Did I ever expect the V/H/S horror anthology series to become something of a tradition around this time of year? I did not. Am I happy enough with this development? I am. Which is why I was happy to get around to watching V/H/S/Halloween, despite being hugely disappointed by the previous entry in the series, V/H/S/Beyond.
It's the normal format. You get half a dozen stories with a wraparound tale interspersed between each one. Each story is distinctly pumpkin-flavoured this time around, and the wraparound tale - showing a group of people testing out a new fizzy drink on some unsuspecting subjects - is my favourite of the entire series.
Although the various segments vary wildly in tone, from the Willy Wonka surreal silliness and the body horror of "Fun Size" (my personal favourite, written and directed by Casper Kelly) to the very dark and disturbing "KidPrint" (written and directed by Alex Ross Perry), everything has a sense of belonging to the bigger picture. That's all thanks to the easy linking theme of Halloween, with many of the segments allowing the film-makers to simply revel in all of the seasonal atmosphere. Once Bryan M. Ferguson has set the tone with the first of the wraparouns sections, Anna Zlokovic starts things strong with the bonkers "Coochie Coochi Coo". Things then seem to settle down a bit with "Ut Supra Sic Infra" (co-written by Alberto Marini and director Paco Plaza), but there's an ending that delivers exactly what you expect from it. Then it's "Fun Size", perfectly placed in the middle of the movie. "KidPrint" comes along after that, one that some will find hard to stomach as things get worse and worse, before the whole thing ends in a double-whammy of the hugely entertaining "Home Haunt" (co-written and co-directed by Micheline Pitt-Norman and R. H. Norman) and a superb wraparound punchline.
There's not too much else to say about this though, and it can often be difficult to fully review and discuss anthology horror movies. The point of them is to draw you in and lead you to a great ending with every segment, which this does. To say too much about any one tale is to spoil the potential delight. Just know that this is a very strong entry in this series, and perhaps my new favourite. While everyone will inevitably react to the different segments in different ways, those who know the vibe and aesthetic of the films will be unlikely to be disappointed by this. The main concepts are often built around a great mix of fun and frights, the acting feels better than it has been in some of the previous instalments, and the end result is just a perfect horror "mix-tape" that will be even better to watch as you're sitting in the dark with the glow of a candle-lit pumpkin creating some lively shadows in the corners of the room.
A huge turnaround from the last movie, although I may eventually rewatch that one and revise my harsh opinion of it, this not only kept me very entertained throughout, it had me wishing we could fast forward to next year and see what we'll get next in this series. I raise a hot cup of pumpkin-spiced latte to all involved.
8/10
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