V/H/S Halloween Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

Six stories, one cursed night. When candy turns deadly and mazes bite back. Obey the rules of trick or treat… or face the bloody consequences.

Genre: Comedy / Horror

Director: Bryan M. Ferguson, Anna Zlokovic, Paco Plaza, Casper Kelly, Alex Ross Perry & R.H. Norman

Cast: David Haydn, Anna McKelvie, Natalia Montgomery Fernandez, Samantha Cochran, Elena Musser, Teo Planell, María Romanillos, Ismale Martínez, Lawson Greyson, Riley Nottingham, Jenna Hoga, Jake Ellsworth, Stephen Gurewitz, Carl William Garrison, Jeff Harms, Noah Diamond, Oliver Durante & Sarah Nicklin.

Run Time: 115 min.

US Release: 03 October 2025

UK Release: N/A

German Release: N/A

Time for a confession: I’ve never watched any of the previous V/H/S flicks before, as they never tickled my curiosity. That said, while looking for a new film to watch on All Hallows’ Eve, this eighth instalment in the anthology-style found-footage horror franchise popped up on my Shudder subscription, and I thought, “Why not?”. A quick search revealed that it had no connection to its predecessors, which prompted me to press play. What my girlfriend and I got was exactly what I expected… trash-movie-style footage, though enjoyable enough to pass as a guilty pleasure. Some of the tales are even competently shot!

So, turn on your camcorder, as we enter my review for V/H/S Halloween. 

A collection of six Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of sinister, bloody tales, turning the evening of trick-or-treating into a race for survival. 

The V/H/S franchise was kicked off by the independent multimedia company Bloody Disgusting, giving relatively unknown directors a chance at showcasing their potential as filmmakers while maintaining full creative freedom. This resulted in a unique cinematic horror experience for audiences, which grew into a popular motion picture series.

The screenplay is broken down into five distinctive narratives, with an overarching sixth story that the flick always cuts back to. This, unfortunately, results in uneven pacing as all segments are written plus filmed by different directors, leading to inconsistent quality, as the shorts range from good to laughably bad. The worst is “Diet Phantasma”, the wraparound part, which includes a dull script about subjects testing a new soda for a corporation. The whole thing feels like an excuse to throw in demonic screams, as well as uncalled-for gore, every twenty minutes or so. It has no creative value.

That said, the first story, titled “Coochie Coochie Coo” and directed by Anna Zlokovic, is truly disturbing. The basic premise explores the end of childhood, as two friends decide to go on one last trick-or-treat before leaving for college. It also lightly touches upon the fear of child abduction, a theme further expanded in the fourth short, “Kid Print”, which is a throwback to the 90s, when parents actually had their kids filmed in video rental stores, for identification purposes. The script can be a little campy at times, though brutally effective in what it sets out to do, even crossing boundaries. 

A personal favourite is the second segment, titled “Ut Supra Sic Infra”, by the Spanish regisseur Paco Plaza, co-creator of the [REC] franchise. It is entirely in Spanish, taking place in Madrid, after a Halloween party in an allegedly haunted house ends in mass murder. The more serious tone sets it apart from the rest, crafting a magnificent, eerie supernatural fabrication with a mystery beginning.

The dialogue varies from chapter to chapter. The first two have more of a serious tone, while the third tale, “Fun Size”, goes full kitsch bordering on cringe. Especially the line delivery by the character Josh had me clenching my jaw. This, paired with “Diet Phantasma”, was my least favourite part, nearly making me turn off the flick completely.

The last part, “Home Haunt”, is a fun, campy narrative filmed in a home-video style. It doesn’t take itself seriously, knowing exactly what it is, and runs with it, perfectly encapsulating the Halloween spirit. The dialogue can be corny, yet it is enjoyable in a guilty-pleasure kind of way.

The cinematography is a mixed bag. While the frantic camera movement is effective in “Coochie Coochie Coo”, creating great disorientation inside the house, it is rather distracting in “Fun Size”. The choppy editing in “Kid Print” gets irritating at times, while the more documentary-style approach in “Ut Supra Sic Infra” feels convincing. The found-footage gimmick becomes repetitive after a while, and some low-resolution scenes seem to try masking low-quality CGI.

Talking about effects: the practical makeup and prosthetics are a huge positive. The body horror, or gore scenes, look realistic, are terrifying, plus original. Some are so grotesque, they successfully create squeamish sequences; this is especially true when it comes to “Kid Print”, which crosses a line when it comes to showing graphic violence involving kids. The very few computer effects sprinkled throughout vary in quality. Some look terribly bad, pulling viewers right out of the experience.

The sound design utilises distorted, unsettling tones while successfully capturing retro aesthetics. The music is generic yet creepy, complementing the shorts nicely.

---

Verdict: The eighth instalment in the V/H/S franchise is generally enjoyable in a guilty-pleasure kind of way. It contains some real gems, particularly the first two stories, which explore deeper themes while building an effectively disturbing atmosphere; others can be straight-up cringeworthy, like the wraparound plot or the “Fun Size” segment. These contain terrible line delivery, corny acting, as well as distracting cinematography. The fourth chapter, while effectively disturbing, crosses a line that left me slightly disgusted. The most fun comes from the final story, which feels like “Goosebumps” for adults, with blood and guts spilling out in a goofy manner. The cinematography makes good use of the found-footage gimmick in some shorts, while others feel visually repetitive. The best aspect of the movie is its gruesome practical effects. V/H/S Halloween is a fun, at times frustrating, shlocky horror watch. If the others are also like this, I’ll give the series a try. I give it an enjoyable 6.0  out of 10.

What about you? Did you see the newest release in this franchise? Which one is your favourite V/H/S picture? Any recommendation? Leave a comment & thank you for reading.