The new film This Is How the World Ends is a solid piece of work. It tells the story of two siblings who find each other at a party held at the end of humanity—basically On the Beach set at Burning Man. But what really stands out is how it’s being released: it’s the first film in 20 years to go straight to VHS.
In the early 2000s, about 90% of British households had a VCR—the last golden days of the format before DVDs, Blu-rays, and streaming took over. In 2016, Funai Electric, the world’s last VCR manufacturer, stopped production. So releasing a film straight to video basically means making it as hard as possible for people to watch.
According to the film’s director, Robert dos Santos, that’s kind of the point. “I love the idea that you need to be part of the club to watch this,” he says over a video call from Cannes. “It’s for people with a specific taste. There’s a group of people who really get what we’re doing.”
Originally a lawyer, the South African filmmaker turned to movies after being held at gunpoint several times in just a few months. “I realized I’m going to die one day, and if I’m going to die, I might as well do something I truly, passionately enjoy.”
There are hints of this in the film itself. When I first heard about the VHS release, I assumed This Is How the World Ends would be a deliberately cheesy genre film that played with the format’s limits. Instead, it’s a beautifully shot modern indie film that tackles big themes. You don’t need to be a therapist to connect dos Santos’s real-life experiences to the movie’s end-of-world hedonism. But it’s also worth noting that in this film, AI is what ends the world.
The threat of automated creativity is what pushed dos Santos toward this unusual release. “It’s a film made by humans for humans,” he says. “I want people to feel something imperfect, because VHS isn’t a perfect medium. But there’s also a physical process to it. You have to order a tape, and for some people, actually go out and buy a VCR.
“I’m asking a lot from people, but that’s what it means to be human. That’s what it means to exist in this lifetime—to actually take part in life, not just let things happen. It’s about going out there and feeling the bumps and grooves of life.”
If you haven’t guessed already, dos Santos isn’t a fan of AI. “Someone once said that if your mom can do it, it doesn’t have value,” he says. “If everyone can do something, then no one can. You wouldn’t watch a FIFA World Cup that was AI-generated. If a reality TV show said, ‘Oh, we just generated this,’ you wouldn’t watch it. Because what draws us in is the idea that real humans are interacting, engaging with each other, and being part of the process.”
Even though dos Santos has clearly made things harder for himself by going this route—he had to find the physical VHS tapes himself and learn how to put the film on them—there is a market for it. The subreddit r/VHS has 73,000 users, full of people showing off their big thrift-store finds. A company called Witter Entertainment releases special VHS editions of movies like Terrifier and Mandy. In 2024, Alien: Romulus released a limited edition VHS copy, lovingly reformatted to 4:3.
People love this clunky, imperfect format for two reasons. First, there’s clear nostalgia for VHS. Before long, my chat with dos Santos turned into reminiscing about how special it was to visit a video store, and how sometimes you’d end up loving a film you’d never heard of.You never expected to rent a movie, and you’d watch your rentals over and over to get your money’s worth. But now that the world’s film archives are basically controlled by a few billion-dollar streaming services—which can remove titles from their menus on a whim and bury them forever—owning a physical copy of something you love feels really special.
“Hey, maybe we shouldn’t digitize everything,” dos Santos says. “I’m a huge fan of vinyl. I love that if I put on Led Zeppelin IV, I have to listen to the whole album. I have to commit to hearing ‘Stairway to Heaven’ without skipping it. You get the musicians’ intentionality. I know VHS has a niche audience, but if we can bring people back to the hands-on effort of engaging with art, that’s something I’d love to do.”
I have to admit, I didn’t watch This Is How the World Ends on VHS. Between my deadline and the fact that my TV probably wouldn’t know what to do with a VCR even if I threatened it, I had to give in and ask for an online screener. Two things about that: first, the screener came with the password “stuartpleasebuyavcr,” which I really appreciated. Second, the film itself is stunning to look at. The desert scenes are full of beautiful HD details, like the pinks in the clouds and the texture of the sand.
But anyone who chooses to watch the film in its intended form—on wobbly, old standard-definition video in a boxy TV format—would probably miss a lot of those details. Was that a bit frustrating?
This Is How the World Ends, which will be released on VHS before it hits streamers or cinemas. Photograph: And Films
“There will be some image loss and a cropped picture, and obviously I love the images we shot, so it’s a compromise,” he says. “But I think that goes back to what I was saying. Compromise is part of experiencing life. Some filmmakers would turn their noses up at VHS. But that’s the price you pay for being human and for bumping up against the limits of the world—and in this case, the limits of the screen.”
Eventually, This Is How the World Ends will move beyond the narrow boundaries it has set for itself. “We’re doing the opposite of what used to happen,” dos Santos says with a grin. “First, you’d take a film to the cinema, and then eventually, at the very end, you’d get VHS. And we’re like: no. If you want to watch this, get a VCR and let’s go. Then after that, we’re going to Blu-ray and DVD, and then after that, we’re going to cinema and streaming. But the first priority is VHS.”
The strategy seems to be working. Before the film is even released, dos Santos and his team had to order more VHS tapes to keep up with demand. And he hopes this is just the beginning.
“I’ve already had people send me videos—like, they reach out on Instagram and say, ‘Hey, I bought my VCR so I can watch it,’ and I’m like, ‘You’re crazy.’ It’s madness. This will never be fully mainstream, and I’m really happy about that. It’s nice to have a niche, and for those who are crazy and passionate enough, it’s like saying, ‘Hey, there are others like us. We’re crazy and passionate, just like you.'”
This Is How the World Ends is released on June 7, which is also World VCR Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the statement Im asking a lot from people but thats just part of being human Thats why one man created the first straighttovideo movie in 20 years
The FAQs are written in a natural conversational tone
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q What does asking a lot from people mean in this context
A It means the filmmaker is demanding a lot of effort patience or trust from his cast and crew Hes asking them to work hard on a project that might seem unusual or risky
Q What is a straighttovideo movie
A Its a movie that goes straight to DVD Bluray or streamingwithout ever playing in a movie theater It used to be common for lowbudget or niche films
Q Why is this the first straighttovideo movie in 20 years
A Because almost no one makes movies that way anymore The industry has changednow films go to streaming services or theaters first This guy is doing it the oldschool way
Q Is this movie a real thing
A Yes its a real project The filmmaker is deliberately bypassing theaters and streaming giants to release it directly to physical media
Q Why would someone make a straighttovideo movie today
A He wants creative freedom and to avoid the pressure of box office numbers or streaming algorithms Hes asking people to trust his vision without the usual industry support
IntermediateLevel Questions
Q How is this different from a directtostreaming release
A A straighttovideo release is typically a physical disc while streaming is digital This filmmaker is specifically avoiding streaming platforms to keep full control and revenue
Q What does thats just part of being human mean here
A Hes saying that asking for help trust or sacrifice is normal in human relationships Hes not apologizing for demanding a lotits part of creating something meaningful with others
Q Is this a gimmick or a serious artistic choice
