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Nineties Nostalgia Unleashes Chills and Thrills in Latest Horror Anthology

MOVIE REVIEW
V/H/S/99

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Genre: Horror
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 49m
Director(s): Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Writer(s): Zoe Cooper, Flying Lotus, Chris Lee Hill, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Cast: Please visit www.imdb.com for a complete cast list
Where To Watch: comes to Blu-ray, DVD & digital on 27 March 2023


RAVING REVIEW: The V/H/S horror anthology returns triumphantly with its fifth (or fourth, depending on how you look at it) installment, V/H/S/99, shocking its audience with new spine-tingling tales. This Shudder Original features five hair-raising stories, with 1999 at its core (but maybe not enough.) This series is a standard for the streamer and draws a core audience.


Prepare to embark on a journey into the mysterious world of 1999 (yeah, I know, I’m old now because writing that made me laugh inside,) where isolation, analog technology, and bizarre home videos fuse to create a found-footage experience that unveils the sinister side of 90s nostalgia.

The V/H/S series has seen its share of highs and lows, from its groundbreaking debut to its sequel that may have usurped the original, the underwhelming "Viral," and the unexpected resurgence with "94." This franchise can best be characterized as the definition of hit or miss. 

This anthology gives viewers a cohesive visual and thematic experience throughout each short film. The consistency across segments ensures that none appear inferior to the others, challenging pinpointing a single standout story. V/H/S/99 successfully addresses prior shortcomings at times and digs deeper holes at others.

Featuring a collection of five bone-chilling vignettes, V/H/S/99 embraces the nostalgic aesthetic of the late 90s, presenting a diverse experience of retro creature features, urban legends, and cosmic horrors. While some of the stories fell short, the 90s aesthetic worked well, although I think they’ve made the correct choice having the next installment venture into the 80s. The 90s  well seems to have dried up.

V/H/S/99 is an homage to the horror genre; clearly, the filmmakers have a passion for this unique period of filmmaking. This movie captures the spirit of the V/H/S franchise, making it an accessible and enjoyable watch for both longtime devotees and newcomers.

While V/H/S/99 may not be flawless, it offers horror enthusiasts some entertainment to feed that unique passion that horror fans have.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Deleted Scenes
- “Shredding” BitchCat Music Video
- “The Gawkers” Camera Test and The Making of Medusa
- “To Hell and Back” Storyboards and Location Scouting
- Bloopers
- And more!

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[film courtesy of ACORN MEDIA INTERNATIONAL]


Chris Jones
Entertainment Editor

Chris Jones is the Mail Entertainment Editor covering Movies and Television topics. He is from Washington, Illinois, and is the owner, writer, and editor of Overly Honest Reviews.