Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘V/H/S/94’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘V/H/S/94’.

​One thing that is incredibly difficult for filmmakers and producers and writers and just about every creative mind out there to accomplish… is keeping a franchise fresh as the years roll along. Because creatives are human like the rest of us and they too enjoy patterns and comfort and that crutch can allow for franchises that started off with a bang, to repeat their own tropes and feel tired at times and sadly… those elements can be the death knell for a saga. Because audiences do indeed demand the best that a creative has to offer, every time they settle in to watch or read their work and once their best isn’t there… they will most certainly move on.
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Which of course, begs an important question, in that… how then does one keep a franchise fresh? Because some of the concepts we’ve seen behind revitalizing one, have offered up sour results. For instance, leaning hard into making Freddy a stand-up comedian eventually brought the Elm Street saga to a close and moving Jason out of Camp Crystal Lake and into Manhattan and the world and space for that matter… didn’t exactly inspire audiences to keep watching his movies. Which means that bigger and grander ideas or shifts in the tone of the character aren’t the answer. Instead, the best way to truly freshen up a franchise, is to take it back to its roots and expand the wonder of the original concept, as evidenced by the new Shudder feature, V/H/S/94.

For this latest entry in the V/H/S saga, sticks with what has always worked for this saga. Since it once again offers up a wraparound story that finds a way to get the viewer to watch horrific videotapes that display stories that are twisted and outlandish and downright horrifying and that genuinely makes the viewer comfortable and helps them to understand this isn’t going to be some grand reinvention of the saga, it will be pure and won’t betray the viewer in the slightest and it will also take its time with the terror since some of these stories are far longer than we are used to in regard to this franchise. But while it is wonderful to feel something familiar and know that the wheel won’t be reinvented here, there was mention that this movie figures out a way to go bigger with its storytelling and that is accomplished within the framework of the vignettes.

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Because each and every one of these stories, ground themselves in classic horror concepts, and what truly makes these concepts so stunning and worthwhile, is that they genuinely pull at our deepest darkest fears. For these are tales that truly remind us of how much we fear the unknown and the dark and what might be lurking in the shadows. Plus, they also prey upon our fears of death and the indignity that can follow it. They also examine our fears of technology. Specifically, how we worry that it will get out of hand in an unethical manner, and of course, they also explore how man is the worst monster of all. But what matters most, is that these concepts bring forth some powerful scares. The kind that will in fact, make you jump. Because the scares are pure and epic in nature and the stories are so outlandish and terrifying that you honestly may need a minute to ponder upon what you’ve just seen.
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Which are elements that genuinely make this franchise feel fresh again and scary and what’s wild is that the wonder of this film doesn’t end there. Because another necessity in horror these days to make it successful, is commentary and depth and you’ll find that here too. Since ‘The Empty Wake’ and ‘Terror’ really resonate with our modern world and lives. For ‘Wake’ really does force the viewer to ponder upon the nature or our morality and what kind of life we lead and that’s something that speaks volumes to the past year and our own experiences with the pandemic and ‘Terror’, well that serves to remind us that the true enemies of America are inside the nation’s borders. Since it gives us an up close and uncomfortable look at a militia, one so full of ego and false patriotism that visions of January 6 will indeed dance in your head, and thankfully it has more to say than just spotlighting that threat. Since it examines subtly, how the very white men that join these causes are lost and marginalized and desperate to belong and they’re so weak because of that… that the right pressure would make them crumble as they do here.

Plus, you can never go wrong with an anthology horror story that offers up stunning gore and you’ll find that here too. Because the effects are simply stunning through and through, and they make you cringe and wince and cry out with their quality and sudden appearance and really, in the end, this is one of the best entries in the V/H/S saga. In large part because it recaptures the magic of the original film, but more so because its bold and brazen and gory as sin, and downright scary and going bigger and grosser with the vignettes while staying true to the formula, definitely reinvents this franchise and ups the ante for the next entry. So, if you’re looking for a quality reinvention that is filled to the brim with everything that horror fans love, then swing by Shudder when you have a little time and give this outright gem a look.  

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