Tags
David Bruckner, gigi saul guerrero, mike p nelson, natasha kermani, Scott Derrickson, shudder, shudder australia, v/h/s/, v/h/s/85.
Having secretly shot the latest instalment in the V/H/S/ franchise back-to-back alongside V/H/S/99, Bloody Disgusting are set to release V/H/S/85 on the streaming platform, Shudder. This time around sees one of the pioneer directors of the franchise David Bruckner (The Ritual) with his segment Amateur Night return to add more flavour to the proceedings. It’s clear that Bruckner is going from strength to strength in his storytelling with a bent towards science fiction, evident with bringing Hellraiser before a contemporary audience. Bruckner’s V/H/S. Segment Total Copy is peppered throughout the feature and follows a group of college teachers pushing past their skillset into untapped territory. In doing so, they venture into a domain that slowly spirals out of control.
Joining Bruckner is a team of bold visionists, each with their own unique style spilling forth into an eclectic union of enterprising stories. My own personal liking leans towards Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister) segment Dreamkill; which is a psychic-bending, slasher frenzy that twists and turns delightfully towards a gripping climax. For fans of Derrickson’s work, there is an easter egg in there which arcs back to one of the characters from The Black Phone. Another segment I enjoyed was No Wake, directed by Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn) who feels as though he is in his element with his traditional found footage tale set on a lake retreat. We follow a group of teens who get more than they bargained for when they are slowly being picked off by a hidden assailant, and then pick up the tale further into the feature when we see the story complete from the assassin’s point of view. The other two entries are just as compelling with Natasha Kermani’s segment TKNOGD; following performance artists tackle technological gods and Gigi Saul Guerrero’s (Bingo Hell) segment, God of Death, taking you to the depths of Mexico in the wake of an earthquake which has awoken a once dormant God.
The Prognosis:
For its’ sixth entry into the franchise, V/H/S/85 is arguably the most diverse and compelling. It allows each director to spin their tale using their individual voices, without the detriment to the final reel. Enjoyable and fragmented to create a blend of disturbing, visionary narratives.
– Saul Muerte
V/H/S/85 is screening on Shudder from Friday 6th October.
Surgeons of Horror 