V/H/S/99 (2022) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The Colony Underground is a haunted music venue featured in one of the anthology's segments. It was the site of a tragic fire years before the story takes place, where a punk band perished. The abandoned ruins become the setting where a modern punk rock band explores during their web show, encountering supernatural horror.

• colony underground
• haunted venue
• music venue
• abandoned building
• punk band

The film is set in 1999, as indicated by its title and the description of the era. However, the narrative also spans World War II through intercut segments, juxtaposing the chaos of wartime battlefields with modern day youth culture, highlighting the cyclical nature of violence and fear across time.

• 1999
• time period
• 90s
• world war ii
• historical setting

The film features pervasive supernatural horror including vengeful spirits, haunted locations, and transformations into ghouls. The thin line between life and death is explored through entities like the haunting at Colony Underground and Lily's transformation into a ghoul following a deadly hazing ritual, emphasizing the repercussions of recklessness.

• supernatural horror
• ghosts
• vengeful spirits
• haunted
• ghouls

Youth rebellion is a central theme embodied by the punk rock band R.A.C.K., whose members perform pranks and push boundaries while exploring forbidden locations. Their adventurous yet reckless nature drives much of the horror, as the thrill-seeking defiance of youth leads to devastating, fatal consequences.

• youth rebellion
• punk rock
• rebellion
• R.A.C.K. band
• teenage rebellion

Death and consequences loom throughout the anthology as characters face brutal fates stemming from their actions. Whether through the punk band's haunted exploration or the sorority's deadly hazing, the film serves as a grim reminder of mortality and the heavy price of foolhardy decisions.

• death
• consequences
• mortality
• fatal consequences
• cautionary tale

The punk rock band R.A.C.K. features members including Chris (Dashiell Derrickson) and Ankur (Tybee Diskin). Chris is known for his adventurous spirit and willingness to participate in pranks, while Ankur tends to be more cautious and apprehensive about their reckless explorations. Their band explores the haunted Colony Underground venue.

• R.A.C.K. band
• Chris
• Ankur
• punk band
• characters

Lily (Brittany Gandy) is a college freshman desperate to join the prestigious Beta Sigma Eta sorority. Her intense desire for belonging and social acceptance drives her to undergo a dangerous hazing ritual, which results in her tragic transformation into a ghoul, illustrating the perils of blind ambition.

• Lily
• sorority
• Beta Sigma Eta
• college
• hazing
• ambition

V/H/S/99 is an anthology film containing five distinct stories, all presented through found footage style. The segments vary in tone and pacing, ranging from frantic high-energy horror to slower, claustrophobic tales. Intercut animated segments called 'Gawkers' serve as a meta-framework, creating a layered, non-linear structure that connects the different narratives.

• anthology
• found footage
• multiple stories
• segments
• gawkers

The film maintains an unambiguously dark tone rooted in desecration, vengeful spirits, and fatal consequences for curiosity. The intensity is rated high due to constant gruesome deaths, supernatural threats, and psychological torment. The ending is particularly bleak, with characters meeting death, transformation into monsters, or becoming trapped in nightmarish realms.

• tone
• intensity
• dark
• bleak
• horror
• psychological horror

The film incorporates World War II battlefields as crucial locations in some segments, capturing the chaos and supernatural elements that can emerge in times of war. The juxtaposition of WWII with the modern day emphasizes what the film describes as the continual cycle of violence and fear across different eras.

• world war ii
• battlefields
• war
• historical
• cycle of violence