V/H/S: Viral (2014): The Weakest Entry — But Still Worth a Watch

When V/H/S: Viral was released in 2014, it was positioned as the closing chapter of the franchise. It wasn’t — the series has since continued with V/H/S/94, V/H/S/99, and V/H/S/85. But at the time of this review, it felt like a finale. And as finales go, it’s a slightly deflating one.

What V/H/S: Viral Is About

Unlike the previous two films, V/H/S: Viral doesn’t use the found tapes as a framing device in the traditional sense. Instead, the segments are intercut into the wraparound story as if everything was shot on the same camera — a structural choice that, as we’ll get to, creates as many problems as it solves.

The V/H/S: Viral Trailer

The Segments

Vicious Circles

Director: Marcel Sarmiento

Strange scenes are unfolding on the streets of Los Angeles as an old ice cream truck is chased across the city by police. Dozens of teenagers flood the streets with their phones and cameras, desperate to film the chase and land the next viral hit. What they don’t know is that something far more dangerous than a police pursuit is waiting for them on those streets. Their fame-obsessed quest for content is about to become the starring role in their own personal nightmare.

Dante the Great

Director & Writer: Gregg Bishop

Dante is a talentless magician with none of the qualities required to become famous. Then fate intervenes — he comes across a mysterious cloak that appears to grant him real magical powers. The cloak, however, seems to have a life of its own. It changes its wearer’s behaviour. And every so often, it needs to be fed.

Parallel Monsters

Director & Writer: Nacho Vigalondo

Inventor Alfonso is overjoyed when he tests his life’s work — a dimensional portal — and it actually functions. On the other side, he comes face to face with himself. His other self appears to have been working on the same idea. After a cautious greeting, they agree to explore each other’s dimensions. Alfonso quickly notices that things work rather differently on the other side. His wife there is watching snuff pornography with two strangers while performing some kind of ritual. And when the people of this parallel world realise that Alfonso isn’t quite who he appears to be, they start behaving very differently too.

Bonestorm

Directors: Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead

Three friends live for skateboarding — pulling stunts and filming everything for the internet. When their neighbourhood stops offering enough material, they head to Tijuana. They find a perfect spot to skate. Yes, there are strange pentagrams and symbols painted everywhere, but that’s hardly a reason to stop. It’s only when one of them injures himself and his blood begins to boil on one of the pentagrams that things get truly frightening. Very strange figures appear, and they have no friendly intentions. By the time the boys understand where they’ve stumbled into, it’s already far too late.

Review: V/H/S: Viral (Spoiler-Free)

Vicious Circles is the wraparound segment and the film’s biggest structural problem. Unlike the previous two films, the segments aren’t discovered and watched — they’re simply cut into the middle of the main story, as if everything was shot on one continuous camera. The result is a wraparound that keeps getting interrupted just as it’s building momentum, forcing you to reorient yourself every time a new segment begins. There’s tension, mystery, horror and even humour in Vicious Circles — but the constant interruptions drain it of energy and push it toward confusion and, at times, outright tedium.

Dante the Great is a decent segment with a genuinely interesting concept — the cloak with a life of its own fits naturally into the V/H/S universe. The performances are convincing throughout. The problem is that the found footage format isn’t maintained consistently. The opening works, but by the final minutes the camera is floating around without any logical operator. I also found myself occasionally wondering why someone would still be filming in certain situations. Minor complaints, but noticeable ones.

Parallel Monsters is consistently shot in found footage style and the concept is strong — but the spark never quite reached me. By the time the segment really got going, it was already over. Nacho Vigalondo spent too much time on the setup and not enough on the payoff. It’s a mysterious, well-acted segment with a good idea at its centre — but one that could have been so much more.

Bonestorm is the strongest segment in V/H/S: Viral and the one that feels most at home in the franchise. The premise is simultaneously mad, creepy and mysterious. The always-on camera problem is handled more cleverly than most — the skaters wear action cameras on their helmets that simply run continuously, which grounds the found footage logic better than almost anything else in this film. The ending reminded me of The Borderlands, but I’ll say no more than that. Not the strongest segment in the entire V/H/S series, but the best this instalment has to offer.

One final note: I haven’t mentioned Gorgeous Vortex in this review — it only appears in the bonus material of the mediabook edition and abandons the found footage format entirely. That said, it’s surprisingly good as a standalone short. A pleasant bonus if you have the physical release.

Verdict

Overall, I came away slightly disappointed. None of the segments here match the highs of the first two films. I don’t regret watching it — and with the franchise continuing well beyond this instalment, Viral is worth seeing as part of the series. Just don’t go in expecting Safe Haven.

If you’ve made it through V/H/S and V/H/S/2, you’ll want to complete the set. Just lower your expectations slightly before pressing play.

Where to Watch V/H/S: Viral

Similar Movies to V/H/S: Viral

V/H/S: Viral sits at the same crossroads as its predecessors — found footage horror meets anthology format. Here’s where to go next depending on which side drew you in.

If it was the anthology format:

V/H/S (2012) — The original and still the strongest entry in the franchise. Raw, uneven in the best possible way, and with a wraparound that actually works. Essential viewing before anything else in the series.

V/H/S/2 (2013) — The high point of the franchise. More inventive, more consistent, and with Safe Haven — one of the best short horror films ever made in the format. Read our full review.

V/H/S/94 (2021) — The franchise returns after a hiatus and delivers its most consistent instalment since V/H/S/2. Set in 1994, with a strong wraparound and several genuinely unsettling segments. A significant step up from Viral.

If it was the found footage horror:

Afflicted (2013) — Two friends filming their world trip discover that one of them has been infected with something that’s changing him. Shares Dante the Great‘s DNA — a man transforming into something he can’t control, caught on camera throughout. Considerably better executed.

Alien Abduction (2014) — A family on a camping trip in the Brown Mountain area of North Carolina encounters something in the woods. Shares the alien horror energy of Slumber Party Alien Abduction but with more sustained dread and a stronger emotional core.

Cloverfield (2008) — No anthology, no segments — just one continuous nightmare through the streets of New York. If Bonestorm‘s chaotic energy was what got you, Cloverfield delivers that same overwhelming, disorienting found footage spectacle at full scale. Read our full review.