Since returning in 2021, the V/H/S franchise has reinvigorated the series. A new movie has come out each year, breaking viewership records on Shudder. Just in time for the spooky season, V/H/S Halloween follows the same found footage anthology formula and centers it around a specific holiday in October.
This year’s installment includes five shorts (six, if you include the framing narrative) that are gross, funny, disturbing, and scary. With one notable exception, all of them are Halloween-centric. The overarching story is a little different in V/H/S Halloween. Instead of connecting everything together, ‘Diet Phantasm’ is pretty much a standalone short. It is all about the kills and effects and is a nice break between the rest of the segments.
‘Coochie Coochie Coo’ and ‘Fun Size’ could be seen as opposite sides of the same coin. The former is a haunted house story filled with jump scares and revolting imagery. The eerie atmosphere and frantic pacing set the tone for the rest of the film. The latter has as many – if not more – unappetizing scenes. In ‘Fun Size’, they are played more for laughs. For many, it will be the best story in V/H/S Halloween.
‘Ut Supra Sic Infra’ may be the most grounded of all the segments. The story centers on a massacre at a Halloween party and plays like psychological horror. There is less of a focus on traditional scares, as it is more about building its mystery. This is the most unique part of V/H/S Halloween.
The movie closes with a more traditional Halloween horror story with ‘Home Haunt’. This one is about a family who hosts an annual haunted house for the neighborhood. Unfortunately, their father has purchased a cursed LP. The expected mayhem, blood, and death follows. Surprisingly, V/H/S Halloween ends here instead of looping back to ‘Diet Phantasm’.
All of these shorts are perfect for Halloween, but it is ‘Kidprint’ that stands out the most. Easily the darkest segment in the V/H/S series – including the original trilogy – the story is about a town being terrorized by someone who is murdering children. It takes place during Halloween, but this is not a Halloween story.
The short is uncomfortable to watch and many times comes off like the Guinea Pig movies from Japan. Where the other segments in V/H/S Halloween capture the spirit of the season, ‘Kidprint’ is a frightening watch. It is a horror that may not seem suitable for this type of film, but it works and will leave a lasting impression.
V/H/S Halloween is a strong addition to the fan favorite franchise. Most of the stories perfectly embody what Halloween is all about. It will gross you out one moment before making you laugh out loud at the next wacky scene. ‘Kidprint’ may not have as much of a Halloween vibe to it, but it is the one that audiences will be talking about most. This is a great watch for October.
V/H/S Halloween releases on Shudder October 3
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