The Best Segments in the V/H/S Franchise Pt. II

Happy Halloween season, folks! 

If you love the V/H/S franchise and enjoyed reading pt.I of this list, then you've come to the right place. Keep reading to find out which other segments made pt. II and see if you agree with the choices. 

You can watch all the films on Shudder (and Tubi). 
 

“Terror” (V/H/S/94)

Directed and written by: Ryan Prows

A segment that follows a white supremacist group doesn't sound fun, but the payoff of having to follow these horrible people is spectacular. “Terror” follows a white supremacist militia who are keeping a vampire hostage for nefarious purposes. The segment becomes another case of a monster who you're rooting for because the humans are 10 times worse. At first, it seems like they're getting the upper hand and are achieving their goals. Only for everything to go belly up at their compound. 

“Terror” is one particular segment that you have to stick with for its entire runtime. The characters are awful, though you're in for a treat once it becomes clear that the vampire won't stay locked up forever. The gore we get is great, the white supremacists are painted in a realistic light, and the segment is a highlight in the franchise.

“Suicide Bid” (V/H/S/99)

Directed and written by: Johannes Roberts
 

Sororities can be a real horror show in reality, but “Suicide Bid” takes it a step further with its premise. “Suicide Bid” follows Lily (Ally Ioannides) who desperately wants to fit in and join the sorority, Beta Sigma Eta. When they trick Lily into staying in a coffin overnight, something goes wrong and the urban legend they scared her with isn't an urban legend. And the sorority sisters, who put Lily in a bad situation, get what they deserve.

“Suicide Bid” delights in its urban legend of Gilitine, who was dared to do the same challenge and ended up in the underworld, and not to mention the idea of being buried alive is scary enough. The V/H/S franchise loves to make urban legends come to life, and the urban legend of Gilitine is effective. It's not an extremely bloody time, but it's creepy and plays out satisfyingly.

"Ozzy's Dungeon (V/H/S/99)

Directed by: Flying Lotus

Written by: Zoe Cooper and Flying Lotus 

The level of bonkers that “Ozzy's Dungeon” goes to is beyond what you might be expecting in the first place. “Ozzy's Dungeon” follows a mother, who goes on a quest for revenge against the game show of “Ozzy's Dungeon” after her daughter is left crippled. The twists and turns of the segment make it so delightful, as do the performances from Steven Ogg and Amelia Ann. What seems like a well-thought-out revenge plot, goes entirely wrong. 

“Ozzy's Dungeon” captures the essence and chaos of children's game shows in the ‘90s, but it also tackles social commentary regarding what people put themselves through for money. Not to mention, the family in question is Black, and that does offer an extra layer of commentary. Overall, it’s a great and chaotic segment from Flying Lotus that will entertain and satisfy fans. 
 
 

“No Wake” and “Ambrosia” (V/H/S/85)
 

Both directed and written by: Mike P. Nelson

It's better to discuss both segments as they are connected stories and “Ambrosia” happens not too long after “No Wake”.  “No Wake” follows a group of friends who go on a camping trip to a lake, in which has mysterious qualities to it, only to be attacked by a sniper. “Ambrosia” follows the family of the woman who attacked the friends, and later are busted by the police for their derange family traditions. 

Both segments have something different to offer, but they are connected because some of the people from “No Wake” came back because of the lake's resurrection abilities. The sniper's family is very much coded as Republicans, especially with their extreme affinity for guns. Both climaxes for the segments are intense, there's a fair amount of terror in “No Wake”, and the chaos is perfect in “Ambrosia”. All in all, there are many qualities of both that make for a great watch once you realize they're connected storylines.

“Dreamkill" (V/H/S/85)

Directed by: Scott Derrickson 
Written by: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
 

The Black Phone universe is revisited in this terrifying and effectively creepy segment. “Dreamkill” follows a teen boy who is able to see a recent string of murders in his dreams, only for the killer to be someone nobody expected. The film is directly linked to The Black Phone and has a lot of the same qualities, especially it's creepiness. 

“Dreamkill” has everything you could actually want in a horror segment like this. It has the bloody moments, the violence that's very alarming because of the point of view, and the teen with abilities they never asked for. The universe of The Black Phone is very atmospheric, and the '80s feeling is perfectly captured in this one.

“Stork” (V/H/S/Beyond)

Directed by: Jordan Downey

Written by: Jordan Downey and Kevin Stewart

V/H/S/Beyond is the first entry in the franchise to mostly focus on sci-fi horror, rather than an assortment of subgenres. “Stork” follows a police unit who go to a house in which is linked to the disappearances of babies in the city. What they find in the house isn't simply a human serial killer or abductor, it's something more unexpected. The segment is very much like a video game, and if that doesn't vibe with you then you might not have a good time.

“Stork” is pure chaos as soon as the unit arrives at the house, and it's filmed in a way that's stressful but not in a bad way. The setting is disturbing, the zombies aren't slow or dim-witted, and the creature reveal is batty. As far as sci-fi horror goes, this one does everything right throughout. 

“Live and Let Dive” (V/H/S/Beyond)

Directed by: Justin Martinez
Written by: Ben Turner and Justin Martinez
 

The pacing, the alien attack, and the way everything is shot is absolutely chef's kiss in this segment. “Live and Let Dive” follows a group of friends who are on a birthday skydiving trip, only for their plane to be attacked by an alien. The friends who manage to survive are then stuck trying to escape an alien as soon as they land on the ground. A plane crashing is already a scary thing that can and does happen in real-life, but having to survive against an alien? That's a different type of disaster.

“Live and Let Dive” doesn't care about easing its audience into anything, as soon as the chaos begins, it barely stops. There's a level of tragedy throughout this one, and the characters aren't all insufferable. And the ending leaves a lot to the imagination, but it's definitely not a happy ending for anyone. 

“Coochie Coochie Coo” (V/H/S/Halloween)

Directed and written by: Anna Zlokovic

It's not an exaggeration to say this could easily land in someone's top 5 in the V/H/S franchise because it's that good. “Coochie Coochie Coo” follows two best friends whose curiosity gets the better of them, and they eventually find themselves in a house where the urban legend of “The Mommy” is very real. An urban legend that involves people being kidnapped, never to be seen again, is very frightening. Not to mention when people are being turned into involuntary children.

“Coochie Coochie Coo” has the perfect atmosphere, the set is properly gross, the scares aren't boring or ineffective, and the acting is great from our two leads. It's one of those segments that would make for a great feature length film. And the legend of “The Mommy” can certainly be explored again. 

 

“Fun Size” (V/H/S/Halloween)

Directed and written by: Casper Kelly

As if people didn't already have issues eating Halloween season. “Fun Size” follows four friends who find themselves in a sticky situation when they eat too much mysterious candy. Spoiling the surprises in this one would slightly ruin the watching experience. Therefore, the most that should be said is that there's something wrong with the candy they ate. 

“Fun Size” is at its core what V/H/S does so well, and that's bizarre and gnarly sequences. It's a segment that won't appeal to general horror audiences, but if you like weird things and don't care if something is downright gross, this one will be a blast to throw on this month. 

“Kidprint” (V/H/S/Halloween)

Directed and written by: Alex Ross Perry

It's best to avoid this one if you can't handle the idea of kids being in peril. Kidprint follows a store whose offering of tape recordings becomes linked to the disappearance of kids in the area. The reveal of what's really going on is absolutely gnarly, and the found footage aspect works so well in this case because of how realistic everything looks. If you think you know what's going, you likely don't.

“Kidprint” does have an aspect that's problematic, depending on how you look at it. Though that doesn't detract from its effectiveness in terms of what's happening, why it's happening, and the fact that kids are involved. The way the segment plays out might be frustrating, but not necessarily in the worst way because there's no promise of defeating the villainous force. 


(featured image credit: Shudder)