The success of 2012’s V/H/S opened the door for a sequel. We didn’t have to wait long as V/H/S/2 arrived less than a year later. Learning some lessons from the chaotic pace of the original, V/H/S/2 improves in some areas while falling a bit behind in others.
Classic movie reviews will contain spoilers.
V/H/S/2
Directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanches, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans and Jason Eisener
Written by Simon Barrett, Jamie Nash, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans and John Davies
Starring Adam Wingard, Rylan Logan, Cohen King, Fachri Albar and Hannah Al Rashid
V/H/S/2 Review
V/H/S/2 wisely cuts the run time of the overall feature to just over 90 minutes. While we lose one segment in the process, the overall package is better for it. That’s just the first lesson that this sequel to V/H/S learns from the original. More importantly, they slow down a lot more often and let the stories breathe.
The change is evident right from the start. The framing story begins with essentially the same premise as the original (this time titled Tape 49). We get a much quieter version of watching a stack of tapes found in a creepy house. It’s a relief to not begin another commitment to a found footage movie with loud characters being as annoying as possible as the camera shakes. This time the story wraps all the way around the four shorts and gives us another fun conclusion to end V/H/S/2.
Now let’s dive into the four new short features that comprise the movie. Once again, we will review them in a worst to first ranking.
4. Phase I Clinical Trials (segment 1)
A recurring theme in V/H/S/2 is finding unique places to put the camera. Three of the four shorts feature concepts that take the camera out of a person’s hands. Phase I gives us a true POV as our camera is an eye implant into our lead character. His new implant has some “glitches” though…and now he, and we, can see ghosts. There are some effective scares in here but by and large it’s fairly standard fare.
3. Slumber Party Alien Abduction (segment 4)
Outside of a clever idea (the camera is attached to a dog), the final short in V/H/S/2 is a bit of a misfire. There’s some decent imagery and effective moments…and the concept is more interesting than Phase I. The problem is really the first half of the story. Annoying characters acting like douchebags are back. Once the invasion begins there is some fun to be had here. The ending, however, feels unnecessary and leaves us feeling down rather than thrilled.
Check out the review of the feature length follow up Kids vs. Aliens
2. A Ride in the Park (segment 2)
The camera is a GoPro this time around. What makes this segment work is that the GoPro ends up attached to a cyclist who becomes a zombie. We get to join in an undead attack of a birthday party with the camera still strapped to our victim’s helmet. It’s a fun short that wouldn’t work if it went on any longer. The POV we get is the only real new idea here…but it’s a good one.
1. Safe Haven (segment 3)
The three other segments in V/H/S/2 provide some frights and fun but fail to reach the heights of the original’s best four segments. Safe Haven beats them all. A documentary crew attempts to infiltrate a cult. That’s the first half of Safe Haven anyway. It’s a solid first half that allows a sense of dread to creep in. Then the second half goes full on crazy. Mass suicides, demonic birth, gore, body horror and one hell of a chase scene make Safe Haven the easy winner of a mostly middling V/H/S/2.
Scare Value
Aided by a shorter running time and one less segment, V/H/S/2 is greater than the sum of its parts. In some ways V/H/S/2 is what V/H/S could have been if it had a stronger framing story and they cut the worst segment. Outside of one standout segment, however, V/H/S/2 never quite hits the peaks of the original at its best. V/H/S scored a 3/5 on the Scare Value ranking…so let’s call this one a draw. Go out of your way to see Safe Haven though…its unlikely to be topped as the series best.
3/5
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