Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven retro comedy has lots of sex, drug humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
VHYes
What's the Story?
VHYES opens on Christmas Day 1987, when 12-year-old Ralph (Mason McNulty) starts using his big present: a camcorder with which he's unknowingly recording over his parents' wedding video. The movie, which was shot on VHS and Betamax, plays like found footage of everything on Ralph's VHS tape: Ralph's everyday adventures with his friends, the various TV shows he records on the VCR, and the leftover snippets of the original wedding video. The fictional programs Ralph records are parodies of '80s TV: There are infomercials (starring Thomas Lennon and Courtney Pauroso as QVC-style hosts), true-crime/police dramas, public television antique auditing specials (with Mark Proksch as the appraiser), and late-night offerings like a painter (Kerri Kenney) of happy landscapes (and even happier, suggestive material). There's also edited-for-TV erotica that will make viewers of a certain age remember the term "Skinemax," public access garage-band shows, and more -- including cameos from writer-director Jack Henry Robbins' parents, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
Is It Any Good?
Occasional laughs and a quirky nostalgic sensibility make this indie comedy passably amusing, but its lack of a cohesive plot and ultrashort runtime diminish its entertainment value. Those who grew up in the '80s will appreciate the spoofing of that TV era, particularly Kenney's take on a female version of Bob Ross -- that quiet-voiced painter of happy trees -- which has a surprisingly risque twist. Lennon and Proksch are comedic veterans and do the best they can with the improvisational-seeming screenplay, but there's not enough here beyond the parody jokes.
Ralph's story emerges in the second half of VHYes, but even his admittedly touching conversation with a haunted version of his mother isn't enough to glue together the movie's disparate collection of TV snippets, wedding details, and middle school recordings. The fact that the film was actually shot in VHS and Beta makes for an authentic but less than pleasant viewing experience. Still, despite its flaws, there's just enough here that's genuinely funny to make you wonder what Robbins could do with a more feature-length movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the suggestive material and jokes in VHYes. Who do you think the movie's target audience is? Do you have to be familiar with the '80s to get the jokes?
Why do you think nostalgia-themed films are popular? Talk about the nature of throwback TV shows and films in pop culture. If the '80s and '90s are popular now, what decades do you think were popular to explore during the '80s and '90s?
Is anyone in the movie a role model? If so, what character strengths do they display? If not, are role models important in movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 12, 2020
- On DVD or streaming : January 31, 2020
- Cast : Kerri Kenney , Thomas Lennon , Mark Proksch
- Director : Jack Henry Robbins
- Studio : Oscilloscope Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Run time : 72 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate