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It has been 13 years since the original V/H/S film shocked audiences with its brutal found footage shorts. Since that time, the franchise has changed considerably from its roots as a dark and disturbing anthology. Now, the franchise is more known for its campy Halloween specials, which come out each year on Shudder. This year’s entry is V/H/S/Halloween, which, as the name suggests, focuses on all things trick-or-treat related.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call V/H/S/Halloween a horror comedy. However, this year’s entry is definitely placed on the more goofy end of the spectrum. Once you see the flying candy bowl, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Now, depending on your tolerance for terror, there are definitely some horrific moments in V/H/S/Halloween. Kid Print, directed by Alex Ross Perry, stands out as one of the most disturbing entries in the franchise.
Outside of that, most of the entries in V/H/S/Halloween focus on the campy side of Halloween. We see a couple of segments about trick-or-treating gone wrong and a spectacular taste test of an eldritch diet soda that are genuinely hilarious. If haunted houses are your thing, you should really check out HOME HAUNT, directed by Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman. This segment offers the best blend of horror and campy holiday fun.
Now, please don’t misunderstand me, camp is a good thing. It is an important part of the horror tradition and should be celebrated. V/H/S/Halloween is a great film for casual viewing and a few laughs. Just don’t go into it expecting a terrifying experience. Think of V/H/S/Halloween as more of a Trick ‘r Treat and less of a Southbound.
V/H/S/Halloween will premiere on Shudder on October 3rd, 2025.