VHYes

In 1987, Ralph receives a Christmas gift that will shape his view of the world: a VHS camcorder from his parents. He uses it to document neighborhood explorations, quirky music-video parodies with his best friend, and the late-night television that airs after his bedtime. Unbeknownst to him, the blank tape is actually his parents’ wedding video, and the film unfolds as a tapestry of sketches that lampoon 1980s television—infomercials, public-access shows, and the edgier fare broadcast after dark.

These segments are cut together as a loose, collage-like narrative, with the humor often leaning into surreal and absurd takes on what people see on TV during that era. One particularly strange talk show imagines how the widespread use of VHS cameras could alter people’s perception of reality itself.

Interwoven with these gags are glimpses of the parents’ relationship as shown in the wedding footage, hinting at the slow unraveling of their marriage—arguments that grow sharper and signs of trouble, including hints of infidelity on the part of Sir Roger Handley III.

Driven by a true-crime program about a sorority house fire, the boy and his best friend sneak away on New Year’s Eve to investigate the site. There they encounter the ghost of a girl killed in the blaze, Natalie.

Trying to escape, he discovers an antique television set and plugs the camera into it, stepping into the world of his own deteriorating VHS, where the boundaries between fiction and memory begin to blur.

After meeting with several figures from the programs, he comes face to face with a younger version of his mother, Tracy Beth, who recounts a poignant memory from her wedding day. Then, back in the sorority-house setting, the pair decide they’ve had enough of the magical, decaying tape and choose to abandon the camera and return home.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:04