V/H/S 99 (2022)

V/H/S 99 (2022)
Directed by: Flying Lotus, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Vanessa Winter
Written by: Chris Lee Hill, Flying Lotus, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Vanessa Winter, Zoe Cooper
Starring: Ally Ioannides, Amelia Ann, Archelaus Crisanto, Dashiell Derrickson, Emily Sweet, Ethan Pogue, Isabelle Hahn, Jackson Kelly, Jesse LaTourette, Joseph Winter, Keanush Tafreshi, Luke Mullen, Melanie Stone, Sonya Eddy, Steven Ogg

V/H/S 99 (2022)
A Shudder Original
Available on DVD and  Blu-ray

The fifth instalment of the successful horror anthology series, V/H/S 99 takes place in the year 1999; a significant moment in time where everything seemed to slip downhill thereafter. Apprehension about the year 2000 and the problems the millennium bug would cause was hyped up by the media which turned out to be nothing but a damp squib. Having been a child of the 90’s, I was curious to see what the filmmakers involved V/H/S 99 would have in store.

Shredding, the first story within V/H/S 99, focuses on a group of friends who’ve clearly been inspired by CKY, a precursor to what became Jackass. Pulling pranks, skateboarding and playing rock music are all part and parcel for this group of misfits as they decide to break into an underground club where a punk rock band Bitch Cat were trampled to death following an onstage electrical fire at the venue years previously. The friends, known collectively as RACK, are a very dislikable bunch with only Ankur showing any signs of respect for the dead, making him the butt of the jokes for the rest of the group.

Shredding plays out much like you’d expect and doesn’t have much in the way of surprises. Its take on the late 90’s scene doesn’t feel wholly accurate either, especially with some of the language used by RACK, which felt more post-Millennium than pre.

The fear factor is notched up a level in Suicide Bid as the act of hazing is explored. Sorority and fraternities have featured many times in the horror genre and the acts of humiliation and fear those wishing to join experience always seem to hit hard. In this particular story, a loner named Lily eagerly applies to join Beta Sigma Eta sorority and makes it her only choice, known as a suicide bid. If she’s rejected or fails to meet their requirements, then she’ll be left without a sorority. All seems to be going well when Lily is invited out by the sisters of Beta Sigma Eta but it all goes south when Lily is forced to take part in an initiation – to be buried alive in a coffin. If she completes the task, she’ll be accepted into the sorority. After spooking her with stories of a freshman named Giltine, who underwent the same ritual years previously but mysteriously disappeared from the coffin after being forgotten about, Lily is instructed to enter the coffin armed with a video camera to record her experience.

Claustrophobia hits new heights in Suicide Bid and it’s an uncomfortable watch on all fronts. It puzzles me why anyone would want to join a sorority or fraternity and subject themselves to humiliation, all in the name of acquiring a social status and social circle. Suicide Bid keeps it simple but with a few surprises along the way for an effectively tense little slice of horror storytelling.

Kids gameshows were all the rage in the 90s (Pat Sharp’s Fun House, I’m looking at you!) and so I was excited to see how this would be explored in Ozzy’s Dungeon. This tongue-in-cheek version blends nostalgia with the absurd as the gameshow’s host verbally degrades the contestants and makes them tackle challenges that aren’t what I’d class as fun. Donna, a teenager from Detroit, ends up in the final to have a chance at winning a wish granted by Ozzy. Facing off against a male competitor, she must complete the assault course, which appears to be based on the digestive system, within 60 seconds in order to win the prize, something no contestant has yet been able to do. When a bout of foul play threatens Donna’s chances, there’s hell to pay.

Ozzy’s Dungeon is the highlight of V/H/S 99 thanks to the effort and ideas injected into the segment. It’s truly out there, in ways I never expected, with some brilliant acting, design and effects. It manages to elicit the 90’s aesthetic whilst at the same time flip it on its head for a truly unique experience.

In The Gawkers, boys will be boys as the lustful teenagers spy longingly from Dylan’s bedroom window at the hot girl Sandra who’s just moved in across the street. Like a scene out of sex comedy, American Pie, the guys think they’ve won the jackpot when Dylan’s younger brother Brady is asked by Sandra to help set up her webcam. Convincing Brady to install spyware on her Macintosh computer, the horny teens can’t wait to hack into her webcam to hopefully catch some footage of her undressing. Their prayers might just be answered…

Another fun take on a teen trope that fits right in with the 90’s era and the dawn of new technology. The Gawkers manages to incorporate horror elements in a natural way that may feel a little simplistic but works effectively. As a result, it sits alongside Suicide Bid as my joint second favourite segment of this anthology.

Wrapping up V/H/S 99 is a Millennium countdown as two filmmakers join a group of modern-day witches on New Year’s Eve as they attempt to summon the spirit of Ukabon, a demon they worship. With a woman named Kirsten volunteering to be the host vessel for the demon, the coven begin. At the stroke of midnight, when the veil between our world and Ukabon’s is at its thinnest, the ritual will be complete. However, as the ritual begins they’re interrupted by a different demon who appears in the room. As the witches attempt to dispel it, filmmakers Nate and Troy get caught up in the chaos, and as a result get accidentally dispelled along with demon, only to wake up in Hell! With the clock ticking towards midnight, they’ve only minutes to get back to their realm or risk being stuck in Hell forever.

Running around in Hell conjures some interesting visuals and bloodthirsty sights, but it never truly feels threatening. The race may be on for Nate and Troy but I wish there wasn’t as much time spent in Hell as there actually is as what’s happening back on Earth is far more interesting.

As an anthology horror movie, V/H/S 99 is a mixed bag. Its predecessors seemed a lot scarier and more serious than this particular entry. V/H/S 99 seems to embrace a lot of dark humour too which does work in its favour for certain stories. As with most anthologies, there’s always stories which are stronger than others which in this case are Ozzy’s Dungeon, The Gawkers and Suicide Bid. If you’re looking for bite-size horror tales then this is still a worth a watch but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

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