‘V/H/S/Mixtape’ Review: Shudder’s Anthology Sequel is One for the Senses
Shudder continues its yearly streak of V/H/S releases with V/H/S/Mixtape. As a follow-up to last October’s V/H/S/Halloween, the horror streaming platform’s ninth installment goes for a new theme in mind. I assumed that the subtitle would dive into music, but that isn’t wholly the case.
On the one hand, fans of the genre have films like V/H/S/Halloween, which are announced a year in advance. Then there’s V/H/S/Mixtape, whose official announcement didn’t come until over two months ago.
Personally, my anticipation for such an announcement had me dreading the possibility that the streak could break. At the same time, I don’t doubt that the franchise is running out of ideas. I mean, at one point, an installment centered on Christmas had been discussed.
The frame narrative of Shudder’s V/H/S/Mixtape
The frame narrative, “Gwar Is…,” written and directed by Flying Lotus, is creative, to say the least. It feels like Flying Lotus wanted to make something fun following his “Ozzy’s Dungeon” segment of 2022’s V/H/S/99.
The segment isn’t as serious as the filmmaker’s 2025 science fiction horror-thriller feature, Ash. Yet, his focus on a heavy metal band of the same name is a neat lean into Adult Swim territory. As a contribution to the Shudder movie, I appreciate how the segment establishes a tone.
Unfortunately, it has difficulty transitioning into and out of the other segments. Suffice it to say, I prefer “Ozzy’s Dungeon” because at least there is a point made. As a frame narrative, I prefer something stronger to maintain the tone instead of leaning on dark comedy.
“Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance”
The opening segment of V/H/S/Mixtape, “Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance,” is written by Zoe Cooper, with its story by Renee Zhan. Directed by Zhan, the narrative follows a studio executive, her cameraman, and her adopted son as they revive a children’s television series. As Vanessa (Barbara Crampton) states, “No one likes a reboot. It’s a re-imagining for a new audience!” The line sounds like a little meta-commentary on Shudder, Bloody Disgusting, and Cinepocalypse’s aim to resurrect the franchise in 2021.
The narrative is somewhat promising in having puppets and animatronics brought to life. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is to thank for creating these little killers. I love the Easter Egg of the V/H/S/Halloween‘s holiday entity Fun Size’s head and crown up on a wall or shelf. This suggests a larger connection within the V/H/S franchise, which might be a rare occurrence.
Viewers still do not know how the Video Home System (VHS) tapes are discovered and collected by characters of the franchise’s frame narratives. Regardless, “Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance” features wonderful puppet designs and an annoyingly catchy tune. Despite some graphic kills, there isn’t much to the story aside from a standard possession plot.
“Another Cabin”
“Another Cabin,” the second segment directed by Flying Lotus, is perhaps the most straightforward of the V/H/S segments. The narrative follows a young boy as he feeds his grandmother, only to be rejected by her through abuse. A looming figure within the woods barges into their cabin, consuming the grandmother with its freakishly long tongue. That is, until the figure consumes the boy as well.
I love the supernatural thriller score as the no-dialogue claymation narrative plays out. The toweromania trope is incorporated decently into how power has a role as a force that oversees human beings.
The relationship between the boy and his grandmother is troublesome. This is especially true as Flying Lotus plays into the idiom, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The only way that this works as a VHS tape is if it is meant to pay homage to animated media of the zeitgeist. If so, then “Another Cabin” could be onto something.
“Heartbeat”
The third segment, “Heartbeat,” written and directed by David Moreau, is the better narrative during the first half of V/H/S/Mixtape. “Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Another Cabin” centered on the senses of touch and taste, respectively. Moreau‘s narrative intelligently utilizes wicked sound design.
This is thanks to supervising sound editor and sound designer Renai Buchanan and sound effects editor Rita Carmona. Additionally, the always-moving camera work takes a non-traditional approach and lets its two actors do the work.
Moreau is great on senses, as he did with his prior feature films, including 2024’s MadS. However, like most others in the Shudder installment of the V/H/S franchise, the narrative doesn’t offer much in terms of answers.
It involves tropes, from grottophilia to the typical people getting into matters they shouldn’t interfere with to government involvement. With these in mind, the writer-director traps his characters in their minds and in a war that precedes both of them.
“The Music of Mr. Sze”
The fourth segment in V/H/S Mixtape, “The Music of Mr. Sze,” is written and directed by Ernest Dickerson. Known for his collaborations as the director of photography with contemporary filmmaker Spike Lee, the cinematic storyteller has also made hits of his own. Juice, his feature with Gerard Brown, is a renowned crime thriller starring Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur.
Dickerson has also directed multiple episodes of David Simon‘s The Wire, Showtime’s Dexter, and AMC’s The Walking Dead. Yet, what grasped my attention in terms of recent television is Dickerson‘s contributions to Aaron Guzikowski‘s short-lived sci-fi television series, Raised by Wolves. Dickerson plays into the sense of hearing in his loose adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft‘s short story, “The Music of Erich Zann”.
The script for V/H/S/Mixtape‘s segment adapts the source material decently. However, the production and costume designs don’t quite match up with the visual effects sequence that the protagonist, Philip Howard (Jihad Brent), experiences. The narrative is visually inconsistent in this aspect, as Dickerson turns a known racist writer’s work into a story led by two people of color.
The segment ends differently, with Howard being attacked by the otherworldly entity instead of his apartment and its street disappearing from the maps. The use of a Sony camera and recording glasses is noteworthy to a degree, chronicling and documenting the narrative’s events as evidence of extraterrestrial existence.
“Premature Burial”
“Premature Burial,” directed by Tobias Forge, is presented as a music video for the Swedish death metal band Repugnant. It’s produced well. While much of what is told is based on visual language, the narrative can be interpreted to involve the sense of smell.
The sixth and final segment of V/H/S/Mixtape, titled “Death Tone,” is written by RZA and Matt Landsman and is directed by RZA. Like David Moreau‘s “Heartbeat,” the sense of hearing guides the narrative. Yet, the narrative surrounding the sounds of dying and death is akin to what Finnish-American filmmaker Alex Noyer achieved in his independent slasher horror feature, Sound of Violence. The execution is different, but the very concept is strikingly similar.
RZA and Landsman also take inspiration from Bret Easton Ellis‘s horror novel, American Psycho, in developing Lydia Van Horn (Neela Jolene) as a serial killer. Overall, there are some parts in the script that work wonders, especially the music. Even then, it would still need some fine-tuning to reach perfection.
V/H/S/Mixtape film rating and final thoughts
For a horror anthology in the Shudder franchise, blending the five human senses along with the sixth sense (i.e., death) is a clever means of comprising a “mixtape.” With this as the movie’s very intention, I don’t believe major mistakes are made.
Then again, the minor flaws—such as the lack of developing stronger stories—are where V/H/S/Mixtape has its downfall. Ultimately, it’s surely a series low alongside 2013’s V/H/S/2 and above V/H/S: Viral.
V/H/S/Mixtape meets the standard of what the franchise needs to be. Tapping Flying Lotus, David Moreau, Ernest Dickerson, and RZA should be what grabs the attention of viewers. Sadly, the overarching film needs to narrow its focus, seeing that it has seven uneven segments and a runtime of an hour and thirty-eight minutes.
Noting that a tenth installment, V/H/S: SCP, is greenlit into development for a 2027 release, I am curious as to what a V/H/S film distributed by A24 will look like and if it may be over for Shudder.
V/H/S/Mixtape is now streaming on Shudder and AMC+.
Also check out: V/H/S/Halloween Is A Cruel Addition To The Shudder Film Franchise
