Skip to main content

V/H/S/85 (2023)


V/H/S/85 is a collection of short horror films like the few before this.

Segment one had a methodical buildup but really lacked scary moments. There were some tense moments with a bit of gore; if that's your cup of tea, then you'll enjoy this one. Also, the character development was better than the second. 

Segment two went from lackluster to crazy really quick. It had a worthwhile ending, although its pacing could have been better. The buildup is more of a rug being pulled under your feet, leaving an overall sour taste in my mouth. 

Segment three starts off preachy, boring, and uninspired. The VR headset looks too modern to be from 1985 because remember Nintendo's Virtual Boy headset from 1995? This one appears more modern than that. The audience in segment three looks as bored as I was watching this. The monster, I won't say what its name is, looks incredibly dumb. Segment three was the worst. 

Segment four had an interesting connection to segment one, but this segment alone could have been made into a feature-length film if they had put more time and thought into it. It was short and lacked a lot of scary moments, it just had a lot of guns and blood.

Segment five had the most gore and intrigue. The characters seem realistic for the setting but were sort of caricatures of how people imagined people in that period would act. The director was Gigi Saul Guerrero which comes as no surprise that she outdoes the rest of the shorts. The best segment goes to a female director as well as the worst with segment three, also a female director. 

I enjoyed V/H/S/85 for what it was. It's another solid anthology film from Shudder. Sure it had a bad segment but it was sandwiched between some good ones. Result: B-.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Colony (2026)

Colony is written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho , the director behind the cult classic Train to Busan . While Train to Busan has become the more celebrated film, Colony shows how much Yeon has improved as both a writer and a director. The story is stronger, the filmmaking feels more confident, and the way he builds the world gives the movie more substance than I expected going in. Jun Ji-hyun is the clear standout of the cast. She does a fantastic job conveying emotion through subtle movements and expressions rather than relying on exaggerated acting. That is not surprising considering she is one of South Korea's best actresses, but she still manages to make the character feel grounded and believable. She carries much of the emotional weight of the film. I did not recognize many of the other actors, and unfortunately, none of them really stood out enough to make much of an impression. That is not necessarily a knock against the cast as much as it is a testament to how much Jun ...

Verity (2026)

Verity was a surprise for me. Normally, the authors who turn their books into movies that I actually enjoy are Stephen King or Michael Crichton , but Colleen Hoover has been doing surprisingly well with the last four movies adaptations from her work. One thing I appreciate about her writing is that she knows how to write male characters who aren't weak or simply there to be punching bags for feminist talking points. That alone makes the characters feel more believable and gives the story a better balance. Dakota Johnson plays an up and coming writer who is brought in to ghostwrite for Anne Hathaway's character. This is easily Johnson's best performance yet. She does a good job carrying the movie and making the character's uncertainty and curiosity believable as the mystery around the house starts to unfold. Anne Hathaway does not have a huge amount to do because of her character's condition, but whenever she is actually on screen, she brings the energy you wo...

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F  is a continuation of the 80s hit police comedy. Unknown director Mark Molloy  came out of nowhere to direct the film. He is blessed to use a stellar cast for his first film. He must be a part of some Illuminati or know someone important because who gets this picture to be their first film? Will Beall has updated the film for modern audiences but not in an overt way. He's the writer for Justice League and Bad Boys: Ride or Die , so this is his better film. Eddie Murphy is back and with old jokes and callbacks. He's funny sure but it's mostly nostalgia. His daughter is played by Taylour Paige  is probably the worst actor in the film even including Judge Reinhold.  She's best known for her inability to smile and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The Robin to Axel is Joseph Gordon-Levitt  who plays a sidekick really well, but his character is unlikeable, much like Kevin Bacon's  villain, they're both not meant to be liked and both did...