V/H/S is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the V/H/S franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found footage shorts written and directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence.
The film debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January 2012, and was released on demand on August 31, 2012. The film made its limited theatrical premiere in the United States on October 5, 2012, and in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2013.
The film spawned five sequels, V/H/S/2, V/H/S: Viral, V/H/S/94, V/H/S/99, V/H/S/85 and two spin-offs, Siren and Kids vs. Aliens, as well as a miniseries V/H/S: Video Horror Shorts on Snapchat's Snap Originals platform.
Genesis
In an interview with IndieWire, producer Brad Miska revealed the process in which they developed V/H/S, which included a "trust-fall" style of filmmaking. All of the relationships came through the long history of Bloody Disgusting.
Plot
The film is presented as an anthology of short horror films, built into a frame narrative which acts as its own short horror film. Each short film is linked together with the concept of found footage (each segment is from the VHS tapes found in the room).
"Tape 56"/frame narrative (Prologue) Directed by Adam Wingard Written by Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett The frame narrative focuses on a criminal gang who film their exploits, which include smashing the walls, windows, and light fixtures of an abandoned house and sexually assaulting women in a parking lot. An anonymous source offers them a large sum of money to break into a house and steal a single VHS videotape. The gang accept the task, eager to expand their criminal enterprises.
Entering the house, the criminals find the corpse of an old man sitting in front of several televisions playing white noise. While the other criminals are free to roam the house, Brad stays behind in the TV room with the dead body to watch a tape left in the VCR.
"Amateur Night"
Directed by David Bruckner
Written by David Bruckner and Nicholas Tecosky
Shane, Patrick, and Clint are three friends who have rented a motel room to fulfill Shane's intent of bringing women back for sex. Clint is wearing glasses that have been outfitted with a hidden camera and microphone that will allow them to turn their planned encounter into an amateur porn video. While the three men are bar-hopping, Clint encounters Lily, a mysterious young woman who appears unusually shy and says little other than "I like you."
In addition to picking up Lily, the men also succeed in convincing another young woman, Lisa, to return to their motel room. Lisa passes out as Shane attempts to initiate sex while Patrick discourages him from continuing. Lily continues awkwardly coming on to Clint, but it is Shane who comes on to her instead. Clint notices that Lily's feet are clawed and have scales as he undresses her, but Shane and Patrick are oblivious. Lily appears responsive, pushing Shane onto his back and then beginning to undress Clint, seemingly beginning a threesome. Overwhelmed, Clint goes to the bathroom. Patrick disrobes and attempts to take Clint's place, but Lily has made it clear that she dislikes Patrick.
Moments later, Patrick bursts into the bathroom with a large cut on his hand, claiming that Lily bit him. When they approach Shane, Lily suddenly sprouts fangs, then attacks and kills Shane. Clint and Patrick hide in the bathroom until Patrick, still nude, arms himself with a shower curtain rod and returns to the room. Clint tries to wake Lisa as Patrick attempts to fight Lily, but she easily subdues and then pounces on him, drinking his blood and ripping off his genitals. Clint escapes the room, but ends up falling down a stairwell, breaking his wrist in the process. Lily catches up to Clint, her face hideously contorted, but instead of attacking, she attempts to perform fellatio. As Clint is unresponsive, Lily believes he has rejected her, starts to cry, and then begins growling angrily. Clint flees, begging bystanders for help, but he is suddenly lifted into the sky by Lily, who has transformed into a winged creature. It is revealed Lily was actually a succubus on the hunt for a mate. The glasses fall off Clint's face as Lily carries him away, hitting the ground before the footage ends.
"Tape 56" (Interlude 1)