#POLISH PREMIERE | fear and terror | VHS | found footage | 1980s | vintage | horror | film anthology | darkness | fear | satanists | lake trip | macabre | TV crew | snazzy suit | natural disaster | family party | bloodbath | scientists | serial killer | teenagers | dreams | goosebumps | Shudder

V/H/S/85

horror | USA | 2023

World premiere: Fantastic Fest 2023
Polish premiere: Splat!FilmFest

CULT HORROR ANTHOLOGY FROM SHUDDER

The found footage series “V/H/S” phenomenon keeps growing stronger. It is one of the few horror series that continues to amaze with each new film, and the sixth chapter promises to be darker and bloodier than ever. Perhaps it is because the pieces in this year’s collection harken back to 1985, a time when Ronald Reagan was sitting in the US presidential chair and the nation was gripped by a collective obsession with sinister satanic forces lurking around every corner. Or maybe the reason is much more simple: the newest film in the series comes from some of the most exciting emerging talents in horror.

The “V/H/S/85” anthology consists of five segments directed by a familiar face to the series’ fans in David Bruckner (“The Night House,” “The Ritual”), Scott Derrickson (“Doctor Strange,” “The Black Phone,” “Sinister”), Natasha Kermani (“Imitation Girl”), Mike P. Nelson (“Wrong Turn (2021)”) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (“Satanic Hispanics”). A powerful team that is bound to provide the audience with an equally powerful experience.

Horror lovers will surely recognize references to the infamous “The Raft” segment from “Creepshow 2” in the opening section. When a group of friends go to a a lake together, things take a sinister turn. Although not in the way you might expect. In the next segment, a TV crew led by a presenter in a snazzy suit must fight for their lives in the face of a natural disaster… and then something even worse. “V/H/S/85” also features stories about a family party that turns into a bloody slaughter, a chapter about scientists who make a terrifying discovery, and the story of a serial killer and a teenager plagued by nasty dreams. Each of these tales takes the audience on a journey through time – it wouldn’t be hard to believe that the makers of the fifth instalment of the series simply compiled real found footage from attics and basements, because “V/H/S/85” is visually stunning. In addition to the new horror hopefuls in directing chairs, some familiar faces are also present in the individual parts of the anthology. Freddy Rodríguez (“Planet Terror”) gives it his all as the weary crime scene detective, and you’ll also probably recognise James Ransone (“It: Chapter Two”). “V/H/S/85” is one of the most original horror films in recent years, as well as one of the most horrifying. Goosebumps guaranteed.

director: David Bruckner, Scott Derrickson, Natasha Kermani, Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero
screenwriter: C. Robert Cargill, Zoe Cooper, Scott Derrickson, Evan Dickson, Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero
cast: Freddy Rodríguez, James Ransone, Jordan Belfi
photography: Alexander Chinnici, Nick Junkersfeld
music: Stephen Lukach
duration: 1h 51min
language: English
subtitles: Polish
recommended age: 16+