‘V/H/S/99’ Non-Spoiler Review – A Freakish Exploration Through Uncanny Territory

Shudder is back with a new installment in the VHS found footage horror anthology franchise. Titled V/H/S/99, the film recruits several remarkable horror filmmakers: Maggie Levin, Johannes Roberts, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, and Vanessa & Joseph Winter. I got to see the fifth film in the V/H/S series last week and got to interview its directors. It is quite a fun time for horror fans.

In this review, I will be discussing V/H/S/99. There will be no major reveals or spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion.

It should be noted that I have seen the film twice to properly understand the wider scope of the overall narrative.

Synopsis for V/H/S/99

According to Shudder press, here is the overall synopsis for V/H/S/99.

V/H/S/99 marks the return of the acclaimed found footage anthology franchise and the sequel to Shudder’s most-watched premiere of 2021. A thirsty teenager’s home video leads to a series of horrifying revelations.

Featuring five new stories from filmmakers Maggie Levin (Into the Dark: My Valentine), Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City), Flying Lotus (Kuso), Tyler MacIntyre (Tragedy Girls) and Joseph and Vanessa Winter (Deadstream), V/H/S/99 harkens back to the final punk rock analog days of VHS, while taking one giant leap forward into the hellish new millennium.

Shudder

Plot Loglines

According to AMC Networks and Shudder press, here is the logline for the V/H/S/99 segment, “Shredding”, written and directed by Maggie Levin.

A young band of misfits aspire to reach the same greatness as their favorite band, Bitch Cat, who were trampled to death by their fans 10 years earlier.

AMC Networks and Shudder

Here is the logline for the V/H/S/99 segment, “Suicide Bid”, written and directed by Johannes Roberts.

Lily will do anything to join her favorite sorority… even if that means spending a night in a coffin.

AMC Networks and Shudder

Here is the logline for the V/H/S/99 segment, “Ozzy’s Dungeon”, written by Zoe Cooper & Flying Lotus and directed by Flying Lotus.

“Ozzy’s Dungeon” was the biggest family game show in the late 90s. When a tragic injury occurs, a family takes revenge through their own homemade version of the show.

AMC Networks and Shudder

Here is the logline for the V/H/S/99 segment, “The Gawkers”, written by Tyler MacIntyre & Chris Lee Hill and directed by MacIntyre.

Dylan and his younger brother get more than they bargained for when they spy on their new “hot neighbor”.

AMC Networks and Shudder

Here is the logline for the V/H/S/99 segment, “To Hell and Back”, written and directed by Vanessa & Joseph Winter.

V/H/S finally goes to hell.

AMC Networks and Shudder

Discussion

With a runtime of nearly one hour and forty-nine minutes, V/H/S/99 succeeds as a found-footage horror anthology. Where V/H/S: Viral failed to pretty much tell a narrative through the medium form of VHS tapes, last October’s V/H/S/94 came back around to set Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting’s series back on track. This month, V/H/S/99 continues in that feat but leaves out a vital element that all V/H/S installments possess. The film ditches the concrete “frame narrative” that previous entries had as a means to connect segments together. Instead, we have plastic toy soldiers in some teenager’s enactment of war against some kind of monster, which is an allusion to a previous installment of the series.

Patrick Magee and Justin Martinez team up to showcase wicked creature designs along with raw special and visual effects in this installment. There is a good amount of bloodshed in this film, but there are also many frightening…things that appear in V/H/S/99 that made it initially difficult for me to sit through. Yet, I paced myself.

There is a lot of detail to go into within each segment. They run for roughly 20 minutes apiece, more or less, with Flying Lotus’s “Ozzy’s Dungeon” possibly being the longest at around 25 minutes. Thom Newell (Chucky) does an outstanding job at making sure everything is trimmed or left where they need to be, and I think that is for the better. While I at first believed that the segments could have been extended for longer, it is also fine the way they are.

The Segments

“Shredding”

Levin’s segment is a strong start to V/H/S/99, whereas it makes sense for the Winters to end it with theirs. What’s really driven into the film is Dresage’s (Keely Bumford) scoring. I found myself repeatedly playing RACK’s “We Hate the Same Things” and Bitch Cat’s “Diamonds Turn Black” in the middle of typing out this review. These two songs are that great, in my opinion. These two bands are reflective of rock music groups that were all the buzz in the late-1990s, such as Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, The Cranberries, or blink-182, and everyone else who paved the way for newer solo artists and groups such as Avril Lavigne and Paramore.

Having seen Levin’s My Valentine installment of Hulu’s Into the Dark earlier this week between my two watches of V/H/S/99, I noted how much the writer/director grasped both rock music and the horror genre. What Levin conveys about her segment comes from a line in Bitch Cat’s song: “Don’t care/think about your labels”. The term “label” could mean the categories one falls under or merely the entities that control musical talent. To extrapolate from this, it could also be suggested that the all-girl rock band’s mantra of “play or die” means that playing your music — to truly express yourself — is a part of self-fulfillment, that is, to really be alive.

My only (minor) gripe with “Shredding” is a member of RACK stating that Bitch Cat met their demise “three years ago”. However, Shudder’s official logline for the segment says that the latter band died “ten years ago”, so it confuses me as to which is the truer passage of time here.

“Suicide Bid”

In a follow-up project to last November’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, what Roberts gets right about his segment for V/H/S/99 is how he establishes a backdrop with a dark tone. The atmosphere is the most tenebrous here, and the filmmaker’s message is quite straightforward.

“Suicide Bid” isn’t so much about yielding one’s soul but more so how easy it is to give up an essential part of one’s self to something that one does not necessarily need. This is how you know Lily’s (Ally Ioannides) roommate, Helen (Breana Raquel), is actually a decent friend in comparison to the girl’s sorority “soul sisters”. Helen seems to represent a free spirit, while the other girls are just playing around with Lily, her well-being, and her mental state.

“Ozzy’s Dungeon”

Flying Lotus and Cooper’s segment is reminiscent of Nickelodeon’s game shows of the 1990s, notably Legends of the Hidden Temple. “Ozzy’s Dungeon” gives a “WTF” factor, involving a visceral obstacle course in the third and final competition, the final piece to this obstacle resembling a human intestine.

There is a reason why Donna’s (Amelia Ann) wish is never revealed. It is not so much the wish that matters, but rather the outcome that follows. As far as game shows go, contestants can either be losers, or they can be winners but lose a part of themselves in the process. For Donna and her family, it is implied that they have nothing to lose. The “Shredding” mantra of “play or die” can also be applied here, as the girl’s family relies on Donna to play in the game show as if their lives depend on it.

Next to Keller and Cabell in their respective segments of V/H/S/99, Greenwood crafts such a disquieting production design, including what we see in the final scene. Villalobos and Mages only add another level to the titular dungeon in their design of the creature, and I still question what “Ozzy” is as a literal and symbolic monster.

“The Gawkers”

Coming from the feature film Tragedy Girls and the Good Boy episode of Hulu’s Into the Dark, MacIntyre and Hill provide the idea that absolute ugliness can manifest from something that is, on the surface, beautiful. The writers take a scene from Weitz and Herz’s 1999 film, American Pie, and twist it in ways that are not complex but are still predictable if the viewer picks up one or two hints beforehand.

Out of V/H/S/99‘s five segments, this is perhaps the simplest narrative to go through. One question I might have is: what is the delivery driver’s (Danny Jolles) role in this segment, and what is he delivering to Sandra (Emily Sweet)? There is a part at the beginning of “The Gawkers” that points to a continuation of last year’s “Storm Drain” segment of V/H/S/94. It’s easy to miss, but it is interesting to note that the franchise extrapolates the “Raatma” narrative in some manner.

“To Hell and Back”

If you have not seen the Winters’ Deadstream on Shudder earlier this month, then this is your chance to do so. In this final segment of V/H/S/99, the writer/director duo collaborates with Melanie Stone once again in another unexpected role.

The V/H/S franchise is no stranger to segments that deal with cult rituals. In “To Hell and Back”, the narrative follows two clamorous and rowdy men named Nate (Archelaus Crisanto) and Troy (Joseph Winter) who must return to their earthly realm within a narrow matter of minutes. Cabell and Greenhalgh’s set pieces, along with Larson and Hanson’s production of the Hellish monsters, are incredulous. The Winters’ depiction of Hell in this segment brings me back to Neil Marshall’s mid-2000s creature feature horror film, The Descent.

Like Deadstream, the characters’ exploration of Hell is an anxiety-inducing venture through the darkness. This comes full circle with V/H/S/99‘s first one or two segments, where respective characters are met with limited confinement of space underground. The horror shapes and figures that reside in Hell here have the most unusual of appearances… because what is Wormaid exactly supposed to be??

The Crew of V/H/S/99 

As credited in the film, here is the crew of V/H/S/99.

Josh Goldbloom, Brad Miska, James Harris, David Bruckner, and Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella) serve as the producers of the film. Michael Schreiber, Adam Boorstin, Craig Engler, Emily Gotto, Nicholas Lazo, and Samuel Zimmerman serve as the executive producers.

Christopher Alender and Andrew Williams serve as the co-executive producers. Tom Owen and Zak Zeman serve as associate producers.

Justin Martinez, a former member of Radio Silence, serves as the visual effects supervisor. Thom Newell serves as the supervising editor.

Patrick Magee is the creature designer and the head of the special effects makeup department. Niko Gonzalez, Elen Mkrtchyan, Karissa Parks, Cat Paschen, and Katie Vernon are the special makeup effects artists.

Juan Campos is the supervising sound editor.

“Shredding”

Sherryl Clark serves as the producer of the segment, while Joe Frantz is the associate producer.

Alex Choonoo is the director of photography. Andy Holton is the editor and works with Justin Martinez on the visual effects.

Britt Keller is the production designer, while Tahryn Smith is the art director. Mollie Thomas and Charlotte Long are the set decorators. Jenny Newman serves as the costume designer, while Debra Sugarman is the assistant costume designer. Shirley Do is the head of the hair department, while Crista Llewellyn is the head of the makeup department.

Dresage (Keely Bumford) scores and writes the songs for the segment.

Jeff Gafner is the casting director, while Michelle Kim serves as the casting assistant.

“Suicide Bid”

Alex Chinnici is the director of photography. Thom Newell is the editor.

Tammy Trinh is the production designer, while Elise Blankenhorn is the art director. Sydney Costa is the set decorator. Jenny Newman serves as the costume designer, while Brenda Menjivaria is the costumer. Shirley Do is the head of the hair department, while Crista Llewellyn is the head of the makeup department.

Jeff Gafner is the casting director, while Michelle Kim serves as the casting assistant.

“Ozzy’s Dungeon”

Ben Kitchens is the director of photography. Thom Newell is the editor. Flying Lotus writes and performs the music of the film.

Calder Greenwood is the production designer, while Keri Palmetto is the art director. Michael Coursey, Joe Cox, Clara Davis, and David Rose are the set decorators.

Jenny Newman serves as the costume designer, while Manzi DeYoung is the assistant costume designer. Tiana Daley and Brenda Menjivaria are the costumers. Shirley Do is the head of the hair department, while Crista Llewellyn is the head of the makeup department.

Mark Villalobos and Heather Mages are the creature designers and creators.

“The Gawkers”

John Negropontes serves as the producer. Paige Dowling is the associate producer.

Nicholas Piatnik is the director of photography.

Mars Feehery is the production designer, while Sushmita Kohli is the art director. Morgan Lee Miller serves as the costume designer, while Brenda Menjivaria is the costumer. Maegan Rebecca is the head of the makeup and hair department.

Daryl Eisenberg and Ally Beans are the casting directors, while Chelsi Kern serves as the casting assistant.

Patrick Magee is the creature designer.

“To Hell and Back”

Vanessa & Joseph Winter and Jared Cook serve as the producers.

Cook is the director of photography. The Winters serve as the editors of the segment, with Joseph Winter scoring the music.

Meg Cabell is the production designer, while Danny Greenhalgh is the art director. Anna Hayes serves as the costume designer, while Ainsley Bircher and Patrick Hayes serve as the additional costumers. Mikaela Kester is the head of the makeup department.

Troy Larson serves as the creator of the segment’s monsters. Chris Hanson is in charge of the creature effects.

The Cast of V/H/S/99

According to Shudder, the cast of V/H/S/99 are as follows.

“Shredding”

Jesse LaTourette plays Rachel, the leader of the band, RACK. Keanush Tafreshi, Dashiell Derrickson, and Jackson Kelly play Ankur, Chris Carbonara, and Kaleb, respectively.

Tybee Diskin as RC (lead singer), Aminah Nieves as Charissa (guitar), Kelley Missal as Jessie (drums), and Verona Blue as Dierdre (bassist) comprise the all-girl rock band, Bitch Cat. Melissa Macedo plays Jessie Deux.

“Suicide Bid”

Ally Ioannides plays the segment’s protagonist Lily, while Breana Raquel plays her college roommate, Helen.

Isabelle Hahn plays Annie, the leader of the sorority. Caitlin Serros, Brittany Gandy, and Logan Riley play respective “soul sisters”, Imogene, Lucy, and Hannah.

Chris Page portrays Giltine, a former freshman at the college. Maurice Webster appears as a security guard.

“Ozzy’s Dungeon”

Steven Ogg portrays the host of “Ozzy’s Dungeon”.

Amelia Ann plays Donna, a contestant from Detroit, Michigan. Sonya Eddy and Jerry Boyd play Donna’s respective parents, Debra and Marcus. Charles Lott Jr. plays Brandon, Donna’s older brother and Debra and Marcus’s son.

Stephanie Ray portrays Ozzy, while Lauren Powers plays a bodybuilder.

Lukas Gilbert plays Timmy, a contestant from Los Angeles, California. Shae Rodriguez plays a stretcher kid. Jeff Barnett and Khalid Ghajji play two stagehands, while Zinnet Hendrix and Raquel Cain play two contestants.

“The Gawkers”

Emily Sweet plays Sandra, the next-door neighbor of the boys.

Luke Mullen plays Dylan, while Ethan Pogue plays Brady, Dylan’s younger brother. Cree Kawa, Tyler Lofton, and Ducan Anderson play Mark, Kurt, and Boner, Dylan’s respective friends.

Denise Dorado and Hannah Kat Jones appear as Emma and Cassidy, two girls at a park, respectively. Janna Bossier voices Dylan and Brady’s mother, while Danny Jolles plays a delivery driver.

“To Hell and Back”

Archelaus Crisanto and Joseph Winter play Nate and Troy, two respective men who are sent to Hell. Melanie Stone portrays Mabel, a woman whom Nate and Troy meet in Hell.

Kim Abunuwara, Ehab Abunuwara, and Ryann Abunuwara play Jane McAllister, Jane’s husband, and Julia McAllister, respective members of a family. Tori Pence plays Kirsten, a vessel to be sacrificed.

James Christian Morris plays Furcas, Sticky Man, and Faceless. Alex Lacayo and Vickie Hayden play Witch Alex and Witch Vickie, respectively. Coe-Jane Weight plays Grandma Great.

Ariel Lee plays the Wormaid, while Dustin Watts plays Ukoban. Casey Warren voices Satan, while Vanessa Winter voices the Wormaid.

Performances and Character Developments

“Shredding”

Tafreshi and LaTourette are my favorites of the RACK actors (RACKtors?) in Levin’s segment. Ankur is best as the consciousness of the band, who warns the rest of the group that there is something ominous in the forbidden grounds but is still ignored. It is also clear that Rachel is the leader of the band in the way that she shows the most initiative in what they set out to do.

Aside from the demo reel, I would have liked to have seen more of Bitch Cat pre-death and figure out how important they are in the grand scheme of the segment. Both of the bands’ songs cut off abruptly right when they get great, so I hope these tracks could be released in the future.

“Ozzy’s Dungeon”

Eddy and Ogg’s dynamic — as the mother who wants what is best for her family and the host who serves as the victim, respectively — is interesting. I do not see this often in horror films, so the humanity in both parties is exhibited profoundly. You really have to pay attention to the milieu of Debra’s family conveyed at the beginning of the segment. I would imagine it is similar to the Fuller family’s encounter with the Gecko brothers in Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn. There really is no human antagonist. Instead, the circumstance itself is the larger conflict.

“To Hell and Back”

Joseph Winter gives me anxiety as the cameraman, Troy. He played this part of a loud/ attracting-attention male figure in Deadstream as well, so it does give me nervous laughter to watch as he and Nate race out of a predicament they didn’t quite mean to get themselves into. The layer of recklessness on Troy’s part adds to the psychological atmosphere of the final segment.

Crisanto is hilarious as Nate. I can tell he has had enough of Troy and his shenanigans. Their dynamic is one for the books — literally. If only they had more time to return to Earth, then they could probably decide that the name they write down in blood could have been given more thought.

Also coming from Deadstream is Melanie Stone, who is incredible as Mabel. I love the way she portrays herself as a character who cannot be bothered. She comes out of nowhere, but her role in the narrative is important. Still, to entertain her may or may not be the wisest of decisions. This is where the human protagonists from Earth make their first of many mistakes in Hell.

Final Thoughts on V/H/S/99

The lack of a concrete frame narrative is a huge risk for V/H/S/99. I cannot say I disliked it. The filmmakers seem to deviate from the franchise’s formula in this manner, and that should be a good thing. Given its runtime, there are some characters in the segments that I wanted to care for, but there was not enough time to sympathize and empathize. What is it exactly that Lily desires in her “soul sisters” that she cannot find in her roommate? If I had to psychoanalyze characters such as her, then we might get a better understanding of what the aim is. Of course, that is just part of the risk in keeping the runtime under two hours.

Overall, this installment is a fun ride and definitely challenging in its themes. I can admire it for what it is and not for what it lacks because it has qualities I can look back on and appreciate. Next year, we are getting Scott Derrickson and Gigi Saul Guerrero (the latter another veteran of Hulu’s Into the Dark), along with other filmmakers, in V/H/S/85. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for this found-footage horror anthology franchise!

Stay tuned for my pre-release interview with Levin, Roberts, and Flying Lotus!

V/H/S/99 streams via Shudder on October 20th!

Have you seen any films in the V/H/S film franchise? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more anthology and horror-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!