Shudder’s V/H/S/85 is the latest found footage horror film of 2023 conveyed in an anthology format. As the sixth installment in the iconic VHS franchise, the movie features five spine-tingling short clips, each crafted to make you shiver even with the lights on during the day. In this latest VHS installment, directors Mike P. Nelson, David Bruckner, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Karmani, and Scott Derrickson bring forth a symphony of terror, each note striking at the core of your fears.
VHS movies, celebrated for their mysterious found-footage approach, revel in turning viewers into plot detectives. When the tale veers into blood, guts, and mind-bending mayhem, it’s quite likely that some details might slip past the audience’s keen eyes. In that case, here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘V/H/S/85.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
No Wake
The first segment is helmed by Mike P. Nelson and is dubbed ‘No Wake.’ The narrative revolves around seven close friends—Robin, Rob, Kelly, Jared, Anna, Drew, and Renee—as they embark on a weekend getaway to the woods, unaware that this trip will soon turn into a horrifying ordeal. Upon arrival, the group stumble upon a picturesque lake in the vicinity. Although the lake’s beauty is captivating, the surrounding landscape is marred by a disturbing sight: the scattered, half-eaten remains of animals. One of the friends notices a squirrel carcass, but it vanishes into thin air as he averts his gaze. However, he brushes off this as a mere coincidence and proceeds with his outing.
The situation takes a sinister twist when Robin is shot and killed during wake surfing. The shock and horror intensify as Rob, Drew, and Renee, in rapid succession, also meet a similar fate. Surprisingly, after some time, they all return to life, their bodies grotesquely mutilated yet devoid of pain. Their intestines are exposed, their jaws broken, but they endure without the expected agony.
Struggling to comprehend their bizarre reality, they make their way to the lake’s shore. Therein, they discover Anna, Kelly, and Jered’s lifeless bodies inside a tent. But how can Robin, Renee, Drew, and Rob be alive while their friends are not? The answer is simple- the trio did not enter the lake. In reality, the lake was no ordinary body of water; it possessed the extraordinary ability to grant immortality to those who bathed in it or even bring the dead back to life.
No Wake Ending Explained: Who Try to Kill Robin & Her Friends?
The last few minutes of the segment introduce us to Ruth, who is celebrating her birthday with her parents. Following the party, Ruth’s mother begins discussing a strange family tradition and expresses her pride, stating that Ruth will now continue that legacy. Ruth takes center stage, raising her glass to “the Seven.” In reality, Ruth refers to a dark tradition of claiming seven lives. Every member of Ruth’s family, from her parents to her grandmother, has taken the lives of seven people. Ruth plays a VHS tape that shows her killing seven people hanging out near a lake. Yes, she’s talking about Robin and her friends, who became victims of Ruth’s sniper rifle.
While the clip is playing, a phalanx of police officers surrounds Ruth’s house. Ruth and her family members draw their guns. Ruth’s mother, sensing the dire situation, advises Ruth to shoot herself if the authorities attempt to capture her alive. A fierce firefight breaks out, and Ruth ultimately succumbs to the barrage of bullets. However, akin to Robin and her friends, Ruth returns to life, hinting that she has also become immortal by bathing in the same lake.
Total Copy
David Bruckner’s ‘Total Copy’ delves into the story of Rory, a mysterious entity subjected to secretive experiments by a team of scientists. Dr. Spratling, the experiment’s lead, meticulously records Rory’s responses to a battery of tests, firmly convinced that Rory is not of this world and that studying it could unlock profound knowledge. The scientists make efforts to establish communication by showing Rory tapes and videos of human culture.
However, despite months of attempts, they make no progress, growing increasingly restless and frustrated. One fortunate evening, the scientists discover that Rory possesses the remarkable ability to mimic and transform into anything it observes. Astonishingly, Rory transforms into Gary, one of the team members. This revelation raises concerns since Gary had never been to Rory’s room, implying that Rory can see through mirrors and has been watching their every move.
Total Copy Ending Explained: What Happens to Spratling & His Team?
Despite the signs of potential dangers and heeding warnings from the team, Dr. Spratling decided to continue the experiment. As a result, most of the team members decide to leave, leaving only Gary and a few others. Sometime after, Rory begins showing signs of sickness, leading Spratling and Gary to enter Rory’s room to administer adrenaline. Rory is waiting for the opportunity and transforms into a creature with tentacles and attacks Gary. Spratling desperately tries to save Gary, but his efforts prove futile. Rory proceeds to mercilessly kill the team members, ultimately claiming Spratling’s life.
While the segment doesn’t delve into Rory’s backstory, it is evident that Rory is not of Earthly origin, and the government conducted experiments to unravel information about its origins and capabilities. Throughout the experiment, Rory had been watching a video of a woman exercising. The reason for Rory’s brutal attack on the scientists was to transform their bodies to mimic the woman from the TV so that he could play with them.
The God of Death
Helmed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, ‘The God of Death,’ follows the harrowing story of Luis, a Mexican cameraman. The tale begins with Luis and his team reporting live from a building during an event. Tragically, the building collapses, claiming the lives of everyone except Luis, who miraculously survives. The rescue team arrives at the scene and manages to extricate him from the rubble, but they soon realize the exit is blocked.
With no other options, they choose to descend the stairs in search of an alternate way out. No matter how many levels they descend to, they still can’t find the ground. While going downstairs, the group also notices that the city is engulfed in a raging inferno, mirroring the same catastrophe they’re witnessing inside the building.
The God of Death Ending Explained: What Happens to Luis and Karla?
Toward the end of the segment, the group steps into a room adorned with ancient Mexican scriptures. The group also encounters a bizarre wall, which one of them recognizes as the Wall of Mitclan, further adding to their terror. Suddenly, one of the rescue members becomes possessed, uttering ominous prophecies about the god of death, Mitclan, who is destined to rise and seize dominion over the world. Then, the possessed man takes a crowbar and plunges it into his own chest, offering his heart to Mitclan.
The god of death materializes, unleashing a merciless spree of violence that claims the lives of all but Karla and Luis. Desperate to survive, Luis attempts to flee, but Karla, under the possession of Mitclan, impales him with the crowbar, tearing out his heart. With Luis’s heart in her hand, Karla offers it to Mitclan, beseeching him to rise and reclaim what is rightfully his. Similar to the preceding short segments, this one also deliberately withholds detailed information, leaving the audience at the mercy of their own imagination. But who is Mictlan?
Mictlan, recognized more commonly as Mictlantecuhtli, holds significant stature in Aztec religion and mythology, notably linked with the underworld. He is acknowledged as the god of the dead and holds rulership over Mictlan, the Aztec underworld. It’s possible that the building may have been erected in a location that serves as a potential conduit between the human world and the depths of the underworld.
TKNOGD
In Natasha Karmani’s ‘TKNOGD,’ Ada Lovelace takes the stage, presenting a play to a small audience. She passionately argues that the modern world has eclipsed the influence of ancient gods, replacing them with a new deity, the God of Technology. Ada references a helmet that, when worn, enables people to straddle both real and digital realities. She criticizes society for over-relying on technology and forsaking their ancient traditions.
Ada, daring to explore further, equips herself with gadgets that allow her to exist in the digital world. To test if there is a God of Technology, Ada begins to mock this supposed deity. She challenges its existence and even performs an incantation, attempting to summon and awaken the God of Technology if such a god truly exists.
TKNOGD Ending Explained: What Happens to Ada?
In a shocking turn of events, the God of Technology responds to Ada’s challenge and manifests inside the digital world. Ada is taken aback and attempts to remove the helmet, only to find herself unable to detach any of the virtual devices she’s wearing. Panic sets in as the God of Technology begins attacking her.
Even though this was taking place inside the virtual world, Ada, nonetheless, was feeling the excruciating pain in reality. The god resumes its attack and breaks Ada’s limbs. Ada desperately struggles to free herself from this nightmarish situation, but her efforts prove futile, leading to her death. Unaware of the true horror transpiring, the audience believes this to be a part of the performance and applauds, concluding the segment.
Dream Kill
Scott Derrickson’s ‘Dream Kill’ begins with a horrifying housebreak, where a woman falls victim to a brutal murder. Detectives Bobby and Wayne arrive at the grisly crime scene and find the scene to be oddly familiar. In reality, Wayne received a tape last week depicting the exact murder they are now investigating.
However, he soon realizes this is just the start of a much more sinister mystery. Soon, Wayne receives another tape that predicts another murder. Detective Wayne traces the origin of these tapes to a public mailbox. Days later, through careful surveillance, he apprehends a young boy named Gunther, who’s also Bobby’s son.
Dream Kill Ending Explained: Who’s the Real Killer?
Gunther reveals that he sent the tapes to the cops in an attempt to prevent the murders from happening. Gunther explains that the previous year, he brought a VHS recorder, and somehow, it began recording his dreams. Bobby backs Gunter’s statement, claiming his family suffers from a curse that turns their dreams into reality.
Wayne receives another tape and recognizes the house shown in the video. Wayne digs further and finds a connection between Bobby and the deceased woman. In reality, Bobby was demoted for stalking the deceased after she filed complaints against him. Wayne confronts Bobby, giving him an opportunity to confess. However, Bobby panics and kills Wayne. Bobby then heads to eliminate Gunther. Little does Bobby know that Gunther saw him killing Wayne through his camera. To save himself, Gunther dreams another prophetic dream, sealing Bobby’s fate and leading to his demise.
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