A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.
It’s that time of year, folks, which means we get another instalment in the ever-popular V/H/S franchise. We’ve had some highs and lows over the years, with V/H/S/85 being a let-down for me, but many claiming that V/H/S/Beyond was a real return to form the franchise. So how does the latest entry—the not-so-cleverly named V/H/S/Halloween—stack up to the others? Firstly, let’s see what’s on the menu.
o DIET PHANTASMA directed by Bryan M. Ferguson (Pumpkin Guts)
o FUN SIZE directed by Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks)
o HOME HAUNT directed by Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman (Cosmetic)
o KIDPRINT directed by Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell)
o UT SUPRA SIC INFRA directed by Paco Plaza (REC)
o COOCHIE COOCHIE COO directed by Anna Zlokovic (Appendage)
While not in order, we got a real mixed bag of Halloween-themed treats this year, some absolutely delicious and others that left me with a really bad taste in my mouth. Overall, I’d say that I enjoyed the film as a whole, but one really needs to sift through the offerings. I’m also going to review these in a random order so as not to spoil your watch.
Ut Supra Sic Infra, by Paco Plaza (REC) was easily my favourite. Other staffers here placed it as the second best but it was really the standout for me. A creepy, evil, satanic short that explains very little but captivates from start to finish. The acting was phenomenal, the story terrifying, and the CGI gorgeous. A truly perfect short film.
In an easy second place was Home Haunt, which was a touch more playful in its nature but definitely worthy of the crown in its own right. A very busy, technical, complex short that was stacked with all sorts of practical and special effects. It truly captured the spirit of the Americana Halloween experience and was just the right amount of gory, funny, creepy, and crawly. Definitely the most fun and action-packed of the short films.
Diet Phantasma is the segment that is used to separate the other shorts and it’s weird. The focus is on a corporation testing a new haunted diet soda and the effects it has on its test subject, which mostly boil down to eldritch horrors and exploding bodies. Like a soda, it got flat very quickly and—while creative—felt very ‘trashy’ horror.
Speaking of trashy horror, our agreed least-favourite was the insane Fun-Sized. The short follows a group of four trick-or-treating young adults(?) who cannot act. The dialogue was really cringy and barely above soft-core porn. They come across a bowl of off-brand candy that comes with a warning: Only take one piece! As you’re high-IQ mind has obviously put together, they don’t. Things then start to get really, really weird. There were some pretty cool practical effects and wild, wild kill ideas for all those horror fans who love those over-the-top, zany headsplosions. It just really missed the mark for me.
The last two shorts are what I consider divisive horror creations. Kidprint is a clever homage to the 80’s stranger danger days and is very bold in the way that we actually have on-screen kid murders. Very few films have the stomach or the balls to go full child-killer, and this is where it’s going to be controversial. I personally know some horror fans who will love the gritty realism of the short and others who will be appalled at the on-screen violence against children. You know where you stand on this, not me. I thought it was an incredibly well-made short, and I respect the director for taking the chance and putting his vision out there for all to see. Kudos on casually killing kiddos.
The last short, Coochie Coochie Coo, is the most horror-trope-filled of the bunch and probably the most generic. I thought it would have been great if it had made just a little more sense. Other staffers loved it. There’s great prosthetics, tonnes of body-horror, creepy babies and your traditional haunted-house jump scare horror shots. It’s the most traditional horror film out of the lot, and that’s probably why it wasn’t my personal favourite—but I cannot say that it was bad in any way. To the contrary, it was pretty solid from start to finish.
I either loved or managed to enjoy all of the shorts except for Fun Size. I’d go so far as to say I hated that one. I’d pay to have it scrubbed from memory. The rest made for what I consider a pretty solid entry in the V/H/S franchise. We got our screener a little late this October so you’dd be happy to know that V/H/S/Halloween is already streaming for your enjoyment this Halloween season on Shudder. Go and check it out. It’s great for watch parties and any spooky events you’ll be throwing this year. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and artwork can be found below. All images and artwork belong to Shudder.com.
