Robert dos Santos has released the first straight-to-VHS film in two decades, a deliberate move to challenge the dominance of AI and digital streaming. His film, This Is How the World Ends, is a drama about two siblings reuniting at an end-of-world party, described as 'On the Beach set at Burning Man'. The director says the VHS format is a statement: 'It’s a film made by humans for humans.'
Dos Santos, a former lawyer from South Africa, turned to filmmaking after being held at gunpoint multiple times. 'I realised that I’m going to die one day and, if I’m going to die, I might as well do something that I’ll really, truly, passionately enjoy,' he explains. The film explores themes of hedonism and mortality, with AI portrayed as the cause of the apocalypse.
The director acknowledges the inconvenience of the format, which requires viewers to own a VCR and order a physical tape. 'I’m asking people to do a lot, but that’s what it means to be a human,' he says. 'To actually participate in the act of life, and not to just allow things to happen.' He criticises AI, quoting: 'If your mum can do it, it doesn’t have value.'
Despite the challenges, there is a niche market for VHS. Subreddits like r/VHS boast 73,000 members, and companies like Witter Entertainment release limited VHS editions of films such as Terrifier and Mandy. Even Alien: Romulus received a VHS release in 2024. Dos Santos hopes his film taps into nostalgia and the desire for tangible ownership in an era of streaming giants that can remove titles at will.
