Directed by Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Written by Zoe Cooper, Flying Lotus, Chris Lee Hill, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Starring: Veronica Blue, Sonya Eddy, Janna Bossier, Beni Alexander, Ally Ioannides
Unrated
Runtime: 109 minutes
Streaming on Shudder October 20

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

The V/H/S series has become one of the most constant staples in horror anthologies, even before V/H/S/99 was released, Shudder has already announced the next installment, V/H/S/85, coming soon. It seems like a very real possibility that we could get an entry in the franchise every year. Anthologies can often go either way depending on the quality of the films included. They can occasionally feel inconsistent with some really great features, and others that get mixed in the shuffle. But anthologies are often a great way to highlight a variety of diverse directors and at their best, can feel like a well programmed shorts block at a festival. V/H/S/99 falls into the latter. While the shorts all have their own individual tone and themes, they all have a consistent sense of humor and if you grew up in the 90s, are a great ode to the nostalgia for the time.

V/H/S/99 features five different shorts that all hone in on a specific piece of growing up in 1999. Shredding (dir. Maggie Levin) focuses on a band that breaks into a venue that is supposedly haunted after a girl band tragically burns to death on stage. Suicide Bid (dir. Johannes Roberts) plays up the urban legends myths of the time as a girl agrees to a dangerous dare in order to join a sorority. Ozzy’s Dungeon (dir. Flying Lotus) takes Double Dare and Legends of the Hidden Temple and merges them into a deadly kids’ game show. The Gawkers (dir. Tyler MacIntyre) takes the perverted prankers of the 90s and forces them to grapple with their problematic ways. And finally there is To Hell and Back (dir. Vanessa & Joseph Winter) which brings everyone's Y2K fears back and takes viewers on a tour of hell.

This is one of the most consistent of the V/H/S series. Each short is just as weird, funny, and gross as the next one. Each feels like a tiny piece of MTV culture that you could easily flip through while snacking on a pack of Dunkaroos. 99 leans more on the comedy tones more so than past entries in the franchise, so if you are looking for a scare, this might not live up to your expectations, unless you have an aversion to spiders like I do (Suicide Bid might mess you up). But for lovers of the horror comedy each entry offers up some fun gross outs that are very entertaining.

One of the other highlights of this entry is the practical effects. Each entry has some great ghost, creature, and monstrous effects that are a sight to behold. Ozzy’s Dungeon in particular gets progressively wild in its storytelling and ends with some great hellish imagery. Also without giving away any spoilers, one particular entry gives an underutilized Greek mythology monster some much deserved love. Shredding also has some good looking ghostly effects and plays up on the riot grrrl 90s attitude in a very loving way.

V/H/S/99 was clearly made by people that have a love for the time period and each one crafts a unique take on the time. Also considering the popularity of handheld cameras, it feels like the perfect time period for fans of found footage in general. With its style, humor, and adoration of the time, this entry in the franchise is a warm and fuzzy horror movie just in time for spooky season.