One of the most widely understood fixtures of horror fandom is that the more sequels a franchise has, the greater the chances are for diminishing returns with each film. Amityville Horror and Texas Chain Saw Massacre fans are all too aware of it, though rare exceptions can and do exist. (See: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Saw X, the Scream requels.) As such, it’s not even a candid confession to say I had minimal confidence the V/H/S anthology could still possibly deliver a “series-best” entry at this point in the run.
It turns out my expectations are worthy of being toilet-papered and pelted with rotten eggs, because V/H/S/Halloween is not only the best V/H/S film yet, but it’s also one of the most fun horror anthologies of the modern era. Rather than focusing on a specific year, similar to several past entries, producers Josh Goldblum and Brad Miska instead organically leaned into the most apropos holiday possible for found-footage, and the result is all treats, zero tricks.
Diet Phantasma – Directed By Bryan M. Ferguson
Marlon Wayans’ spooky family comedy The Curse of Bridge Hollow, and I dare say, it’s more worthy of viewers’ time. The segment centers on a home haunt whose freaky props and attractions come to live due to a cursed LP. It’s the latest from married co-directors Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman, who helmed the acclaimed 2021 short Grummy with teen scream queen Violet McGraw.
Despite still boasting plenty of the usual nitpicks that one can make about V/H/S movies (and horror anthologies in general) (an overlong runtime, largely forgettable characters, simplistic storytelling, nausea-inducing camerawork),V/H/S/Halloween is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. And there are lots of parts strewn about – believe me. It may not be the most cohesive horror movie you’ll see in 2025, but it’s absolutely worth the price of a month of Shudder.