Another Fantastic Fest, another world premiere of a V/H/S film! This time, the team behind the wildly popular found footage franchise is tackling horror fans’ favorite holiday, Halloween. V/H/S/Halloween brings to life six Samhain tales that are sure to deliver laughs, nostalgia, scares, and everything in between.

With this film being the eighth installment of the V/H/S franchise, it’s hard to believe it’s taken the team this long to do an entry entirely dedicated to Halloween. It seems like every film that has been released the past few years has been a resounding success, and V/H/S/Halloween is no different. The production team behind the films have collected segments from a range of up-and-coming horror filmmakers, as well as a couple of familiar names, each with their own individuals styles and unique stories to tell.

V/H/S/Halloween kicks off with the wrap-around segment, “Diet Phantasma.” The segment was written and directed by Bryan M. Ferguson, who is primarily known for his work directing music videos. Shown in small pieces between each of the other segments, Ferguson’s short depicts an 80s style corporate video in which different batches of human test subjects are trying a brand new soft drink, often with wacky, gruesome, and hilarious results. Not only is this story a scathing commentary on capitalism and corporations putting profit over human beings, but it is also a laugh out loud supernatural comedy with wild practical effects.

The first complete segment shown is “Coochie Coochie Coo” by writer and director Anna Zlokovic (Appendage). After being warned about an urban legend known as “Mommy,” a monstrous figure who takes kids who are too greedy or too old to get candy on Halloween, two girls about to graduate high school decide to get high and go trick or treating one last time. Unfortunately for them, Mommy is all too real. What follows is some of the most shocking, disturbing events to unfold in a V/H/S film. The practical effects are gruesome and brilliantly done, bringing to life images to haunt audience nightmares. This is also perhaps the most terrifying segment of V/H/S/Halloween.

“Ut Supra Sic Infra” is a Spanish short directed by the biggest name of V/H/S/Halloween, Paco Plaza (REC, Veronica), who also wrote the screenplay with Alberto Marini (Wake Up, Extinction). Plaza uses a combination of visual mediums here including crime scene photos, iPhone video, and footage recorded by a court clerk. After multiple young people die at an abandoned house on Halloween night, the police try to determine what happened with the help of the lone survivor. This segment is incredibly eerie and creates a really fascinating lore in a short amount of time. Not to mention it has a brilliant performance by Teo Planell (Ma ma) and some very well executed effects to deliver shock and terror.

Of all the segments in V/H/S/Halloween, “Fun Size” might be the most divisive. Directed by Casper Kelly (Adult Swim Yule Log), this short reveals just what happens when you ignore the “one candy per person” sign while trick or treating. It’s wild, trippy, and manages to be both surprising and funny. If you’re a fan of stories that explore liminal spaces, this segment is definitely for you. While the concept is great and the imagery is both gross and hilarious, the dialogue and performances are also a bit too over-the-top.

“Kidprint” was directed by Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell, Golden Exits) and follows a man who owns an electronics store in a town where kids have recently gone missing and been murdered. This title refers to a program he implemented in which kids come in to record videos so parents have up-to-date images of their children in case they’re taken. This is the most grounded segment of V/H/S/Halloween, speaking to very real life horrors while also delivering plenty of surprises. It includes a bit of graphic practical effects, making the realism all the more horrific to behold.

The last segment in V/H/S/Halloween is “Home Haunt.” Written and directed by Micheline Pitt and R.H. Norman, this short feels like the most quintessentially Halloween story of the entire film. It depicts a father trying to reconnect with his teenage son by continuing a years-long tradition of putting on a massive Halloween haunted house in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, the night takes a turn when an old vinyl record brings the pretend horrors to life. “Home Haunt” is a perfect blend of funny and horrifying, delivering stunning set pieces, a range of frightening creatures, and a trail of carnage. Not only does it feature fantastic practical effects, but it also has great performances from Sarah Nicklin (The Black Mass), Noah Diamond (They Don’t Cast Shadows), and Jeff Harms (Mank).

V/H/S/Halloween is another hit for the franchise, bringing to life stories from every horror fan’s favorite holiday that will shock, disturb, scare, and deliver plenty of laughs. Obviously the theme here is Halloween, but there’s another theme running through almost every segment – “fuck them kids.” There is a small amount of repetition, which isn’t surprising considering the focus on a specific holiday, but it isn’t enough to take away from the overall success of the film. V/H/S/Halloween delightfully demented, sure to become not only a favorite for this year, but also a Halloween favorite for years to come. Be sure to witness the insanity when its unleashed exclusively on Shudder on Friday, October 3rd.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10