The found footage subgenre has become more and more popular over the years. Fans of the genre have watched it evolve over time. From staples in the horror subgenre like The Blair Witch Project (1999) to modern found footage classics like Hell House LLC (2015). There aren’t a lot of franchises in the subgenre, though, but the few we do have range in quality. As far as the quality of the V/H/S films? I’d say it’s pretty high for the most part.
5. VHS Beyond
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Directors: Jordan Downey, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, and Jay Cheel
Writers: Jordan Downey, Kevin Stewart, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Ben Turner, Virat Pat, Evan Dickson, Mike Flanagan, and Jay Cheel
Sci-fi horror isn’t as explored in the found footage subgenre. Naturally, V/H/S is the one found footage franchise to do so in some time.V/H/S/Beyond follows five segments in a documentary about digital effects and the existence of extraterrestrial life. If you’re looking for splendid gore effects and an intriguing direction for the V/H/S franchise, you’ve certainly found that here. V/H/S/Beyond has the capability of roping in newcomers, as well as appeasing current fans of the franchise. Thus making it a worthy addition to this list.
4. VHS 85
Directors: Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, Scott Derrickson, and David Bruckner
Writers: Mike P. Nelson, Zoe Cooper, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Evan Dickson
The V/H/S franchise is known to shuffle back to the past, and therefore, having an entry set strictly in the ‘80s was bound to happen. V/H/S/85 follows several bizarre and gruesome tapes on a made-for-TV documentary. There’s no shortage of fear-inducing moments in V/H/S/85 and there’s even a direct link to The Black Phone (2021) in one of the segments. The essence of the mid-80s is perfectly captured in the camera quality as well as the set designs. It’s a delightfully bonkers peek into a not-so-forgotten point in time.
3. VHS 99
Directors: Maggie Levin, Johannes Roberts, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, and Vanessa & Joseph Winter
Writers: Maggie Levin, Johannes Roberts Zoe Cooper, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, Chris Lee Hill, Vanessa & Joseph Winter
The cusp of the 2000s was quite the time, and there’s only so much horror that taps into the widespread panic of Y2K. Thankfully V/H/S/99 does! V/H/S/99 has no particular narrative and follows segments that take place in 1999, including New Year’s Eve. Sometimes it’s fun not to have an overarching plot and to just enjoy what’s playing out on screen. And V/H/S/99 is the perfect time for that with the undead punk rockers to best friends having to escape actual hell together. It’s a damn good time, and it’s a fun watch for fans.
2. VHS 94
Directors: Jennifer Reeder, Chloe Okuno, Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto, Ryan Prows, and Steven Kotzanski
Writers: Jennifer Reeder, Chloe Okuno, Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto, Ryan Prows, and Steven Kotzanski
Cults. The early ‘90s and grunge aesthetics are plentiful in V/H/S/94, and it’s wicked. V/H/S/94 follows a SWAT team that finds disturbing tapes left behind at a deranged cult’s compound. After the failure of V/H/S/Viral, it was necessary to get back on track with V/H/S/94 and give the fans something fun to chew on. It’s a gritty entry that features some of the best creature designs in the franchise (who could forget Raatma?). Overall, V/H/S/94 has incredibly solid segments that are memorable, and the wrap-around is certainly wild in the best way imaginable.
1. VHS 2
Directors: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sánchez + Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto + Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisener
Writers: Simon Barrett, Jamie Nash, Timo Tjahjanto + Gareth Huw Evans, John Davies + Jason Eisener
It’s not every day that a sequel is better than the original. V/H/S/2 follows two private investigators who are looking for a lady’s missing son and discover a bunch of tapes in his home. There’s an eeriness that’s captured in V/H/S/2 with the setting of the overarching story, and it aids what plays out on the tapes. One of the best segments in the entire V/H/S franchise comes out of V/H/S/2; for that, it’s incredible.
The latest VHS Films, VHS Beyond, is now streaming on Shudder.
