Review of V/H/S/2 (2013) by Timothy S — 23 Aug 2014

The "V/H/S" films are part of a groundbreaking new high concept trend in modern day horror films, and the original met with moderate success. That leads us to the inevitable "V/H/S 2." and much like its predecessor. it's an interesting failure.

The avant garde style in which these tales are told are novel and fun for a while but then it proves to be more of a distraction than anything else. The camera work in this one is a lot more stable, thankfully, but the stories themselves are a mixed bag once again.

The first one, titled "Phase 1 Clerical Trials" is easily the weakest; a weird mix of horror and science fiction that makes little sense. All you're left with once it's done is a lot of unanswered questions. The second, "A Ride in the Park", is much more enjoyable but it's still just a little more than a standard zombie tale. It's fun seeing the undead attack a child's birthday party and the zombie POV shots, but it offers little in the way of originality.

Directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Gareth Evans, "Safe Haven" is easily the best of the four, a truly original and blood-soaked take on a cult and the occult. It's frantically paced and offers a lot of creepy imagery, including some breathtaking special effects. There's also a nifty twist at the end. Wrapping things up is the wonderfully titled "Slumber Party Alien Abduction", easily the most fun you'll have during the anthology. The traditional alien make-up is pretty creepy, but considering most of it is shot from a camera on the family dog, it's hard to take any of it seriously,.

"V/H/S 2" is a marked improvement over the original, as the inventive series has finally come into its own.