Parents' Guide to V/H/S/Beyond

The seventh entry in the V/H/S horror anthology series is another solid one. It's mostly about aliens, but even the non-alien stories contribute to the movie's wild, gripping, anything-can-happen vibe. Filmmakers turning up for V/H/S/Beyond include Kate Siegel (Mike Flanagan's wife and star of Hush), making her directing debut with a screenplay by Flanagan; Justin Long and his younger brother, Christian, who previously co-directed Lady of the Manor; Justin Martinez of the Radio Silence collective, which contributed to the first V/H/S movie; and Virat Pal, who contributes the very first V/H/S segment shot in India. Segments run the gamut from wildly gory to darkly funny to deeply unsettling. (There's even a good chunk of a Bollywood musical number!)

The wraparound sequences, which can sometimes feel dashed-off in anthologies, is actually thoughtful and even somewhat scholarly in this film. And while the stories' settings include creepy, dark houses and basements and claustrophobic spaces, Martinez's segment takes place literally in the open air (falling from a plane) and then in, of all places, an orange grove. Here, even a cheerful place like that can quickly turn malevolent. The movie has memorable characters, including Becky the quirky dog-lady, the paparazzi who invade Tara's trailer, and Halley (played by Alanah Pearce, a real-life journalist-turned-video-game developer). The handheld camerawork can get a bit frantic, but it's in keeping with the mood. Overall, V/H/S/Beyond's collection of bite-sized horror snackies is perfect for Halloween.