***DOES CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS***
Horror Anthology/Found Footage sequel divided into four main segments and a wraparound:
Tape 49: The wraparound segment. A couple of private investigators trying to locate a woman’s missing son break into his home, recording as they go, and find a bunch of television sets, a laptop and a large collection of VHS tapes, as well as some journals.
Phase I Clinical Trials: A man test driving an all-seeing, all-recording eye implant (our view of events now switches to first-person) that his doctor warns him may cause him to see ‘glitches’ begins to see ‘ghosts’ where he lives. A girl comes round who tells him she also had an implant(s), but for deafness in her case, and that she too is aware of these ‘ghosts’. This segment is full of well-timed jump-scares that succeed in being pretty eerie at the same time.
We briefly return to Tape 49.
A Ride in the Park: A man attaches a camera to his cycling helmet (back to first-person plus a camera attached to the man’s bike providing an additional viewpoint). He comes across a woman begging for help who is then violently sick. He then notices some zombies advancing on him through the trees, gets bitten by the now ‘turned’ woman before bashing her head in with a rock, he then flees. ‘Turning’ himself shortly after, we now get a very cool first-person (first-zombie!) perspective for the remainder of the segment. It’s a wonderfully gory and I thought very original take on the traditional zombie film. Without revealing any more of the story I’ll just say this was my second favourite segment overall as it packs a lot of visual ideas into its short duration and even manages a certain emotional element which surprised and impressed me no end.
Another brief return to Tape 49 where the female PI seems to be experiencing some ill effects from watching the tapes.
Safe Haven: A film crew investigating a mysterious cult are granted access by the cult’s leader to record at the compound, a villa, where the commune resides (as well as the recordings made by the film crew this segment also introduces CCTV footage into the equation). While interviewing the cult’s leader in the compound it all kicks off; I’m not going to reveal what happens only to say this is, in my opinion, the best segment by far and my personal highlight of the whole film. It’s viciously gory; in equal parts brutal to the point of disturbing as well as downright strange and weird and moves at a fantastic pace to its awesome conclusion. Unmissable horror.
Again we return to Tape 49 where the female PI is now unconscious.
Slumber Party Alien Abduction: The final segment pulls the very odd stunt of a camera attached to a dog’s head(!) as well as other handheld camera action. The title says it all really; basically the cast consists entirely of kids of various ages having a ‘riotous’ time at a slumber party who are then attacked by aliens. It moves at a fair old pace and I thought included some quality eerie sound and visuals in keeping with the rest of the film. It’s loud, brief and while not the strongest segment in the film ends the main run of segments on a high.
We now return to the final part of Tape 49 which picks up the pace and content of the wraparound to see us out in style.
Horror fans who haven’t seen V/H/S/2 should make it their mission in life to do so as soon as possible.
Sublime.
