The “V/H/S” franchise stands as one of the most impressive in the horror genre. Each installment takes around five short horror films that all tie into one time period. For the case of 2024’s “V/H/S/Beyond,” directors Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal and Kate Siegel all crafted their own unique stories based on one common topic rather than a time period: aliens.
Overall the segments are a mixed bag. None of them are bad, but a few drag on and feel generic. The two most memorable are “Stowaway” and “Live and Let Dive.” “Stowaway,” along with Kate Siegel’s directorial debut, follows Halley, played by Alanah Pearce, as she explores a landed spaceship before things take a turn for the worse in an out-of-this-world experience. “Live and Let Dive,” by director Justin Martinez, follows a group of skydivers who face off against an alien during their first dive.
Both of these segments utilize the sci-fi subgenre in an interesting fashion, making for two of the best watches out of the entire anthology. They have great writing and performances that make the insanity of the individual scenes believable. The segments also both evoke a sense of horror none of the other shorts match which is rather impressive considering the two are very different tonally. The other segments are solid, but nothing in the “V/H/S” franchise can hold a candle to Siegel and Martinez’s works.
The visual effects of “V/H/S/Beyond” contain a nice blend of practical and CGI effects. The CGI only appears when it needs to aid a practical effect or when it needs to do the heavy lifting to avoid spending too much on practical makeup. There are a few moments where the effects feel cheesy, but overall this film has a better grasp of its CGI than previous entries.
Titles have a tendency to be clickbaity, and this film is a great example of it. All the shorts lean into sci-fi, but only a few go hard sci-fi as the poster and title advertise. It ultimately doesn’t take away from the overall experience, but some audiences may find this element rather disappointing.
“V/H/S/Beyond” is a nice addition to the new yearly tradition of gathering up new filmmakers to make a “V/H/S” film. All of the films are fine with two being exceptional which is more than usual for this franchise. There’s nothing too memorable, but overall it’s a fun experience and worth watching as soon as it drops on Shudder.
3 unfriendly aliens out of 5
