THE STORY – A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.
THE CAST – Lawson Greyson, Sarah Nicklin, Jenna Hogan, Isabella Feliciana, Sean Berube, Riley Nottingham, Lily Speiser, Samantha Cochran & Stephen Gurewitz
THE TEAM – Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly, Micheline Pitt-Norman, R.H. Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic (Directors/Writers) & Alberto Marini (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 115 Minutes
They’ve done it again. By they, I mean the brilliant minds behind the “V/H/S” franchise, which has returned with a supercharged, super spooky new installment called “V/H/S Halloween,” naturally focused on the scariest day of the year. This is the eighth film in the franchise, and while I personally haven’t loved every single segment, there’s no denying that this series continues to churn out interesting, thought-provoking, and truly terrifying stories for its fans to enjoy thoroughly. And trust me, with this sequel film, we’re eating it all like candy.
With this installment, we get an excellent blend of fun narratives, outstanding performances that go for broke, and smart directing that creates an equally wacky and horrific landscape ripe for mischief on Mischief Night (technically, the night before Halloween, but I digress). This includes a twisted tale of a malevolent mother spirit from “Appendage” filmmaker Anna Zlokovic, a crime scene investigation gone horribly awry from found footage legend and “REC” creator Paco Plaza, a mind-bendingly frightening look at the consequences of taking more than one piece of Halloween candy from “Too Many Cooks” mastermind Casper Kelly, the realistically nauseating story behind a video store creating ID clips for children in the event of their disappearances from storied indie filmmaker Alex Ross Perry, a haunted house that goes haywire from Micheline Pitt-Norman and RH Norman, and a wraparound segment following the clinical trials for a new diet soda from short filmmaker Bryan M. Ferguson.
Even just listing all those narratives out like that made me grin. This “V/H/S” installment is full of fun and wild swings that nearly always pay off — and much of that starts in the writing. All of the film’s stories have this sort of carefree sense of excitement that comes from being given carte blanche to create whatever insane idea strikes you. No doubt, any filmmaker’s dream. But further, they each strike an excellent balance between the fun they exude (after all, Halloween is a blast) and the intense terror they invoke with an immersive sense of focus on the audience’s view of the events at hand. It’s the hallmark balancing act of any good “V/H/S” segment, but also the cornerstone of every successful “V/H/S” sequel as a whole.
The only small gripe here, and it truly is small, is that there’s a bit of repetition in the stories — namely, two segments touch on the idea of taking more than one piece of candy at your neighbor’s door, while another two segments center on vulnerable children. Still, the takes end up being so different that while the double-dipping is noticeable, it also becomes nearly immediately forgivable. The stories are just too much of a rollercoaster ride, one right after the other, to care much about something that, in another film, might otherwise come off as lazy or careless.
It’s easy to overlook minor grievances in a movie filled with killer performances, particularly those paired with memorable creature design and impressive makeup and costuming (and, of course, practical effects too, which I’ll address in a broader sense in a minute). The standout here is undoubtedly Elena Musser, who is positively petrifying as the central villain in Zlokovic’s segment “Coochie Coochie Coo.” Her portrayal of Mommy is a physical marvel. She embodies pure terror in the way she moves, stares, and ultimately stalks her victims in a tragic cat-and-mouse game that feels even scarier because of the realities of her form.
But her character, and Musser’s performance, is a shining example of how character design and performance can unlock immense potential in horror. Zlokovic’s segment, for instance, is strong on its own — but bring in a skilled physical performer donning the truly harrowing final product of terrifying character design and you’ve got yourself not only a story worth remembering but a new unforgettable horror villain.
While the other segments don’t exactly have the same instant classic factor that comes with creating a new horror icon, it doesn’t happen constantly in this franchise, but remember Raatma? — It’s plain to see that they each bring a game group of actors into the spotlight and let them unleash their most primal and instinctual impulses upon a canvas of pure terror. Frankly, that’s exactly what we come to the “V/H/S” franchise for: incredible acting that gives way to narrative madness.
To be fair, though, there’s one more thing that we come to this franchise for, and that’s some of the top-notch practical effects in the game. Each installment has at least one complete gorefest for us to gush over, and this one has several — but perhaps the best showcase of what this film has to offer in the practical department is Ferguson’s wraparound segment “Diet Phantasma.” The clinical trial at the center of the story ups the ante every time it returns, and each time, there’s a new and more insane set piece overflowing with utterly delightful gore and a satisfying mix of dreadful awe and comedic disbelief. The effects here are not only awe-inspiring and even realistic in all their outlandishness, but exactly as gratifying as we expect them to be in this franchise.
When it comes to satisfying gore, I’d be remiss not to also tip my hat to Micheline Pitt-Norman and RH Norman’s segment, “Home Haunt,” which also features some truly harrowing gore moments that build to a wonderfully horrific climax. The effects here are also absolutely insane yet believable, and they ramp up so intensely that when the blood starts flowing in the segment, it’s hard for the audience not to crave more. Similarly, Zlokovic’s segment makes great use of practical effects in relation to makeup and character design, particularly with Mommy, which features a grotesque design that was seemingly adapted into a suit for the actress to wear and embody, as well as her victims, who deal with immense body horror. The overwhelming use of body horror — and, in turn, the skilled effects work it takes to achieve the terror of that trope — feels so real in its ridiculousness that it comes full circle to being downright harrowing.
It seems crazy to think the “V/H/S” franchise, which kicked off a whopping 13 years ago, is still going, let alone going strong. But there’s much life in the old dog yet. In fact, thanks to the IFC and Shudder revitalization of the franchise a few years back, it seems there might just be a nearly endless stream of stories worth telling within the confines of this framework. “V/H/S Halloween” is a terrifyingly worthy addition to the ranks, excitedly and expertly bringing gorgeously gory and gratuitous fun to fans who love that stuff the most — and god are we grateful for it.
