V/H/S/99 – Movie Review
Plot: Witness a hellish vision of 1999, as social isolation, analog technology and disturbing home videos fuse into a nightmare of found footage savagery.
Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on V/H/S/99
Shredding (D. Maggie Levin)
Shredding follows an aspiring punk rock band that decides to break into an abandoned Colony Underground location. A place where one of their favorite bands was killed in a fire, the idea is to record themselves playing on the same stage. What they find will leave them terrorised by the band they respect so much. Shredding does a great job at creating a punk band with no respect, they think they are above everyone in this world. This fast-paced start is a great start to the found footage we see. 4/5
Suicide Bid (D. Johannes Roberts)
Suicide Bid follows a college student Lily trying to get into a sorority, she must pass a test by the sisters. Lily gets given a story about a hazing ritual performed, spending one night in a coffin. As Lily reluctantly agrees to take part, she learns the sisters have other plans for her. This creates a claustrophobic nightmare for Lilly, with the story using the confined space to create a terrifying horror. 5/5
Ozzy’s Dungeon (D. Flying Lotus)
Ozzy’s Dungeon follows children competing in an obstacle television show. Donna is about to be the first winner of the show before an accident leaves her horrendously injured. Flash forward to the family of Donna having captured the host of the show, to make him pay for what his show did to their daughter. In what is a twisted revenge tale, this shows the corruption in gameshows and the effect it has on the victims. 4/5
The Gawkers (D. Tyler MacIntyre)
The Gawkers follows a group of teenagers causing chaos around the neighbourhood, as one of the group is preparing for Y2K. this sees them continue to become perverts, by filming the local women, focusing more on the neighbor across the street. This is a story that shows creeps getting taught a lesson. It can be compared to the first story we ever saw in a V/H/S series. 4/5
To Hell and Back (D. Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter)
To Hell and Back follows a documentary filmmaking crew that gets to record a demon summoning. A woman has accepted to give herself to the demon, but nothing can prepare the filmmakers for what they are going to see, as they find themselves taken by the demon. This final chapter is pure chaos and it is brilliant, the exact reason why found footage style filmmaking works so well. 5/5
Final Thoughts – V/H/S/99 is the best in the V/H/S franchise.