The V/H/S franchise takes a bold step forward with V/H/S Beyond, moving away from its traditional frame narrative in favour of a more sobering, documentary-style approach. While it remains rooted in horror, Beyond makes a welcome shift into the world of sci-fi horror.
Between the chaotic, nightmarish found-footage segments, we’re given interludes featuring television host Mitch Horowitz (Alien Encounters: Fact or Fiction), and members of YouTube’s Corridor Digital. These interviews dissect the cultural fascination with extraterrestrial life and the authenticity of supposed alien footage, adding an eerie sense of realism to the madness that follows. Horowitz, in particular, delivers his insights with an academic detachment that provides a much-needed breather between the relentless horror sequences.
As always, if shaky, erratic camerawork isn’t your thing, V/H/S Beyond won’t change your mind. But for those who thrive on the found-footage aesthetic, this installment delivers a fresh batch of terrifying tales, each more grotesque and unpredictable than the last. The five core stories—and the overarching interview segments—waste no time getting to the good stuff. What makes this entry stand out is how naturally cameras fit into the narratives. Unlike previous films, where characters often awkwardly justify why they’re filming, here, the recording devices are integral to the storytelling.
The formula remains the same: introduce a set of characters, then annihilate them in the most creative, horrifying ways possible. Expect eviscerations, decapitations, body horror transformations, and limbs flying freely from their former owners. The stories range from supernatural to sci-fi horror, blending jump scares, extreme gore, and psychological dread in equal measure.
I’ll refrain from delving too far into spoiler territory, for me, the strongest stories were Live and Let Die directed by Justin Martinez. A group of skydivers documents their descent using GoPro cameras—until their plane is intercepted by military jets responding to a UFO sighting. What starts as an exhilarating jump quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival, both in the air and on the ground.
Next to that, Stowaway directed by Kate Siegel (with her directorial debut) and written by Mike Flanagan is an impressive shift to sci-fi for the Doctor Sleep filmmaker. A young woman searching for meaning in reports of mysterious lights in the sky. Her self-documented journey leads her to an isolated location where she hopes to uncover the truth—but what she finds is far more devastating than she ever imagined. It’s a wild idea that is screaming out for a feature film spin-off, my only complaint would be the found footage format does get in the way of Stowaway being the best overall story.
Fur Babies (co-directed by actor Justin Long) has some nice ideas, but it does feel like Long (and his co-director/writer brother Christian) were a little too inspired by Kevin Smith’s Tusk (which Justin Long starred in). Dream Girl gives off some nice Late Night With The Devil vibes, and Stork kicks things off with a relentlessly viseral police bodycam story.
With seven instalments (and two feature spin-offs) under its belt, the V/H/S franchise could have easily grown stale. Instead, V/H/S Beyond breathes new life into the format, proving there are still plenty of twisted stories left to tell. From adrenaline-fuelled terror to psychological horror with unexpected emotional weight, this anthology delivers a variety of scares that never overstay their welcome.
V/H/S Beyond takes the franchise in an exciting new direction, blending its classic found-footage format with cosmic and sci-fi horror influences. While some segments are stronger than others, the overall package delivers the unsettling, unpredictable terror that fans expect. It’s a bold step forward, proving that there’s still plenty of nightmare fuel left in the V/H/S series. With a potential V/H/S Future on the horizon, it’s clear this franchise isn’t rewinding anytime soon.
V/H/S Beyond is out now on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital courtesy of Acorn Media International.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
