V/H/S/2 (2013)

It’s back, finally the sequel to last years most anticipated horror film has arrived! After the very impressive outing for the first film, V/H/S/2 was rushed into production. Much like its predecessor, V/H/S/2 has the same set up. This anthology boasts 4 short films, and an overall arch story just like V/H/S (review here). Did it live up to the original? Find out below.

Released by Magnet Releasing, Bloody Disgusting, & The Collective, V/H/S/2 starts with 2 private detectives tasked with finding a missing college kid. Upon entering the student’s home, the detectives are confronted with a huge collection of mostly unmarked VHS tapes. With a little curiosity the detectives find that the films are snuff films, with each tape they watch strange things start to happen. The viewer is taken on a sick and twisted ride through 4 vastly different short films all depicting awful events.

So the main question I have already been asked is “Did it live up to the original”. To answer bluntly…yes it did. I will also go one step further and say it was better than the first one. If you remember, I really enjoyed the first one and gave it 5 stabs. While I did have some small issues with it, it didn’t matter by the end. V/H/S/2 on the other hand was so much better, with a total of 5 shorts compared to the first’s 6, the pacing was a lot better, It also felt like you got more out of each story which was nice.

The directors involved this time around were Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun), Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption), Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre), Eduardo Sánchez and Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project) and returning to the project where Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die, You’re Next). Each of the director's films were solid, though the stand outs for me where Phase 1: Clinical Trials (Adam Wingard) & Alien Abduction Slumber Party (Jason Eisener).  I will not go into detail about why, however I will say that for me they both are easily the best shorts of the franchise save for Radio Silence’s 10/31/98.

As far as special effects go there is a lot of CG, but they were done well. I have nothing to bitch about in that area. The amount of red stuff in the film is overwhelming at times, but it’s a gorehound’s dream come true. You get zombie violence, self-mutilation,  bodies exploding, brains blowing out. and more. This time around, however, there is quite a bit less nudity, guys get 2 or 3 pairs of breasts, and the girls get a full frontal male. Everyone wins yet again

Look, if you have yet to see the first film, do yourself a favor and watch it first. Then immediately after you’re done watch V/H/S/2. I cannot recommend this film more highly. Its got everything a modern horror fan could ask for. GLP gives V/H/S/2 another perfect kill with 5 out of 5 stabs. Currently the film is only available on demand, and in select theaters. For more information on the film visit Magnet Releasing’s Webpage and Facebook, as well as V/H/S/2’s Facebook page. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating: