The V/H/S franchise has been a cornerstone of the found footage horror anthology format since its debut in 2012, delivering short bursts of terror wrapped in a retro aesthetic. Over the years, the series has offered both high points and diminishing returns, and with V/H/S/Beyond, one has to wonder: have we finally reached the point where it's time to move on?
To its credit, V/H/S/Beyond boasts an impressive lineup of directors, including Jay Cheel (Cursed Films), Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter), Virat Pal (Night of the Bride), Justin Martinez (Southbound), Christian Long and Justin Long (Barbarian), and Kate Siegel (Hush). Adding to the anticipation, horror maestro Mike Flanagan contributes as a writer, which should be enough to pique the interest of genre fans. The anthology continues to embrace the franchise’s signature lo-fi aesthetic, offering a mix of supernatural horror, sci-fi terror, and grotesque body horror.
Among the standout segments is Stork, a twisted nightmare about a police unit investigating baby disappearances, only to encounter a sinister stork-like entity. I was very impressed with The Head Hunter, so I was very excited to see Jordan Downey's segment, which did not disappoint. Dream Girl provides a chaotic Bollywood-inspired fever dream, while Live and Let Dive turns a simple birthday skydiving trip into an extraterrestrial horror show. Fur Babies might be the most disturbing of the bunch, taking the cute and cuddly premise of a doggy daycare and twisting it into a nightmarish vision of animal rights gone horribly wrong. Stowaway, Siegel’s directorial debut, offers an eerie alien horror tale that feels cinematic in scope. The wraparound, Abduction/Adduction, ties the segments together with an engaging documentary-style approach.
Despite the variety, there’s an undeniable sense that the franchise has begun to feel exhausting. While the early V/H/S entries were fresh and innovative, the later installments—including this one—often struggle to recapture that magic. The shaky cam, the abrupt endings, and the predictability of some segments make parts of V/H/S/Beyond feel more like an obligation than an exhilarating horror experience. There’s still fun to be had, but the novelty has certainly worn thin.
That said, if you’re a die-hard fan of the franchise, V/H/S/Beyond delivers enough creepy, gory, and bizarre moments to justify a watch. It’s not the strongest entry, but it’s far from the weakest. The real question is: does the V/H/S concept still have life left in it, or has it finally outstayed its welcome? If this is the last tape we slide into the VCR, it wouldn’t be the worst place to stop.
Jessie Hobson