When the found footage horror film V/H/S came out in 2012 it became a surprise genre hit. An anthology of frights, the film featured segments from 3 different directors with a wraparound premise that sees some petty thieves break into a house and stumble across a strange VHS tape. The film performed so well that it has now become a franchise with 4 entries out, a fifth releasing on streaming service Shudder at the end of October, and a sixth announced as coming next year.
Across the franchise, there are many stories and as with any anthology, some are weaker than others. There have also been some exceptional standout segments. Out of all the stories, which are the best? This article looks at the 5 best segments from the V/H/S series.
Amateur Night - V/H/S
Touted as the best segment from the first film, Amateur Night follows a trio of obnoxious frat boys on a mission to get women drunk and film porn starring them without them knowing. The unlikable protagonists hope to achieve this with one of their group donning glasses that are secretly a camera. This also means that the segment is entirely from this character's perspective. As the night wears on, the group manages to get two women to come back to their room, one is extremely drunk and promptly passes out, while the other girl is shy and quiet.
The night goes sideways for the men when the shy and retiring Lily becomes violent and ultimately reveals herself to be a bloodthirsty monster. The segment tackles voyeurism and morality while also showcasing vengeance and a comeuppance for the gross men. The segment was directed and written by David Bruckner who has since gone on to make The Night House and the recent Hellraiser reboot.
A Ride In The Park - V/H/S 2
This take on the zombie attack story is a gore-soaked and fast-paced trip through an unexplained zombie outbreak in a park directed by Gregg Hale and Eduardo Sanchez. Mike goes out bike riding through the trails equipped with a helmet-mounted camera to record his ride. Shortly after getting underway, Mike stops to help an injured woman as a group of the undead shamble towards them. The woman turns and bites him and Mike runs off into the woods. From his helmet camera's perspective, the audience sees Mike change into a zombie, a sequence filled with blood, bile, and death rattles.
What makes this entry so effective is that no explanation is given for what is happening. The zombies are just there already. As Mike resurrects as one of the undead he joins the others, and they follow the sounds of a children's birthday party nearby. Not for the faint of heart, this segment doesn't hold back on the guts.
Safe Haven - V/H/S 2
A team of documentary filmmakers infiltrates a cult called Paradise Gates in the hopes of learning more about their activities and beliefs in this segment directed and written by Timo Tjahjanto. After arriving at the compound, the crew learns more about the almighty "Father" who is described as the sole shepherd of the cult. There is a classroom filled with children who are his "chosen ones" and producer Lena begins to feel ill.
After a creepy encounter with some cultists for Lena and a disturbing interview with Father, things begin to rapidly spiral out of control. The patriarch begins a loudspeaker announcement speaking about the final key to paradise, while a crew member finds a blood-soaked room. The scene descends into violence and ritual suicide as the cult reaches its ultimate goal. The segment is unnerving and rises in tension exponentially as the cult remains fixated on its purpose.
The Subject - V/H/S 94
In another entry by Timo Tjahjanto, The Subject sees the world through an unwilling test subject's eyes. An insane doctor has been abducting his patients and experimenting on them in horrific ways. Through the eyes of a subject called S.A, the audience sees a grimy makeshift lab space where the insane scientist has been trying to make human-machine hybrids. Once S.A becomes aware of what has happened to her and who she is, she attempts to escape when the doctor tries to wipe her memories.
The police have also tracked the doctor and all hell breaks loose once they enter his lab space and find his experiments. Subject 98 awakes and carnage is rained down on the enforcers as S.A tries to escape with whatever life she has left. Gory but also sad, The Subject is a stylish segment that also has substance.
The Storm Drain - V/H/S 94
Colloquially called simply "Raatma" among fans, The Storm Drain quickly became an audience favorite after the release of V/H/S 94. Written and directed by Chloe Okuno with a fake tv commercial directed by Steve Kostanski. In this segment, local news reporter Holly Marciano and her cameraman Jeff are doing a story on a local urban legend called The Rat Man. Holly decides to take the report into a storm drain where they are accosted by several residents of the sewers.
Holly and Jeff are then taken to meet "Raatma", a horrific human/rat hybrid monster that the sewer dwellers call a God. Raatma emerges from a sewer tunnel to test his new potential subjects. The Storm Drain is slick, and atmospheric with an excellent creature design that harks back to 80s creature features.