V/H/S/Halloween
A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.
James Saenz reviewed
October 29, 2025•
v/h/s halloween is honestly kind of entertaining, if a mixed bag, which one could say about most of the films in the series. i like how since its revival in 2021 the series has leaned into camp, but it feels like the franchise is getting safer and safer with every entry, and i do miss the early days when it actually felt sinister and mean-spirited; thankfully we get a few echoes of that here.
diet phantasma is the wraparound narrative this time around, and it does have some striking body horror and gallons upon gallons of black goop, which i love in a zombie or possession story. the obviousness of its anti-consumerist and anti-capitalist satire made me laugh, but it’s a mostly weightless entry with an unconvincing, fake vhs filter. the commercial at the end wishes it was as cool as the veggie smasher infomercial; it ends up just being reheated nachos from a better film in the series.
coochie coochie coo was nasty and funny as hell. it toes the line between sickening visuals and absurdist comedy very well, even if the main characters’ decisions are unbearably frustrating. the staging and exploration of space in this entry is also a step above what these films usually deliver, and plays upon the concept of urban legends and halloween in a fun way that sets the tone and standard for the upcoming long-form segments.
paco plaza directed ut supra sic infra, which was a pleasant surprise for me when the credits rolled and his name popped up. he co-wrote and co-directed the two best [rec] entries, and i prefer his genesis solo entry to his co-creator’s solo finale in apocalypse. he also directed and wrote verónica, another solid spanish possession film. it definitely feels like he’s just spinning his wheels and retracing his steps with this segment, but i still found its tension and finale to be very satisfying; the body horror with the eyeballs was great. all that being said, every character involved with the investigation was stupid and deserved what happened.
my least favorite entry in this anthology film was fun size, but it wasn’t without its merits. it made me laugh the most out of any of the segments, which was absolutely its intention. there is some truly horrible acting in this one, but it also gives us delightful dialogue gems like a character unwrapping a piece of candy and saying, “i think these are his balls.” the horror setup also works very well as a campy version of saw (the butt candy tube goes crazy) as well as an exploration of one of the main characters’ trepidation with monogamy.
the most unsettling segment was kidprint, as it plays its story very straight and the subject matter is upsetting. it preys on the genuine fears that parents have regarding halloween and children venturing out on their own. it was a very upsetting to watch, due in large part to the very grotesque and impressive body horror. it bothered me more than torture in film normally would, and i think that’s because it feels very exploitative and uncomfortable; obviously the message is that these actions are egregious and unconscionable, but the way these sadistic acts are depicted borders on fetishistic. it makes sense in the context of the character filming these snuff films, but that understanding doesn’t make it any more palatable, especially when it concerns children.
home haunt rounds out the film with what feels like a love letter to the holiday. the practical effects are very cool and the concept of a haunted house tour taking a demonic turn can work (though hell house: llc really fumbled that premise), but this segment felt too silly without committing to being campy. not bad, but ultimately inconsequential.
one of the better v/h/s entries, though the bar is so very low.
James Saenz reviewed
October 29, 2025•
V/H/S/Halloween
v/h/s halloween is honestly kind of entertaining, if a mixed bag, which one could say about most of the films in the series. i like how since its revival in 2021 the series has leaned into camp, but it feels like the franchise is getting safer and safer with every entry, and i do miss the early days when it actually felt sinister and mean-spirited; thankfully we get a few echoes of that here.
diet phantasma is the wraparound narrative this time around, and it does have some striking body horror and gallons upon gallons of black goop, which i love in a zombie or possession story. the obviousness of its anti-consumerist and anti-capitalist satire made me laugh, but it’s a mostly weightless entry with an unconvincing, fake vhs filter. the commercial at the end wishes it was as cool as the veggie smasher infomercial; it ends up just being reheated nachos from a better film in the series.
coochie coochie coo was nasty and funny as hell. it toes the line between sickening visuals and absurdist comedy very well, even if the main characters’ decisions are unbearably frustrating. the staging and exploration of space in this entry is also a step above what these films usually deliver, and plays upon the concept of urban legends and halloween in a fun way that sets the tone and standard for the upcoming long-form segments.
paco plaza directed ut supra sic infra, which was a pleasant surprise for me when the credits rolled and his name popped up. he co-wrote and co-directed the two best [rec] entries, and i prefer his genesis solo entry to his co-creator’s solo finale in apocalypse. he also directed and wrote verónica, another solid spanish possession film. it definitely feels like he’s just spinning his wheels and retracing his steps with this segment, but i still found its tension and finale to be very satisfying; the body horror with the eyeballs was great. all that being said, every character involved with the investigation was stupid and deserved what happened.
my least favorite entry in this anthology film was fun size, but it wasn’t without its merits. it made me laugh the most out of any of the segments, which was absolutely its intention. there is some truly horrible acting in this one, but it also gives us delightful dialogue gems like a character unwrapping a piece of candy and saying, “i think these are his balls.” the horror setup also works very well as a campy version of saw (the butt candy tube goes crazy) as well as an exploration of one of the main characters’ trepidation with monogamy.
the most unsettling segment was kidprint, as it plays its story very straight and the subject matter is upsetting. it preys on the genuine fears that parents have regarding halloween and children venturing out on their own. it was a very upsetting to watch, due in large part to the very grotesque and impressive body horror. it bothered me more than torture in film normally would, and i think that’s because it feels very exploitative and uncomfortable; obviously the message is that these actions are egregious and unconscionable, but the way these sadistic acts are depicted borders on fetishistic. it makes sense in the context of the character filming these snuff films, but that understanding doesn’t make it any more palatable, especially when it concerns children.
home haunt rounds out the film with what feels like a love letter to the holiday. the practical effects are very cool and the concept of a haunted house tour taking a demonic turn can work (though hell house: llc really fumbled that premise), but this segment felt too silly without committing to being campy. not bad, but ultimately inconsequential.
one of the better v/h/s entries, though the bar is so very low.