Altough I liked pretty much the first VHS movie, I tought the writing of the chapters was a little bit over the top and relied too much on jumpscares and strange narrative decisions. This one however sets a new mark in therms of Found Footage horror and takes advantage of it in every short. You see, found footage nowadays is a milking cow for the mere reason that is cheap to make, that is unfortunately an open window to make mediocre scripts that more often that less don't even need to be found footage.Rest asured that VHS 2's directors know exactly why found footage horror works, and man, do they exploit in in all the right ways. Each story has a reason to be found footage and is told in a near masterfull way, learning all the good things from a variety of genres that jump from Sci-Fi to Body Horror to Lovecraftian horror. A must see in the genre not only of Found Footage, but of Horror itself.

I gave the first V/H/S a 6/10 and referred to it as very uneven and having more misses than hits. This one, however, is much better and I actually enjoyed a majority of the film.If I were to rate the segments:Tape 49/frame narrative - I never really care for the wrap-around stories in these films. This one was no different, although i did find it better than the wrap-around in the first one. 6/10Phase I Clinical Trials - In my opinion, this is the strongest short in the film. Although one of the others may be more professionally made this is the scariest and my favourite. 9/10A Ride in the Park - A really unique idea that is quite entertaining, but becomes a bit gimmicky and doesn't have a good enough payoff. 7/10Safe Haven - Probably the best segment in terms of film-making, although not as scary as "Phase 1 CLinical Trials" for me. It's the longest, but I was never bored at any point and got pretty freaked out watching it. The ending could have been better, but apart from that it's great. 9/10Slumber Party Alien Abduction - The kids are super annoying. The special effects and sound design and everything are great though. The ending was a bit anti-climactic, but it's still an entertaining watch. 6.5/10

As I mentioned in my review of "The Bay," found footage is my favourite sub-genre of horror, and the smartphone boom has made it all the more prevalent (so thanks, smartphones-- I guess you're not completely evil after all.) Found footage gives a delicate feel of authenticity which can be broken if the actors are too self-aware (like they were in "The Bay.") "VHS2" is much more competently made, however, and offers genuine scares and fun.All of the featured "tapes" tell strong stories-- from the man with the magic eyeball to the zombie falling from his bicycle, not one story disappoints. The "Slumber Party" episode felt weakest, given the rubbery looking suits and all (and, personally, I was hoping the creatures would eat the dog) but I had some real fun watching this movie anyway.Eight out of ten equals "recommend."

V/H/S/ 2 is a modern-day horror anthology featuring eclectic talent from the directors of THE RAID and YOU'RE NEXT amongst others. As with many modern horror anthologies, the emphasis is on outright blood and gore over scares, although there are attempts here to frighten as well as repulse the viewer. There are four tales in all, as well as a mildly diverting wraparound story involving a creepy old house and a VHS collection. Most of the material is shot POV style, which I enjoyed as a fan of the 'found footage' genre.The first tale is a simple riff on THE EYE, as a guy gets a new-fangled optic implant that restores his sight but has the unwanted side effect of allowing him to see spirits at the same time. I love the introduction of the deaf girl with her own twist and this is by far the scariest of the film, with some really jumpy moments. It's all predictable, but that's okay.The second tale is about a cyclist with a Go Pro camera mounted on his helmet. His trip through the woods is interrupted by a zombie attack, and what we get here is unending gore and bloodshed, some of the most gruesome you'll see. It's all pretty distasteful actually, and more than a little pointless.The third story is the Indonesian one, contributed by THE RAID director Gareth Evans; as a huge fan of his films, it was the one I was most looking forward to. Evans doesn't disappoint; this is as intense as his action films, and the madcap plot line involves a doomsday cult and the birth of the Antichrist. It's exceptionally gory, delightfully obscure, and without a doubt the highlight of the whole thing.The fourth and final story is weak by comparison. It tells of an attack by extraterrestrials on a group of redneck characters, who are all really dumb, but there's way too much of the shaky cam here and little real meat to the storyline. The dog is the most interesting character and you can guess what happens to that. V/H/S/ 2 isn't bad at all for fans of gory horror, but aside from the Indonesian segment it's all rather familiar.