Mixtape for the Apocalypse

You know how they say life is like a box of chocolates? Well, watching a V/H/S movie is the horror equivalent of that—you never quite know what you’re gonna get. Sure, you know it’s going to be something scary or horrible, but that’s part of the thrill. The surprise is what keeps you coming back.

I just finished watching V/H/S/Halloween, the eighth entry in this wild franchise, and man, what a ride. Released on October 3, 2025 (just in time for spooky season), this anthology brings together seven different directors for what’s essentially a Halloween-themed grab bag of nightmares. And like any good Halloween candy haul, there’s some premium stuff, some solid treats, and yeah, a few pieces you wish you could trade away.

The Setup

The film opens with “Diet Phantasma,” which serves as our frame narrative. It’s a quirky little possession story that pops up between segments, featuring people getting taken over in increasingly disturbing ways. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that it doesn’t really tie into the other stories—it’s just kind of doing its own thing. But the death scenes are creative enough that I can’t complain too much. Plus, there’s something weirdly fitting about a commercial for Diet Phantasma playing at the end, like the whole thing was one big cursed infomercial.

The Good Stuff

“Coochie Coochie Coo” (directed by Bryan M. Ferguson) kicks things off with a monster called “The Mother,” and it’s exactly as weird as it sounds. This one’s trying to capture that same energy as Raatma from V/H/S/94—you know, creating another iconic creature for the franchise. Does it succeed? Kind of. The monster is gross and funny in equal measure, maybe leaning a bit too hard into both, but it works. There’s tons of running and screaming, which goes on maybe a touch too long, but I loved this absurd moment where these girls are literally fleeing for their lives, open a bathroom door, and one of them shouts, “This is a health hazard, you’re going to get another fungal infection!” I died. In a movie about a nightmare creature hunting people, that line somehow felt the most real.

“Ut Supra Sic Infra” (Paco Plaza) might be my favorite of the bunch. Plaza knows what he’s doing—this segment opens with someone being interviewed about a horrific incident, and then we flash back to see what actually happened. That structure is brilliant because you’re immediately on edge. You know something terrible is coming, you can see the fear in this guy’s face, and the waiting becomes almost unbearable. The writing here is the sharpest in the whole film, and when everything goes south, it’s genuinely satisfying. This is the one that shows you can do smart horror even in a 20-minute segment.

“Kidprint” (Alex Ross Perry) brought me back after the film lost me a bit. This one is brutal. It’s the only segment that aims for realistic violence, and it doesn’t pull punches. The found-footage format works perfectly here—shaky cameras, confusion, panic, all heightening the sense of danger. There’s this great misdirection about who’s actually behind the violence, and the ending left me feeling genuinely unsettled. It’s uncomfortable in all the right ways.

“Home Haunt” (Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman) closes things out on a high note. This is pure Halloween fun—nostalgic, campy, with just the right amount of humor. The premise lets them play with different horror tropes (ghosts, witches, torture chambers), kind of like Waxwork but with that V/H/S found-footage energy. The relationship between the father and son could’ve been explored more, but honestly, I was just having too much fun with the creative kills and the variety of scares. Oh, and Rick Baker shows up! If you know, you know.

The One That Didn’t Work

Look, I gotta be honest—“Fun Size” (Casper Kelly) didn’t land for me at all. And that bums me out because I usually dig Kelly’s stuff (Too Many Cooks is legendary). But this segment felt like watching someone stream without knowing what to say, so they just narrate everything they’re looking at. The dialogue was inane. Characters stating the obvious minutes after we’ve already seen what’s happening. The jokes fell flat and got repeated into the ground. There’s this whole subplot about a broken engagement that goes absolutely nowhere. I wanted to like it—the concept of trick-or-treating gone wrong has potential—but the execution just didn’t work for me.

The Wrap-Up

“Diet Phantasma” comes back for its final act, and it’s… fine. Still not connected to anything else, still not particularly Halloween-themed until the very end, but at least it’s doing something different with the possession angle.

The Bigger Picture

V/H/S/Halloween is the eighth installment in a franchise that’s been pumping out entries pretty much annually thanks to Shudder’s commitment to the format. The whole series started back in 2012, and while quality has varied wildly over the years, there’s something admirable about how these films keep experimenting with the found-footage formula. Each entry brings in new directors, new perspectives, new ways to scare us.

This Halloween-themed edition features work from Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly, Micheline Pitt-Norman, R.H. Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Paco Plaza, and Anna Zlokovic. That’s a lot of different voices trying to tell scary stories within the same framework, and honestly, that’s what makes these movies interesting even when they’re uneven.

My Verdict

Here’s the thing about anthology horror: it’s almost never going to be perfect. You’re asking multiple filmmakers to nail their vision in 15-20 minutes, all within the same stylistic constraints, and hope it all hangs together. V/H/S/Halloween manages to pull off three really solid segments (“Ut Supra Sic Infra,” “Kidprint,” and “Home Haunt”), one fun but flawed opener (“Coochie Coochie Coo”), and one that missed the mark entirely (“Fun Size”). The frame narrative is forgettable but harmless.

If I’m being real, cutting “Fun Size” would’ve made this possibly the strongest entry in the entire franchise. As it stands, it’s still a damn good time—especially if you’re looking for something to watch in October when you want that Halloween spirit but don’t want to commit to a full two-hour movie. The runtime is a bit long (that’s the anthology curse), but three out of five segments delivering? That’s a pretty good batting average in this genre.

Would I recommend it? Yeah, absolutely. Especially if you’ve been following the franchise or if you’re just looking for some varied horror content this Halloween season. Just don’t go in expecting perfection—go in expecting exactly what a V/H/S movie promises: a wild, unpredictable ride where the destination is unknown, but the scares are always guaranteed. Some will hit harder than others, but that’s the game.

And honestly? That element of surprise, that not knowing what you’re gonna get? That’s what keeps me coming back to these movies. Because every once in a while, you get a segment like “Ut Supra Sic Infra” or “Kidprint” that reminds you why found-footage horror can be so damn effective when it’s done right.

So grab your candy, turn off the lights, and dive into the V/H/S tape collection. Just maybe keep the remote handy—you might want to skip through one particular segment.

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