The Lowdown: I didn’t care for the first V/H/S (2012), a horror anthology that suffered from poor editing and pacing and didn’t bring anything new to the table. However, it paved the way for a far superior second installment. V/H/S 2 is yet another horror anthology consisting of four found-footage horror shorts directed by a variety of famous horror directors. These shorts are much more inventive and scary than any of those in V/H/S, and the film is tighter and more focused overall.
1. The Plot: The “plot” in V/H/S 2 is pretty much the same as in V/H/S. Two private investigators are searching for a missing student, so they break into his home and find piles of VHS tapes, which they proceed to then watch. This segment is called “Tape 49” and is directed by Simon Barrett (You’re Next). It acts as the overarching plot, but it’s basically an excuse for stringing together the horror shorts. The first tape watched is “Phase 1 Clinical Trials”, directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next). It is about a man who has an artificial eye implanted after his was damaged in an accident. What the poor guy soon realizes is that the eye enables him to see dead people. Basically, it’s like The Eye (2002), except it’s more jump-scary.
The second segment is “A Ride in the Park”, directed by Gregg Hale and Eduardo Sànchez (The Blair Witch Project, Lovely Molly). This one is a love letter to fans of zombie movies. The notable twist is that it is a zombie massacre shown from a zombie’s point of view. A cyclist attaches a camera to his helmet and begins biking in the woods, but is attacked by a zombie and becomes one. The camera doesn’t shy away from the gory antics that ensue. 
The third segment is “Safe Haven”, and is by far the best segment. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The ABCs of Death) and Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption), “Safe Haven” follows a news crew investigating a mysterious Indonesian cult. The news crew goes to the cult’s headquarters to interview the leader, but soon discover that they were led there for another purpose. This segment is easily the standout segment since everything is neatly set up in the first half and then paid off in the second half, when all hell breaks loose, literally. What occurs in this segment is grisly and unsettling, and the frenetic pacing gives you no time to breathe. The ending is grimly humorous and unforgettable.
"It is...fulfilled."
The last segment, “Slumber Party Alien Abduction”, is ironically the weakest segment next to “Tape 49”. Directed by Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), the title neatly sums it all up. Basically, a young boy and his sister are at their vacation home for the weekend. The sister invites her boyfriend, and her brother and his friends proceed to mess with them during their private moments. However, strange lights and noises occur, and the kids soon realize that they are the target of aliens that want to abduct them into their flying saucer. This segment is disappointing because it’s not scary and relies too much on poor camerawork and crappy jump scares. It also suffers by comparison, since it came immediately after “Safe Haven”. If this had been the first or second segment, then it would have been a lot better.
2. The Characters:There isn’t really anything to write about for this section since each of the segments basically consists of actors acting like they’re not acting. That said, they all perform well enough, but there aren’t any performances that stand out.
3. Horror Anthologies: I kind of like the idea of horror anthologies. They allow up-and-coming directors to showcase their talents by making a horror short that is concise and visceral and different. V/H/S didn’t really do any of these things, despite having a wide variety of talent. V/H/S 2 seems like the makers of V/H/S took their constructive criticism to heart and made a better finished product. The segments this time around were more focused and better paced than those in V/H/S, which dragged on and on. Certain images in V/H/S 2 are unforgettable, especially in “Safe Haven”. Probably my only issue with both V/H/S films is that they both are comprised entirely of found-footage shorts. I have no issue with the idea of found-footage, but it is a technique that has pros and cons. The negative side of found-footage films is that many of them rely on the same tricks. There’s also so much found-footage stuff flooding the horror genre that it’s difficult to offer something different. Fortunately, not everything has been done yet, and V/H/S 2 is proof of that.
The Bottom Line: V/H/S 2 digs itself out of the pit that other formulaic found-footage garbage (i.e. Paranormal Activity) dug by showcasing something new and different. The segments were mostly scary and inventive, and the overall pacing and focus of the film was improved over the first V/H/S. If the makers can keep this up, then I can say that I look forward to V/H/S 3.
V/H/S 2 is property of The Collective, Bloody Disgusting, and 8383 Productions. This review was written by me.
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