Eight movies deep, and still the unexpectedly brilliant found footage V/H/S franchise shows no signs of stopping. The latest, aptly titled V/H/S Halloween, presents a new frontier for a series that constantly reinvents itself with new blood thanks to its anthology format. This time around, the Halloween theme seeps into each separate segment. As an avid holiday obsessive, I was particularly thrilled by this concept. It creates a focus in consistency that actually helps these five separate tales stitch together seamlessly. Providing the nastiest Halloween candy since the old man bit into that razor-poisoned apple in Night of the Demons, there are a bevy of disturbing add-ons—and some seriously horrific child deaths for good measure. Chugging along at a wildly unpredictable clip, V/H/S Halloween is one of the best in the franchise; it suggests further bold horizons for a signature series in found footage mayhem.
Instead of being tethered to a certain time period or a specific subgenre, Halloween makes the argument for any number of holiday-themed V/H/S follow-ups to come. For the wraparound segment, director Bryan M. Ferguson presents a bizarro-vision called “Diet Phantasma.” We have clearly evolved past the point of needing a person to load up each V/H/S tape. The best kinds of anthology movie wraparounds forgo that entirely, and just make a fun segment allowing itself to be stretched out for breathing room amongst the others. Such is the case here—in testing a new soda product called (what else) Diet Phantasma, a corporation ruthlessly works towards perfecting the formula to package and distribute it to the masses. To say that there are a couple of causalities during the process would be a massive understatement, but do the deaths even matter if the end result can birth an obsession with Diet Phantasma? The practical effects are plentiful and the ruthlessness of the corporation spares no one.
The first major story, Anna Zlokovic’s “Coochie Coochie Coo,” comes hard for anyone with even a mild case of pedophobia. The baby-themed segment brings two teenage girls together for a last hurrah before college. They stumble upon a house just off the beaten path, emanating with a pulsing energy. A creepy hand holds out candy from the dark and beckons them inside. What awaits them is a disgusting being known as “The Mommy.” The baby motif is all-consuming as the girls become trapped inside the house. This segment was an excellent start, a fast-paced delight with plenty of nastiness and multiple sets of milk-dripping boobies lurking around every corner.
The second tale, “Ut Supra Sic Infra,” is probably the weakest of the bunch, but in such a strong V/H/S chapter, that means very little. The fact that it hails from [REC] franchise helmer Paco Plaza may have crafted an unrealistic set of expectations. Here, the survivor of a Halloween party massacre goes back to the scene of the crime with police to try to retrace his steps. Though the boy takes blame for the murders of his eyeless friends, he could not have possibly committed them alone. The action cuts back and forth between the party and a walkthrough with police, culminating in a rather predictable finish. A graphic scene near the end chilled me to the bone, but other than that, this one doesn’t quite hit a home run.
Casper Kelly’s “Fun Size” was my personal favorite of the segments. When a group of friends attempt to steal more than their share of candy, directly disrespecting a ONE PER PERSON sign, they are forced to face the horrifying consequences. Two of them are literally dragged inside the candy bowl; it looks like the other women will escape, but the bowl launches itself at them, and they are sucked inside. While the inside of the bowl could have gone in any number of different directions, Kelly keeps things simple aesthetically whilst peppering the true horrors as the sing-song baddies found inside. One that ecstatically giggles “Fun Size” at them is particularly freaky. This story works so well thanks to its careful walk between campy fun and freaky scares, culminating in a truly great ending. Suffice to say, I will not be sampling any candies that do not show up on Google anytime soon.
The fourth chapter, “Kidprint,” absolutely takes the cake for being the scariest of them all. Set in 1992, a local video store offers tape recordings they call Kidprints to help law enforcement identify children should they go missing. Despite the best of intentions, the effect may actually put the kids in danger rather than providing safety. By stressing the V/H/S format, Alex Ross Perry crafts an eerie short that sits among the best segments in the franchise. There’s just enough horrific gore to sell the story being told. Parents beware: “stranger danger” has not been this nightmarish since Megan is Missing.
“Home Haunt” brings it all home with a simplistic premise that perfectly plays into its Halloween theme. A family that makes a yearly homemade haunted house gets the surprise of a lifetime when the monsters inside come to life. A vintage haunted record sparks the madness, injecting a dash of Evil Dead into the proceedings. Those inside face some gnarly deaths, probably the best of the film. There’s a bit of CGI, but that’s the only slight ding I could give this entry, as it closes Halloween with an explosive burst of viscera.
I think I speak for horror fans in stressing how much we would love to see this V/H/S franchise continue forevermore. If there was even a possibility of the found footage well running dry, these movies often showcase fun ways to deconstruct the formula, and apply it in all kinds of compelling ways. V/H/S Halloween gives a fresh application to the goopy, tongue-in-cheek horror. Personally, this was one of my favorites in the long-running franchise, and emulates the greatness of the first two. More treat than trick, Shudder has perfected the concept for a potent dose of modern terror with a throughline of nostalgic fuzziness.
V/H/S Halloween debuted at 2025’s Fantastic Fest, and opens the doors to a haunted house teeming with realistic horrors for Shudder and AMC+ subscribers on Friday, October 3rd.
