The original ‘V/H/S’ horror anthology (2012) benefitted from a nicely grungy look and a fun idea: a selection of notable filmmakers used different digital formats to tell simple, punchy tales. But this sequel suffers from the same lack of quality control that plagued the first film. It’s also repetitive – there’s only so much shakycam and shrieking a person can stomach in one go. However, it does have one big asset, namely ‘The Raid’ director Gareth Evans, whose story ‘Safe Haven’ – a berserk slice of satanic Asian gore – is the best thing in either movie.
Elsewhere, the quality ranges from tiresome (wraparound story ‘Tape 49’) to pointless and derivative (helmet-cam zombie flick ‘A Ride in the Park’) to enjoyably daffy (‘Slumber Party Alien Abduction’, which lives up to the promise of its title). It’s hard to recommend sitting through a 96-minute movie for roughly 25 minutes of quality material, but the Evans chapter is worth the investment. Where else can you see exploding gurus, sacrificial six-year-olds and a woman giving birth to a horny giant?