V/H/S/2 Review

Not Rated

Running Time: 1 Hour & 36 Minutes

"Tape 49" Cast-

Lawrence Michael Levine-Larry

Kelsy Abbott-Ayesha

L.C. Holt-Kyle

Simon Barrett-Steve

Mindy Robinson-Tabitha

Mónica Sánchez Navarro-Hotel Maid

Directed Simon Barrett

"Phase I Clinical Trials" Cast-

Adam Wingard-Herman

Hannah Hughes-Clarissa

John T. Woods-Dr. Fleischer

Casey Adams-Justin

Corrie Lynn Fitzpatrick-Young Girl

Brian Udovich-Bloody Man

John Karyus-Clarissa's Uncle

Directed by Adam Wingard

"A Ride in the Park" Cast-

Jay Saunders-Biker

Bette Cassatt-Screaming Girl

Dave Coyne-Good Samaritan Guy

Wendy Donigian-Good Samaritan Girl

Devon Brookshire (voice)-Biker's Girlfriend

Directed by Edúardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale

"Safe Haven" Cast-

Fachry Albar-Adam

Hannah Al Rashid-Lena

Oka Antara-Malik

Andrew Lincoln Suleiman-Joni

Epy Kusnandar-Father

Ibu Sri-R.R. Pinurti

Directed by Gareth Huw Evans and Timo Tjahjanto

"Slumber Party Alien Abduction" Cast-

Riley Eisener-Tank

Rylan Logan-Gary

Samantha Gracie-Jen

Cohen King-Randy

Zachary Ford-Shawn

Josh Ingraham-Danny

Jeremie Saunders-Zack

Tyler Ross-Zack's Friend

Hannah Prozenko-Melissa

Rebecca Babcock-Mom

Fraser McCready-Dad

Directed by Jason Eisener

"You don't need that anymore, son. It is..fulfilled."

Note: Viewed through Video on Demand. In English and Indonesian with English subtitles.

Found footage films are pretty much a dime a dozen these days. Although the genre stretches as far back as 1980's highly controversial "Cannibal Holocaust," it was popularized after the release of "The Blair Witch Project in 1999, which went on to receive critical acclaim (87% on Rotten Tomatoes) and grossed over $248.6 million worldwide. Not too shabby for a film that was made for only $60,000. However, it wasn't until 2009 that found footage films began to take off thanks to the surprise success of Oren Peli's "Paranormal Activity." Suddenly, every Hollywood studio wanted to make a found footage film and the results have ranged from great ("Chronicle," "End of Watch") to dismal ("The Devil Inside"). One of the more unique approaches to the genre is last year's "V/H/S." The brainchild of Bloody Disgusting founder Brad Miska, it was a horror anthology that gave a group of up-and-coming filmmakers a chance to take found footage into a new direction. The budgets for each short were limited but the directors had total creative freedom; the only rule they had to adhere to was that it be scary. Unfortunately, the entire package was a mixed bag. At nearly two hours, "V/H/S" just felt overlong and many of the shorts ended up being dull and uninteresting. Only the first short, "Amateur Night," and the last, "10/31/98," stood out. Still, the concept had potential and the film clearly struck a chord with audiences, enough to convince Miska to give it another try. Not even a year later, we have "V/H/S/2," currently available through Video on Demand and in limited release in theaters. Benefitting from a much leaner running time, "V/H/S/2" outdoes the original in almost every way as its filmmakers fully embrace the project's DIY approach to new extremes, with appropriately bizarre and satisfyingly gory results.

Larry (Lawrence Michael Levine) and Ayesha (Kelsy Abbott) are private detectives sent to investigate the whereabouts of a missing college student (L.C. Holt). Their assignment leads them to an abandoned home where the student has set up a large stack of television sets with piles of VHS tapes strewn about. Larry decides to search around the house while Ayesha begins to view the tapes to see if she can find anything useful on them. In "Phase I Clinical Trials," a man named Herman (Adam Wingard) is fitted with an advanced eye implant after suffering from a car accident. He is informed by the doctor that everything will be recorded for research purposes. Returning home, Herman begins to see malevolent ghosts in his presence and learns from a fellow patient (Hannah Hughes) that it is his new implant that is responsible for his newfound ability. In "A Ride in the Park," a biker (Jay Saunders) is riding around in the local woods when he finds himself in the midst of a zombie outbreak. Bitten by one of the undead, the biker joins the horde and starts to feast on other hapless innocents in the area. In "Safe Haven," a documentary crew (Fachry Albar, Hannah Al Rashid, Oka Antara, and Andrew Suleiman) travels to a remote area in Indonesia to report on a strange cult led by the mysterious 'Father' (Epy Kusnandar). However, they find themselves caught in a bloody satanic ritual, forcing the crew to battle for their very lives. Finally, in "Slumber Party Alien Abduction," a group of kids come into contact with extraterrestrials hell-bent on whisking them away onboard their ship.

Sticking with the same format established in the original film, "V/H/S/2" once again opens with a framed narrative (titled "Tape 49") and thankfully we get some actual characters this time around instead of a bunch of thrill-seeking hooligans. It still functions as an excuse to offer some loose connection between each short even though one isn't necessary but at least writer/director Simon Barrett manages to deliver a creeping sense of dread, with hints of a larger conspiracy regarding the nature of the VHS tapes. Anthologies live and die by the strengths of its segments but despite being constrained by shoestring budgets, each filmmaker succeeds in pushing the found footage genre in startling new directions. Where others see limitation, these guys see a creative opportunity. It also helps that there's no big-name studio constantly looking over their shoulder, allowing the shorts to indulge in some rather unusual and even grotesque ideas that wouldn't fly in a more mainstream horror film.

A common issue that repeatedly plagues found footage films is establishing a plausible reason for the characters to be filming everything even when it would be smarter to just drop the camera and run. The first and second segments find clever ways around this, although it still doesn't explain how all this HD footage ended up on old VHS tapes. In "Phase I Clinical Trials," the main character is given an advanced eye implant, allowing us a first-person view of everything he sees while in "A Ride in the Park," all the action is viewed through a 'GoPro' helmet. Directed by Adam Wingard, "Phase I Clinical Trials" is the weakest out of the entire bunch. There are definitely some decent jump scares that quickly escalate but the short feels like a high-tech version of the Pang Brothers' "The Eye." Edúardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale's (the director and producer of "The Blair Witch Project") "A Ride in the Park" is when the sequel takes a bizarre turn and is the most 'lighthearted' segment out of the four. There's almost something Sam Raimi-like as we bear witness to a group of undead crashing a little girl's birthday party in the park. The central conceit is that all this is shown from the point-of-view of a newly-born zombie. It's more slapstick than scary but that doesn't mean it skimps on the gore as one poor victim has his intestines ripped out of his stomach and feasted upon like it's an open buffet.

Now we come to Gareth Huw Evans (2012's "The Raid: Redemption") and Timo Tjahjanto's ("L is for Libido" in "The ABC's of Death") "Safe Haven." This is it, the pièce de résistance. This is the segment that audiences will be talking about as they leave the theater. What's great about this short is that there's some rudimentary character development to go along with the terror, which is relentless during the latter half. I really have to give a shout-out to Epy Kusnandar for delivering such an unhinged performance as the 'Father' of a cult that thrives on brainwashing women and children. The violence is both visceral and repulsive, and I have to admit that it left me grinning from ear to ear. If you're extremely sensitive, you should skip this segment and if you're pregnant, you should definitely skip this segment! Of course, it's impossible for "V/H/S/2" to sustain that high and the last short, "Slumber Party Alien Abduction" from Jason Eisener (2011's "Hobo with a Shotgun"), isn't quite as good but still had me on the edge of my seat. Eisener's use of lighting and sound is extremely effective and like "Safe Haven," there's an escalating sense of terror thanks to the ominous creature design for the aliens.

Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, "V/H/S/2" was released on VOD on June 6 and into a limited number of theaters on July 12. Reviews have been positive with 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the original's 54%. Critics noted that it was 'as scattershot as its predecessor, but [the film] rounds up enough horror filmmaking talent to deliver a satisfyingly nasty—albeit uneven—dose of gore.' The greatest success with this burgeoning series is that other than budget and imagination, each filmmaker can pretty much do whatever he or she wants. It allows them to play around and experiment with new storytelling techniques while pushing the boundaries of horror. I can't wait to see the next collection of shorts in "V/H/S/3."

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"You don't need that anymore, son. It is…fulfilled."