V/H/S Halloween Review: Scariest Entry Struggles With Worst Franchise Trope

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Horror anthologies have long been a staple of the genre, becoming popular with shows like The Twilight Zone and films like Creepshow, which proved how effective a collection of individual horror stories could be. The V/H/S franchise later built on this idea, gaining recognition for its smart use of the found footage format to explore different types of horror. With the newest installment, V/H/S Halloween, the series has both returned to its roots and reached new heights in terms of scope and creativity.

With six main stories, and an additional one woven in between, V/H/S Halloween fills its almost 2-hour length with tales firmly rooted in the Halloween season, ranging from the supernatural to the bizarre. However, aiming for more scope carries some risk, and as one of the longest films in the series, it still grapples with a recent and annoying trend within the franchise – one that could lessen the impact of some of its strongest and scariest segments.

V/H/S Halloween Delivers Scares the Franchise Was Missing

As the V/H/S series developed, while horror remained central, the filmmakers increasingly prioritized creativity and scope. This shift unfortunately resulted in some segments lacking scares and diminished the intriguing ambiguity that characterized the initial films. Originally, each segment felt like a piece from a discovered personal VHS collection, creating a sense of mystery and suspense for the audience. The lingering question of what horrors might still be contained on those tapes added to the tension. This series’ distinctive style was also born from a raw, independent filmmaking approach, which has defined it over time.

However, V/H/S Halloween absolutely delivers on its promise of being a truly frightening film, as you’d expect from the title. Some parts build fear through the unsettling idea of the impossible becoming real, putting characters in situations where they confront their own mortality-like the segment called “Fun Size.” It also presents stories that feel very realistic and disturbingly chaotic, tapping into genuine Halloween fears-particularly the nightmare of parents losing their children to dangerous people, as seen in the “Kidprint” short. There’s still some humor present, but it’s more subdued than in previous installments, which actually enhances the film’s overall impact.

This is most clearly shown through the practical effects, especially in the “Diet Phantasma” segment that begins and ends the movie. When characters drink a cursed soda, viewers see truly frightening deaths – including dismemberment, skin peeling off, and people exploding. It’s straightforward and disturbing, and it’s precisely the kind of thing the series needed to recapture the unsettling feeling of the first film.

V/H/S Halloween’s Segments are All Great (But Some Struggle to Stand Out)

This covers fun, spooky things like haunted houses and seasonal superstitions. A great example is the segment called “Coochie Coochie Coo.” It’s about two girls who dare to trick-or-treat even though they’re too old, which angers a dangerous ghost. It’s a clever and fresh concept, reminiscent of stories about Krampus, and it quickly escalates into something truly terrifying. The girls find themselves stuck in a nightmarish house, hunted by one of the V/H/S franchise’s most frightening creatures. This segment creates a level of intensity that, sadly, the rest of the film doesn’t quite live up to.

It’s not that the other three stories are bad, just different. For instance, “Fun Sized” offers a bizarre and unsettling tale, completely abandoning logic to create a nightmarish and dreamlike experience. The reveal of what’s happening is shocking enough to be effective. However, this lack of logic could be off-putting for some viewers, as it might be too extreme. One of the segments also suffers from a weak payoff; the initial setup doesn’t lead to a satisfying conclusion, leaving audiences feeling underwhelmed and asking, “That’s it?” Given that these segments are surrounded by some truly impressive and clever ideas, the last thing any one of them wants is to be less memorable than what came before.

Despite some flaws, the film remains enjoyable, especially for fans during the Halloween season – even its less successful ideas still provide entertainment. The movie maintains a consistent atmosphere, and the spirit of Halloween is so strong you can almost smell the plastic decorations and candy from the very beginning. It’s a shame that each story segment could have been truly exceptional, reaching the heights of the best entries, if it had avoided a recurring and often ineffective trope. Ultimately, the film tries to do too much, proving the saying “less is more” is often true.

V/H/S Halloween Works But Less is More

Most installments of the V/H/S series feature around five short stories, with one serving as the opening and closing segment. This format generally helps the stories feel cohesive and well-paced. While having more stories is usually a positive, it raises the inevitable question of how long viewers will remain engaged with a series they enjoy once it exceeds an hour and 40 minutes in length.

It’s not that some stories are poorly made, but even in good ones, it’s difficult to maintain intense focus for an extended period. Around the third or fourth part, it’s easy to lose concentration and feel the urge to look at your phone because, despite any frightening elements, things simply *happen* in the movie. There isn’t anything genuinely terrifying or unsettling enough to capture your attention as strongly as the beginning or the climax.

It’s fair to say this movie could have been more effective if it had been divided into five parts and been shorter overall, demonstrating that even good things can become tiresome if overdone. While each segment contains at least one compelling moment to grab the audience, it’s difficult to fully connect with the story if viewers haven’t been closely following along.

However, the film’s slower middle section might cause it to blend into the background for viewers who aren’t dedicated horror fans, which is unfortunate. It’s a shame, especially considering that special effects legend Rick Baker makes an appearance in a standout segment, alongside other strong moments throughout the movie. Ultimately, V/H/S Halloween is essential viewing for fans of the series, but also suggests that future installments would benefit from a more focused approach rather than simply trying to be bigger and more elaborate.

V/H/S Halloween premieres on Shudder on October 3.

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2025-10-03 22:15