V/H/S/Halloween Review (2025)

Synopsis

A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

My Thoughts on V/H/S/Halloween

Good Points

The Halloween Focus

This installment in the V/H/S franchise leans fully into Halloween, with every short featuring some typical seasonal motifs, which made it feel a bit more cohesive than some V/H/S entries.

Standout Segments

Kidprint was easily my favorite segment, which was bleak, intense, and expertly paced, while Diet Phantasma balanced dark humor and gore perfectly.

Strong Atmosphere and Tone

Even when the shorts weren’t particularly scary, they were still fairly atmospheric, leaning heavily on practical effects, clever lighting, and some tight framing.

Horror and Humor

I really enjoyed the balance of humor and horror in some of them – in particular Diet Phantasma – watching corporate executives get attacked by ectoplasm is absurdly funny, yet quite unnerving.

Wrap-Around Story

The wrap-around narrative in V/H/S titles normally aren’t great, but in V/H/S/Haloween it’s better, where it connects the individual shorts and gives the anthology structure.

Production Value

I did notice how polished the visuals and sound design are compared to some earlier entries, and even the smaller segments like Coochie Coochie Coo benefit from some careful camera work, and well-placed sound cues.

Bad Points

Uneven Quality

This is nothing new for V/H/S, but not every story lands well, but I am not sure we expect much else with these.

Predictable Scares

Some of the scare attempt moments will be telegraphed by many, especially in Ut Supra Sic Infra and Coochie Coochie Coo.

Absurdity

While humor can enhance horror, and some get the balance right, while at other times the humor can also become a distraction and undercut it all a bit.

Pacing Issues

A few segments do take a while to build, which may test some viewers patience, and even when the scares eventually pay off, the waiting can feel long compared to the punchier shorts.

Missed Opportunities

With such a strong Halloween theme, I was hoping for more inventive seasonal scares, and while the anthology hits a lot of traditional beats, it rarely surprises in that sense.

Is V/H/S/Halloween Worth Watching?

I have read some very mixed reviews of V/H/S/Halloween, but I thought it was good, and I enojoyed the Halloween focus, even if it didn’t offer much new.

As with all V/H/S entries, it’s a mixed bag too, which I suspect everyone just accepts as the norm for these, but the highs outweigh the lows, and for fans of the V/H/S series, this one is worth watching.

V/H/S/Halloween Trailer
V/H/S/Halloween on IMDB
Watch V/H/S/Halloween

Check out my reviews for V/H/S and V/H/S/Beyond, too.