'V/H/S/Beyond' Reviews: "Each of the six short films is exceptional"

         On October 4, 2024, Shudder premiered 'V/H/S/Beyond', which has earned positive notices from critics, currently holding at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the latest addition to the franchise, "Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense." Read the full review round-up below.

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        Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says, "It’s not a Fantastic Fest without a “V/H/S” movie. For the last four years running, an installment in the Shudder Original series has premiered in Austin, leading us to the sixth in the series dropping this weekend in “V/H/S/Beyond” before premiering on Shudder on October 4th. By now, the strengths and weaknesses of this series have been pretty well-established: clever concepts and inconsistent execution. The loglines for the segments in “Beyond” are some of the best in the series, finding new ways into horrific tales, this time either intentionally or coincidentally built around deformation. However, the execution often falters, as if the entire film needed more finetuning in some stage of production. While this is one of the better “V/H/S” anthologies of late, I can’t help but wonder if they shouldn’t take two years to make the next one." Continuing, "A more ambitious segment unfolds in Virat Pal’s “Dream Girl,” which allows the first Bollywood dance number in a “V/H/S” movie. The first half of this one is stellar, proving that Pal has a filmmaker’s eye, even through the shaky cameras of a pair of paparazzi chasing an Indian star. When one sneaks into the icon’s trailer, he discovers something unimaginable, and, well, chaos unfolds. And by chaos, I mean shaking, screaming, flashing lights, and loud noises. The truth is that using shaky cam to disorient the audience takes more skill than it looks, and this one gets too confusing and nauseating."

       Joe Friar of Fort Worth Report notes, "Each of the six short films is exceptional. Depending on your horror tastes, you may like some more than others (I have favorites). The extraterrestrial-themed horror anthology is scary, thrilling, and fun."

       Matthew Jackson of AV Club praises the film, "It’s that sense of focus, no matter how far into various subgenres the film strays, that makes V/H/S/Beyond one of the best films in the series, and an example of how much this franchise has left to explore." Continuing, "The brief detours outside of sci-fi are worth it, though, for the places V/H/S/Beyond is willing to go. Cheel’s frame story, “A Special Presentation,” cranks up the verisimilitude of the alien narratives, and ends with the single most disturbing image in a V/H/S movie (which Cheel claimed, during a Fantastic Fest Q&A, was just mysteriously sent to him). “Stork,” which takes its cues from the wild police raid at the beginning of George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead, cleverly blends extrajudicial violence and cop cliches with some truly freaky creature design."