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With: Freddy Rodríguez, James Ransone, Jordan Belfi, Kelli Garner, Chelsey Grant, Alex Galick, Anna Sundberg, Marcio Moreno, Tyler Noble, Ari Gallegos, Felipe de Lara, Evie Bair, Tom Reed, Chivonne Michelle, Dashiell Derrickson
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Written by: Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Zoe Cooper, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, Evan Dickson
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Directed by: Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner
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MPAA Rating: NR
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Running Time: 112
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Date: 10/06/2023
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Blood Tape
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
V/H/S/85 doesn't have a real standout sequence, but this sixth entry in the found-footage anthology series is at least arguably more consistent, thanks to the fun hodgepodge of the single-tape motif.
As it begins, we seem to be watching an old VHS tape that has been recorded over many times, with many different ads, programs, and films all smushed together. In a wraparound story, we meet "Rory," a boy who is being studied at a University, and seems to be changing into something.
Next, we follow seven young people on a water-skiing trip at a remote lake, who are attacked by an unseen sniper, with unnerving results. Then, a TV crew and a rescue team fight to get through the rubble of a massive earthquake, coming upon a sinister altar.
A performance artist launches her new piece about the dangers of technology, only to see things backfire. Finally, a police detective has been receiving tapes that depict brutal murders days before they actually occur.
Returning to Rory, the boy has emerged into a final form, and it's far more nightmarish than anyone could have anticipated.
The previous entry, V/H/S/99, took place at the end of an era, a year when many began switching from muddy videotape to more pristine DVDs. And so there's no real reason for V/H/S/85 to hop back in time again other than a quick cash-in.
Nevertheless, this movie has drawn in some top-tier filmmakers, notably A-lister Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange, The Black Phone), who makes his debut on the series, and David Bruckner, whose "Amateur Night" was a standout of the original V/H/S.
This one also continues the trend of the previous two entries of inviting women filmmakers — Gigi Saul Guerrero, of Bingo Hell, and Natasha Kermani — into what was initially a boys' club.
The results are largely focused more on gore and shock than on anything spooky or terrifying, though the two-parter by Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn) — starting with the water-skiing story and continuing with the story of an unsettling cult — comes packed with some creeping dreads. (What is in that lake water?)
Frankly, none of the movies in this series exactly reach masterpiece status, but V/H/S/85, along with most of the others, are good for a fun, passing-the-time October viewing.
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