steel. Certainly one of the best and most violent segments. We find here all the strength of the cinematographic saga V/H/S to go beyond its limits to propose us stories as disturbing as very bloody.

The last segment, Terror directed by Ryan Prows (Lowlife) is however the least successful.  We follow in an apocalyptic world an armed militia that will find itself confronted with a supernatural force beyond their understanding.  Believing to have captured it in order to use it to retaliate against an American government that they think is harmful to their country, this militia is going to realize that certain things and certain truths should not be discovered. The scenario of Terror would have deserved a better treatment or even a different orientation of the story to hold our attention.

V/H/S/94 is certainly a film to discover, especially since Halloween is fast approaching and this day, which has become a real annual cinematographic ritual, must be celebrated by discovering good horror films capable of making us jump on our armchair and certainly V/H/S/94 is an excellent choice.

V/H/S/94
Directed by, Jennifer Reeder, Simon Barrett ("The Empty Wake"), Chloe Okuno ("Storm Drain"), Ryan Prows ("Terror"), Timo Tjahjanto ("The Subject")
Screenplay by David Bruckner
Produced by David Bruckner, Brad Miska, Josh Goldbloom, Kurtis David Harder, Tom Owen, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella
Cast : Anna Hopkins, Sean Patrick Dolan, Tim Campbell, Dru Viergever, Dax Ravina, Kimmy Choi, Christian Lloyd, Conor Sweeney, Slavic Rogozine, Thiago Dos Santos, Kevin P. Gabel, Daniel Willistonn, Kyle Durack, William Jordan
Music by Greg Anderson
Production companies : Radio Silence Productions, Bloody Disgusting Films, Shudder Original Films, Cinepocalypse Productions, Studio71, Raven Banner Entertainment
Distributed by Shudder
Release date : September 26, 2021 (Fantastic Fest), October 6, 2021 (Shudder)
Running time : 100 minutes

Seen on September 25, 2021 (Fantastic Fest press screener)

Mulder's Mark: