V/H/S (2012)
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A collection of terrifying tapes uncovers a series of horrific events across different scenarios.
The story
V/H/S is presented as an anthology of five short horror films contained within a frame narrative. The primary narrative follows a criminal gang—Brad, Rox, Zak, and Gary—who are hired by an anonymous source to break into an abandoned house and steal a specific VHS tape. Upon entering the house, they find the corpse of an old man and a collection of tapes. As the group explores the premises, they encounter various unsettling occurrences. The anthology structure then transitions into five distinct segments, each featuring different characters encountering supernatural and horrific events, all linked by the overarching mystery of the tapes found within the house.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is structured as an anthology where a frame narrative follows a criminal gang (Brad, Rox, Zak, and Gary) who break into an abandoned house to steal a VHS tape. They find a corpse and a room full of televisions. The film then transitions into five distinct shorts. In 'Amateur Night', three friends in a motel room encounter a woman named Lily who transforms into a demonic winged creature. In 'Second Honeymoon', a couple in Arizona is stalked by a woman in a mask who is revealed to be the wife's lover. In 'Tuesday the 17th', a group of friends in a forest is hunted by 'The Glitch', a mysterious entity. In 'The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger', a woman named Emily is revealed to be an incubator for human-alien hybrids, and her 'boyfriend' is actually a doctor working with aliens. The final segment, '10/31/98', follows four friends at a haunted house on Halloween who are caught in a poltergeist-filled nightmare and end up in a car collision on train tracks. The frame narrative concludes with Gary being attacked by a zombified corpse while the final tape plays automatically.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adam Wingard; David Bruckner; Ti West; Glenn McQuaid; Joe Swanberg; Radio Silence
- Writers
- Simon Barrett · writer; David Bruckner · writer; Nicholas Tecosky · writer; Ti West · writer; Glenn McQuaid · writer; Matt Bettinelli-Olpin · writer; Tyler Gillett · writer; Justin Martinez · writer; Chad Villella · writer
- Cast and characters
- Calvin Reeder · Gary; Lane Hughes · Zak; Kentucker Audley · Rox; Adam Wingard · Brad; Frank Stack · Old Man; Sarah Byrne · Abbey; Melissa Boatright · Tabitha; Simon Barrett · Steve; Andrew Droz Palermo · Fifth Thug; Hannah Fierman · Lily; Mike Donlan · Shane; Joe Sykes · Patrick
- Genres
- found footage; horror; anthology; supernatural; monster; science fiction; splatter; zombie
- Themes
- supernatural horror; alien invasion; paranoia; urban legends
- Premise and plot tags
- anthology; found footage; horror; mystery
- Franchise connections
- V/H/S
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews, with some critics praising its high quality and execution while others criticized its length and 'shaky-cam' techniques.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 22
- Production trivia
- Two people reportedly fainted during the premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.; The film was released on the physical VHS format in February 2013.; The franchise includes several sequels, prequels, and spin-offs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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