Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘V/H/S/99’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say that nostalgia is all the rage right now, especially when it comes to the 1990s. For so many born in that era and those that grew up during that era… are reaching that point where reflecting upon it and the joy those days brought them has become top of mind and that has led to a glut of nostalgia for the decade in popular media and it is seen often on social media as well. Allowing for everyone to reflect upon the majesty of what television offered in that day or how there were some unique toys and vibrant pop-culture moments from the era, all of which brings forth fond memories of a time when it really did seem as though life was simpler and better. 
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But was it though? Because the inherent problem with nostalgia is that it tends to always view the past in a supremely positive light, the kind that ignores the struggles of that era and the problems that it allowed to persist and whether we like to admit it or not, the 1990s had its issues. For while the economy was indeed rolling along while we enjoyed Capri-Suns and Lunchables while X-Men played on our afternoon viewings or while we enjoyed a round of TGIF with the family… there were real societal problems happening around us. The kind that laid the groundwork for some of the issues we face today and well… those unfortunate realities and taking a good long look at what the 1990s were really like is top of mind today, because a new film on Shudder does just that.

For V/H/S/99, the latest film in the V/H/S saga, plunges us back into that era to examine how it wasn’t always as rosy as we remember it to be. A feat that it accomplishes by once again offering up several unique and visceral vignettes that are stacked to the brim with terror and they all cover some fascinating topics. Some of which truly aren’t spoken to enough. For instance, we don’t like to talk about how bullying was rampant during that era and how our views upon it were so vastly different then. Since there was a mantra that you just had to suck it up and deal with it when in fact, it was toxic and costly to one‘s psyche, and that is explored in a fascinating and ugly manner in not one, but two stories here.

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Not to mention, the 1990s was awash in toxic masculinity, which undoubtedly helped to keep bullying thriving and this film addresses the disgusting nature of that and how problematic and widespread it was and how it inspired so many to indulge within it and its awful behaviors and create a lasting legacy we battle now. Not to mention, this film uses the nostalgia factor to really hammer home race relations in the 1990s and how that boiled over, making this film… a powerful reminder that while nostalgia does indeed bring people joy and a sense of wonder… it should never overshadow the reality of the era and should be seen as more of a personal reflection instead of a be-all view of a time that was just as rough as any other in American history.
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However, while it is lovely to enjoy some fascinating satire on a collective happening in our world right now, make no mistake about it… this is still a horror film through and through holy cow does the movie deliver on the scares. For the first and second vignettes prey upon our fears of claustrophobia and death in unique and terrifying ways and of course… the third segment strikes a chord with some genuinely simple and primal fears, such as cleanliness and germs and the finale even taps into our fears of the afterlife and what lay ahead when we take our last breath. And it also doesn’t hurt, that these segments are full of wondrous and sticky gore and eerie creatures that are ripped from our nightmares.

If anything, this film is nothing less than the finest entry in the V/H/S franchise. Simply because it is comfortable in how it tells it story and the vignettes it presents are as bold and satirical as they come, and above all… the scares are simply top notch and horribly unsettling at times. All of which makes this a must-see movie. For you simply cannot go wrong with a horror anthology film that features dynamic and fun and intelligently disturbing stories, that are home to buckets of gore and unsettling scares. The kind that are at times so gross in nature that you turn away. Which means you may need to watch this one a few times to properly observe and absorb the horror on the screen and the best news of all… is that you can do that right now. For V/H/S/99 is streaming on Shudder and we hope you give it a look, for it really is an intelligent and twisted treat.

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