There is a moment in V/H/S/85, the sixth film in the horror anthology that consists of a series of found footage shorts all made by different directors, where one of the stories ends up connecting to another. The precise way it does so is best left unspoiled, as it is quite fun in the moment, but it brings into focus that the most memorable part is actually just one extended experience divided by other installments without this interconnectivity. While past entries have always been defined by rises and falls in quality across the entire runtime, the less successful components of V/H/S/85 start to make the structure feel a bit flimsy. It is still an interesting format and can actually free up filmmakers to experiment in ways they may not in a full feature, though the execution this time around leaves much to be desired.

What Is the Best Short in ‘V/H/S/85’?
Image via Shudder

The highlight of the experience is Mike P. Nelson’s short where a group of friends goes on a trip to a lake. They crack jokes, drink, and generally seem to be having a good time. However, when they go out on a boat, everything becomes a nightmare when they start getting shot at by a sniper they cannot see. It is a random and unbroken act of gruesome violence where the terror comes from how little they can see where it is coming from. Though it only plays out over a few minutes, it feels like it goes on for a lifetime as the mangled bodies surrounding the survivors serve as a reminder of what will happen if they poke their heads up too far. There is a more reserved and gritty approach to how it all unfolds that ensures each gunshot cuts that much deeper. You have the sense that are actually there with the characters, unable to escape and unable to stay. The subsequent way this ends up coming into play later adds an extra layer to it, resulting in one of the more pleasant surprises of the package. The rest of the film is less successful than this, making this strong start the pinnacle.

In particular, the shorts about a technological performance art show gone awry and the television broadcast that gets disrupted by an earthquake are much less interesting. The former is a bit sillier, concluding with a great punchline, but still sticks out for how stiff it is. There is a component to this that may have been intentional, with the awkwardness of performance art being something it wants to skewer, but it’s an immediately perceptible element that doesn’t add much more to the narrative. The earthquake story is far less interesting, carrying on and on to the point that the eventual revelation about what it has uncovered comes far too late. It is also the one where the consistent use of the camera seems the least organic, making it hard to get invested in the twists and turns it takes when you’re held at a distance. Found footage can be a tough thing to pull off, with even great films like this year’s The Outwaters having aspects that drag, and that is definitely the case here. The wraparound sequence doesn’t really help to hold this together, but there is one other moment that does stand out.

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Parts of ‘Dreamkill’ Strike Deep in ‘V/H/S/85’
Image via Shudder

Though the idea that it is connected to The Black Phone makes it less interesting rather than more compelling, Scott Derrickson’s “Dreamkill” has some of the most striking visuals as it drags us into a nightmare. Although everything else around it is less mesmerizing and more clunky, the way we are pulled into this more unsettling approach does manage to get at something greater. Did it make me just wish I was re-watching Skinamarink? Yes, but the small moments of brilliance here are magnificent. Had the series had the confidence to actually settle into this and not just dance around it, then it really could have been something special. That is itself a good way of summing up the experience of V/H/S/85 writ large. There are moments of bolder visions at play, but this isn’t enough to make up for the parts that are far less so. The best two shorts, which end up collapsing into essentially one, still leave a bloody impact. The rest are sporadically interesting though largely disposable, making for a hit-or-miss experience both overall and within each short.

While this series has always struggled in some respect, there is still reason to be glad that it is continuing on with new entries. Providing an opportunity for individual directors to try things out can bring about some good stuff, especially in a horror landscape that can often feel too defined by soulless sequels rather than fresh takes. When creative directors are given the chance to take big swings and actually do so, the result can bring about nightmarish experiences unlike anything out there. The glimpses of this in V/H/S/85 serve as a reminder of the value of the series and the visions it can ultimately provide a home for.

Rating: C+

The Big Picture

The highlight of V/H/S/85 is a short film about friends getting shot at by an unseen sniper while on a boating trip at a remote lake, creating a tense and terrifying experience. Other shorts about a performance art show that goes terribly awry and a television broadcast disrupted by an earthquake are less interesting, feeling stiff and dragged out. Despite its flaws, the series provides opportunities for directors to experiment and bring fresh takes to the horror genre, which is valuable in a landscape too often driven by sequels.

V/H/S/85 is on Shudder now.