“V/H/S/Beyond” makes its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 22. But the most exciting segment in Shudder‘s latest horror anthology sequel is the franchise’s first filmed in India.
Directed by Virat Pal, “Dream Girl” follows two paparazzi when they sneak behind the scenes on the set of a Bollywood movie. The celebrity chasers discover consequences for their so-called “found footage” way worse than trespassing charges when they find superstar Tara (Namrata Sheth) waiting in her trailer. You can watch an exclusive clip from the movie above.
Anthologies help find new talent across genres, but “V/H/S/Beyond” is the latest in a string of horror movies that have proven essential to expanding perspectives in the genre. Pal, who studied advertising at Mumbai University and later attended UCLA, worked for Google before launching his film career directing shorts like “Doxpara,” “Recapture,” and “Night of the Bride.”
“Being the first ever V/H/S segment from India, my aim was to take the audiences on a fun and thrilling ride while showcasing the vibrant culture and energy of India; along with giving the audience a glimpse of what it feels like to be on a Bollywood film set,” wrote Pal in a statement to IndieWire.
Written by Pal and Evan Dickson, “Dream Girl” will combine the theatrical singing and dancing characteristic of Bollywood with something terrifying — although it’s hard to imagine what that might be going by the music video alone. Pal teased that the story would take a sci-fi turn, and said, “On a thematic level, the segment explores the growing concerns over AI in our lives and Tara’s character embodies these fears.”
He continued, “The segment also shines a light on the invasive and voyeuristic nature of paparazzi culture and their willingness to go to any lengths to get the job done.”
Pal is in good company for “V/H/S/ Beyond,” which will also feature nightmares directed by Jordan Downey (“Stork”), Christian Long and Justin Long (“Fur Babies”), Justin Martinez (“Live and Let Dive”), Kate Siegel (“Stowaway”), and Jay Cheel (“A Special Presentation”).
“V/H/S/Beyond” will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 on September 22. The film streams on Shudder October 4.
