Movie Review: "VHYes" (2020)
More than a few filmmakers have stepped back into the retro land of VHS and the nostalgic end of the pool that are the 1980’s to grab a hold of you and place you firmly in their cinematic vision. I dare say that I’ve not run across one that fully suspends your disbelief, like the hapless explorer in the classic net trap of a jungle adventure, quite like Jack Henry Robbins’ VHYes.
It’s sometime in the mid to late ‘80s, and Ralph (ABC’s Schooled) has just received a VHS camcorder from his parents. He does what any kid his age would do- find the first “blank” videotape he gets his hands on (it’s actually his parent’s wedding tape) and start recording everything. At first, he spends a lot of time with his parents and his best friend, Josh (Rahm Braslaw; Mixed-ish). Once he discovers that he can plug his camcorder straight into the television and record live TV, he’s off an running through every kind of fare imaginable. The snapshots of the world that follow will reveal much about the world around Ralph, the world inside his own home, and even what’s to come.
I went through a range of responses and emotions throughout the entire 72-minute run time of VHYes. The run time itself is important, too, as the underlying messages that pepper the film form fully before the clever format wears thin and overstays the welcome. It doesn’t hurt that you’ll spend the overwhelming majority of the film laughing (often right out loud) or exclaiming “What the fuck?!” with a goofy grin. As the hints of satire and even the poignant message about our societal disconnect begin to pop up here and there, you’ve also become fully invested in Ralph’s personal life as his parent’s crumbling marriage is exposed in pieces raw enough to affect you but small enough to keep you from veering too far into the dramatic side.
VHYes is a masterful mashup of comedy, drama, and even startlingly effective horror that echoes The Blair Witch Project. Early on, the style is a hybrid of Robot Chicken and Too Many Cooks. As if that isn’t enough to wet your whistle, the metamorphosis becomes a near homage of one comedy’s most criminally underrated little gems, 2008’s The Onion Movie. All the while, the reality of Ralph’s life shows up in subliminal flashes to remind you, seemingly, that there is in fact a real world going on all around us. Sometimes it’s jarring, sometimes it’s sublime…but it’s always impactful and powerful.
Make no mistake about it, VHYes uses the retro quality of VHS and that ‘80s flavor to drive home a point: we’re seduced by our own toys and tech not just because they’re shiny, new, and fun but also because they’re an escape. It’s not an original point; it’s perhaps the biggest theme of entertainment in the first quarter of the 21st century for a reason, after all. The creative team of Nate Gold, Nunzio Randazzo, and Jack Henry Robbins (the son of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, who both have roles) have struck a nerve here.
And still, don’t let that distract you from first-rate comedy starring the likes of comedic demigod Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, The State, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich), Kerri Kenney (Reno 911!, The State), and Mark Proksch (The Office). Whether it’s complicated bit of the Home Shopping Network, a parody of Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting that’ll leave you very conflicted about both the host and Dennis Rodman, or the world’s worst version of Antique Roadshow, you will find it impossible NOT to laugh your genitalia off at the sheer insanity and rapid fire hilarity.
And that aforementioned trip into the world of found footage horror? By God, it works wonderfully. I was stunned. No bullshit.
VHYes is a film that will catch a lot of folks off guard, so much so that I almost feel bad writing a review and telling you anything about it. I could have just stuck with “DON’T MISS IT!!”
Where’s the fun in that?
VHYes released in theaters nationwide from Oscilloscope on January 17th
