Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- aggressive
- eerie
- shocking
- late night horror viewing
- halloween marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the anthology inventive and capable of effective scares, while divided segments, shaky presentation, and excessive length weakened the overall experience.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The burglary of a rural house leads to a bank of televisions and cryptic VHS recordings that contain the anthology segments.
The film emphasizes abysmal video quality, handheld cameras, VCR playback, and point-of-view footage as sources of fear.
Six horror stories, including the wraparound Tape 56 segment, are connected by the search for a rare tape.
The burglars' decision to inspect the tapes exposes them to increasingly strange and threatening footage.
Films like V/H/S, and why
the blair witch project
shares found-footage horror, handheld point-of-view cinematography, and escalating supernatural dread
rec
shares an anthology structure, visceral found-footage presentation, and claustrophobic horror
southbound
shares a multi-segment horror format, disturbing imagery, and inventive practical scares
v/h/s/2
shares a VHS-era aesthetic, supernatural menace, and experimental horror storytelling
Movie Details
- Directors
- David Bruckner, Chad Villella, Adam Wingard, Tyler Gillett, Glenn McQuaid, Justin Martinez, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
- Release Date
- 2012-07-28
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1781)
Cast
- Calvin Lee Reeder
- Lane Hughes
- Kentucker Audley
- Adam Wingard
- Simon Barrett
- Andrew Droz Palermo
- Joe Swanberg
- Sophia Takal
- Kate Lyn Sheil
- Hannah Fierman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is V/H/S about?
- A gang of petty criminals searching a remote house for a rare videotape unleashes a succession of increasingly terrifying found-footage nightmares.
- What is V/H/S like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of V/H/S as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is V/H/S violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in V/H/S as graphic.
- What did critics think of V/H/S?
- Critics broadly found the anthology inventive and capable of effective scares, while divided segments, shaky presentation, and excessive length weakened the overall experience.
- Which films are like V/H/S?
- Films with a similar feel include the blair witch project, rec, southbound, and v/h/s/2.
- How long is V/H/S?
- V/H/S runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch V/H/S?
- In United States, V/H/S streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel.
