Arguably better than the first…
I remember when V/H/S came out in 2012 and quite really got into it, but it was in reality, yet another found-footage flick, to toss on the rapidly growing pile. Now, I happen to particularly dig this genre, especially the anthology or short-story horror-collections, but you have to agree, the market has become oversaturated. I would also say that I held no true hope for a V/H/S sequel, because, lets face it. When was the last time a low-budget sequel was actually any good? This film proved me wrong, and also proved that a follow-up can be made that surpasses expectation, but, V/H/S/2 blew it’s predecessor clean out of the water! This was a hell of a good anthology in almost every way.
It covered a wide array of horror, from zombie to slasher, and even a devil-like monster, but the addition of aliens was a nice touch. Each of the four segments were excellent, as was the fifth at the start and end of this anthology, the wraparound. It opens with a pair of detectives coming across a large collection of VHS tapes, while looking for a missing person. They begin to review the tapes and come across some horrific material that cause one of them to bleed. This segment is titled “Tape 49.”
*****
The first tape they view is titled “Phase 1 Clinical Trials,” and involves a man being fitted with a replacement eye that allow him to see ghosts. The second, “A Ride in the Park,” is a classic zombie flick, with some amazingly gross intestine-eating scenes. The third was “Safe Haven,” an Indonesian horror with some of the best head-shots I’ve seen in quite a wee while, and last but most definitely not least was “Slumber Party Alien Abduction,” with its self-explanatory title, we see aliens busting in on a slumber-party. The final tie-in story was also very good, as the detectives come in to some of their own trouble, and once again, a gun is used to cause considerable damage to the noggin.
My favourite was the Indonesian horror, “Safe Haven,” because director Timo Tjahjanto created an interesting story, but the realistic gun shots (there were a few) were spectacular, but the combination was pretty amazing. The entire film was a genuine pleasure to watch and this is a sequel I can’t recommend any higher. Watch it, or suffer the consequence!
Grade: B
Review by Ed Blackadder, Lead Entertainment Writer
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