V/H/S/Halloween Review: The Funniest (And Darkest) Entry Yet [Fantastic Fest]

Horror anthologies have been a staple of horror for a long, long time. On television, we can go back to stuff like "The Twilight Zone," which remains a touchstone of the genre to this day. On the big screen, we've had stuff like "Creepshow" and the cult classic "Trick 'r Treat." But the modern era of the genre has largely been defined by the "V/H/S/" franchise, dating back to the original found footage entry that started it all in 2012. Now, the series is back with "V/H/S/Halloweeen," which I'm pleased to say is another winner. It's also, by a wide margin, the funniest movie in the enterprise to date.

Make no mistake though, the folks at Shudder didn't just deliver a laugh riot of a horror anthology. They remembered the horror part as well, as this collection of deadly videos themed around All Hallow's Eve also features perhaps the single darkest individual segment any of these movies has ever produced. It all adds up to a remarkably satisfying, raucously good time, with even the weakest segment of the bunch ranking as at least 'good.' That's rarely the case when it comes to horror anthologies, which makes "V/H/S/ Halloween" stand out from the jump.

I'm not necessarily saying that this entry contains the best "V/H/S" segments ever. It remains damn near impossible to top "Safe Haven" from "V/H/S/2." But what makes a horror anthology great, in theory, is that they offer up different flavors for different viewers. Given that this particular anthology brand has been running for more than a decade with this being the eighth collection overall, taken as a whole, this feels like a new flavor. A welcome flavor, with various flavors contained within the overarching dish. In that way, it undeniably succeeds.

What's striking about "V/H/S/Halloween" comes from the title alone. We've had "V/H/S" movies themed around various years. We've had assorted collections only connected by the wraparound segment. We've even had "V/H/S/Viral," which tried to take the series into the social media era. (The less said about that one, the better.) It's downright insane to me that it took the fine folks at Bloody Disgusting and Shudder this long to get around to doing one of these themed around Halloween.

But this is undoubtedly a situation where better late than never applies. It's an absolute delight to see this particular franchise tackle Halloween in this way. Halloween night is a staple of horror. From John Carpenter's "Halloween" to Art the Clown's debut in "All Hallow's Eve" before becoming the star of "Terrifier," the holiday goes hand-in-hand with the genre. In this case, it just so happens to be gut-bustingly funny at times. Darkly funny at others. Then just plain old "holy s*** that was dark" elsewhere. Mostly, it's just twisted fun, which is when these movies are at their best, in my humble opinion.

The obvious yet welcome decision to use Halloween as a springboard is keeping the franchise's hot streak alive. For my money, it's not quite as good as last year's sci-fi themed "V/H/S/Beyond," but that's a matter of personal taste and, for what it's worth, it's right up there. When Shudder revived the franchise with "V/H/S/94," it did so with a bang and has largely kept the quality up since. There are natural peaks and valleys, but the valleys are never all that low and with the last two installments, it's clear the team has found its stride. Getting to enjoy a new "V/H/S" movie is rapidly becoming a welcome annual tradition.

One thing that "V/H/S" has always been great about is fostering new talent behind the camera. From Adam Wingard ("Godzilla vs. Kong") to Radio Silence ("Ready or Not"), this series has birthed many of the genre's best filmmakers working today. "Halloween" feels like it's destined to be a springboard for these directors as well. I'm personally eager to see what many of them do next.

The collection of filmmakers assembled here makes the most of horror's chosen holiday. Bryan M. Ferguson helms one of the best wrap-around segments in "V/H/S" history with "Diet Phantasma." Casper Kelly's "Fun Size" may well be the funniest individual segment we'll ever see in any of these movies. Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman's "Home Haunt" is one I can easily see becoming a new fan-favorite.

Anna Zlokovic kicks things off brilliantly with "Coochie Coochie Coo," which is just about the most fun one can hope to have with a f****d up horror short. Then there's Alex Ross Perry, the guy who co-wrote the screenplay for Disney's live-action "Winnie the Pooh" movie "Christopher Robin," who delivers the darkest moment in "V/H/S" history with "Kidprint." No spoilers here, but buckle up for a twisted ride.

Mileage will vary but even my personal least favorite of the bunch, Paco Plaza's "Ut Supra Sic Infra," is good. When the weakest link in the chain is that strong, you're in great shape. I don't know if I could rightfully say that this is the best "V/H/S" movie ever. "V/H/S/2" would have something to say about that. But it absolutely continues the hot streak the series has been on. If they continue to be this good, the franchise could run forever and I'd be happy about it.

/Film Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

"V/H/S/Halloween" is streaming on Shudder beginning October 3, 2025.