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V/H/S/2 is an exception proving the unwritten rule that sequels tend to be worse than the original film. This loose continuation of the successful found-footage anthology horror film is framed as the story of two detectives investigating the disappearance of a college student. In his apartment, they find a huge collection of videotapes and play four of them. The effect-laden creepshows include paranormal phenomena, a humorous story about a young boy who is slowly turning into a zombie, and a home video about a visit paid by unfriendly aliens. All these skillfully constructed shorts retain a sense of complete authenticity as we watch events unfold through security videos or via a cycle helmet camera. The film’s main draw is undoubtedly the segment Safe Haven by director Gareth Huw Evans (The Raid) and Timo Tjahjanto, a perfectly constructed, suspenseful, and brutally chilling genre piece about a group of reporters who journey into the Indonesian jungle, where a visit to a mysterious sect turns into hell on earth. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
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What ultimately saves the film is the fact that there are scenes here that are gritty, surprising, and unafraid. It's not very explicit in terms of nudity, although it's true that the individual stories didn't really call for it and it would have been unnecessary. The gore is sometimes absolutely great, but I wasn't particularly blown away by the actual films themselves. At times, I felt like the screenplay wasn't really the focus at all. Even the overarching storyline doesn't really stand out in that regard.
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Unlike almost all the reviews from film festivals so far, I don’t think V/H/S/2 is such a great step forward in terms of quality compared to V/H/S. Perhaps my expectations were too high and I was hoping for an absolute. The resulting impression is just as positive as the first part, although this time the anthology doesn’t feel as balanced. Those who weren’t happy with the first one, likely won’t be too keen on this one, either. And whereas the previous one ended with the best story, this one ends with the weakest. Otherwise, a few words about each segment: Tape 49, the story that frames all the rest, is about two detectives looking for a missing student. In most anthologies, the framing story is a necessary evil, and this one is no exception – unremarkable, but does the job. 60 %. Phase I Clinical Trials is not even found-footage, but a look through the eyes of the protagonist (a robotic eye, actually), who is haunted by ghosts. Decent pace, a couple of very scary scenes, but also rather unconvincing when it comes to the acting. 80%. A Ride in the Park is a fairly original and entertaining zombie story from the point of view of one of the infected. It wouldn’t work as a feature film, but as a 20-minute short it’s fine. 80%. Safe Heaven is hands down the best of the lot. Tjahjanto and Evans pull all the stops and unleash a demonic sectarian hell that at times made my jaw hit the floor. Pity that final shot, it feels laughable more than anything, which isn’t an ideal way to finish an otherwise perfect horror short. 90%. Slumber Party Alien Abduction is about a group of teenagers at home who are attacked by a group of aliens. The interesting premise and the decently scary scenes are ruined by the fact that you can’t see anything, mainly because everything takes place in the dark and most of the time a dog is carrying the camera (!!!). 60%
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Photo © Magnolia Pictures
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