V/H/S/85

As predictably erratic and uneven as one might’ve anticipated, V/H/S/85 boasts four 1980s-set tales (and a wraparound story) wherein awful, bloody things happen to mostly underdeveloped characters. There’s little doubt, at least, that the picture gets off to a relatively promising start, as the opening installment, Mike P. Nelson’s No Wake (which is eventually concluded with Ambrosia), has been infused with an agreeably old-school feel that’s heightened by its low-res visuals and agreeable assortment of ’80s characters – with the unexpected twist (and impressive violence) that closes this segment only enhancing its visceral impact. It’s disappointing to note, then, that V/H/S/85 progresses into an uninvolving midsection and second half without any real standout sequences or digressions, as filmmakers like Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, and Scott Derrickson deliver stories of a distressingly padded-out and pointless nature – with David Bruckner’s generic wraparound tale doing little to offset the decidedly underwhelming atmosphere. The end result is a periodically compelling yet predominantly disappointing anthology film that could only have been improved by a much shorter running time, which is a shame, ultimately, given the near total absence of similarly-themed contemporary releases in theaters and on streaming.

** out of ****