“V/H/S/94”: From Tape to Terror

Photo Cred: “V/H/S/94” Shutter Movie Poster

Preben Svitzer, Staff Writer to The Powderhorn

“V/H/S/94” is a 2012 found-footage horror anthology film written by David Bruckner and Brad Miska. It premiered on September 26, 2021, and can be viewed on various streaming services, such as Prime Video and Shutter. “V/H/S/94” serves as a soft reboot of the V/H/S franchise and consists of four found-footage segments connected through a fifth-frame narrative. 

The V/H/S film series was known for its well-designed monsters and coherent storytelling that displayed its charm through short but well-executed VHS tapes. “V/H/S/94” occurs in 1994 and follows a SWAT team’s raid on a warehouse. The team soon realizes that the warehouse is far from ordinary and stumbles upon many cult rooms featuring TVs that begin playing VHS tapes upon entry. Each tape contains a short horror story detailing encounters with inhuman terrors, each displaying varying subgenres of horror, mainly supernatural horror and body horror.

“V/H/S/94” was generally well-received by audiences and critics alike. Most viewers deemed its creature design and gritty aesthetics the most prominent and impressive features of the film. The monsters’ appearances in the movie create an unsettling fleshy feeling that doesn’t directly scare viewers but induces an impending sense of dread and disgust. The film’s characteristic found-footage style also adds intimacy with the characters and monsters that appear, amplifying feelings of unease and discomfort. 

Originality and storytelling are essential elements of a horror film, and “V/H/S/94” exhibits all the critical features that make a successful movie. Every story is entirely original and has little similarities to any other horror film, creating a fresh feeling that most horror movies lack. The found-footage storytelling also allows viewers to experience things from a somewhat first-person view, contrasting the more common spectator perspective. This intimacy makes viewers more engaged and invested in the story, boosting the inevitable sense of horror.

Overall, “V/H/S/94” is a successful reboot to the V/H/S franchise, boasting great creature design, storytelling, and originality. These factors combine to create immersive and captivating stories that unnerve even the most horror-hardened viewers with bone-chilling graphics and plots.