V/H/S/94

V/H/S/94 is a horror anthology film, the fourth installment in the V/H/S franchise, which began in 2012. The series is known for its found-footage style and collection of short horror segments, often connected by a unifying thread. V/H/S/94 features four individual segments: a found footage police procedural horror film titled "Shatterday" directed by David Bruckner, a zombie apocalypse segment called "Terror Package" directed by Ryan Spindell, a found-footage slasher film called "Rainbow Vision" directed by Ryan Spindell, and a short segment titled "And Then the Nightmare Started" by Chloe Okuno. The four segments vary in style and storytelling, creating a diverse collection of unsettling and gory horror tales. The film begins with a prologue featuring a segment titled "Shatterday." This story centers around Detective Lynn, who is paired with a rookie partner to investigate a series of gruesome and unexplained murders. After a particularly brutal killing, they discover an unmarked VHS tape containing footage from a mysterious cult compound. The footage seems to reveal that the cultists have recorded their rituals and experiments on pre-recorded videotapes. Intrigued, Lynn becomes increasingly obsessed with the tapes and their sinister content. As her investigation unfolds, Lynn delves further into the cult's operations, finding herself caught up in a deadly game. The police procedural takes an eerie turn as Lynn realizes the tapes are more than just records – they are tools for a twisted mind control program. The next segment is "Terror Package" directed by Ryan Spindell, set in a postapocalyptic zombie-infested world. The story revolves around a group of survivors fighting for their lives as a mysterious package containing a homemade bioengineered zombie virus spreads across the landscape. As the virus mutates and intensifies, society rapidly collapses, leaving individuals desperate for survival. This section showcases Spindell's mastery of dark humor, creating a bleak and absurd atmosphere with an onslaught of zombie gore. The film continues with "Rainbow Vision," a slasher film directed by Ryan Spindell. In this unsettling segment, a couple is being stalked and killed by a mysterious figure dressed in a bright, multicolored suit, leading them on a blood-soaked dance through isolated landscapes. "Rainbow Vision" blends elements of found-footage filmmaking with homages to classic slasher movies, creating a frenetic and disturbing atmosphere. As with many found-footage horror films, the tension heightens as our protagonists struggle for survival while struggling to comprehend the motives behind their attacker's unexplained colors and actions. Lastly, V/H/S/94 concludes with a segment titled "And Then the Nightmare Started" by Chloe Okuno. In this final tale, we are presented with Emily as she watches an ominous, surreal series of short films recorded by her abusive and deranged partner, Ryan. Emily gradually loses hold of what is real and starts to question her own sanity as she discovers that the tapes are not what they initially seem. The final segment showcases Okuno's skill in manipulating narrative expectations and building unease through Emily's disorientingly unsettling and nightmarish reality. The ending leaves viewers wondering about reality, and the reliability of Emily's recollections. As V/H/S/94 unfolds, viewers are immersed in various forms of psychological manipulation. From Lynn's descent into obsession with the cultists' pre-recorded VHS tapes in "Shatterday" to Emily's disintegration into madness in the closing segment, the film demonstrates the power of unsettling horror to disrupt our perceptions of reality. The film is an immersive journey through diverse, terrifying narratives that challenge our perceptions and our trust in the world around us.