V/H/S/Halloween (2025) Reviews & Reception: Critics, Fans, and What the Numbers Say

Welcome to What’s After the Movie, your go‑to hub for detailed summaries, profiles, box‑office data, awards, concert‑film rundowns, quizzes, and an ever‑growing movie wiki. In this post we dive deep into the critical and audience reception of the latest anthology horror entry V/H/S/Halloween (2025). We’ll compare professional reviews, highlight standout quotes, and show you how the film measures up across the biggest opinion‑aggregators.

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1. Critical Consensus on V/H/S/Halloween (2025) – What the Top Reviewers Said

The Metacritic slate for V/H/S/Halloween is surprisingly cohesive for an anthology that juggles multiple directors and tones. Scores range from 60 (IGN) to 85 (Slashfilm), with an overall weighted average landing in the mid‑70s.

Key takeaways from the critics:

• The A.V. Club praised the “playful entries … that hit like a sugar rush,” noting the film feels “as broadly enjoyable as a crisp October night.”
• Slant Magazine highlighted the novelty factor, calling out “a truly depraved death involving a large quantity of gumballs” as proof the segments “pass the basic scary‑movie smell test.”
• IGN was more measured, giving a 60 and suggesting the collection “might take a step backward after last year’s fantastic V/H/S/Beyond, but it’s hardly a throwaway sequel.”
• Slashfilm gave a strong 85, arguing the series “could run forever” if it stays this good.
• RogerEbert.com lauded tonal consistency, stating the film “has maybe the best batting average” of the series and blends “tongue‑in‑bloody‑cheek humor” with genuine scares.

Quote spotlight: “V/H/S/HALLOWEEN is one of the best entries in this now‑annual anthology series because it feels the most tonally consistent” – RogerEbert.com.

These critiques converge on two major themes: playful horror‑comedy and solid thematic cohesion (candy, urban legends, haunted houses). Even the more moderate reviews acknowledge the film’s ability to entertain without feeling like a filler.

For a quick glance at the full critic breakdown, head to our [movie page for V/H/S/Halloween] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/movies/vhshalloween) where you’ll find aggregated scores, user ratings, and links to full reviews.

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2. Audience Reaction – From Twitch Viewers to Horror Fans on What’s After the Movie

While critics provide a polished snapshot, real‑world fans bring the raw energy. On What’s After the Movie, the user rating sits at 3.8/5, reflecting a blend of enthusiastic horror‑bingers and skeptics of anthology formats.

What fans love

• Playful gore: Many commenters rave about the “gumball death” segment, calling it “the most delightfully grotesque moment of the year.”
• Nostalgia factor: Long‑time followers of the V/H/S franchise often mention the “return to the VHS aesthetic” as a comforting callback to earlier entries.

What fans criticize

• Inconsistent tones: A noticeable chunk of user feedback mentions that some segments veer too far into slapstick, disrupting the horror flow.
• Length concerns: A handful of viewers felt the anthology could have been tighter, suggesting the runtime “stretches the novelty of each short.”

One fan summed it up nicely: “It’s a candy‑coated horror feast—sweet, messy, and a little over‑indulgent, but absolutely worth the watch on a spooky night.”

If you want to test your own knowledge, check out our [quiz page] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/game) for a “V/H/S/Halloween” themed challenge, or browse [movie wiki] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/wiki) for deeper lore on each segment’s director.

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3. Comparing V/H/S/Halloween to Earlier Anthology Entries

The V/H/S series has always been a litmus test for how well horror can be packaged in bite‑size stories. Let’s see how the 2025 Halloween edition stacks up against its predecessors:

Film	Metacritic Avg.	Notable Strength	Main Critique
V/H/S (2012)	68	Ground‑breaking format	Rough pacing
V/H/S/2 (2013)	71	Stronger narrative ties	Mixed tonal shifts
V/H/S/99 (2022)	74	Fresh 90s aesthetic	Uneven scares
V/H/S/Halloween (2025)	~73	Consistent Halloween theme, playful gore	Some segments feel overly slapstick

Overall, V/H/S/Halloween marks an incremental improvement over the first two installments, matching the thematic cohesion of V/H/S/99 while delivering the most consistent tonal blend of the series so far. Critics such as Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review) note that it “jolted in my seat, gasped, laughed, and felt both disturbed and grossed out,” a reaction that mirrors audience sentiment.

If you want a full breakdown of each anthology’s box‑office performance and award nominations, explore our [box‑office] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/box-office) and [awards] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/award) sections.

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4. The Role of Humor in Modern Horror – Why V/H/S/Halloween Resonates

A recurring thread across both professional and fan reviews is the integration of humor with horror. Modern horror audiences increasingly crave “cathartic scares” paired with moments of levity—a balance V/H/S/Halloween nails in several segments.

• Brian Orndorf (Blu‑ray.com) points out the “real issue with tonal consistency,” but he also praises the film for “going for silliness at times, also interested in detailing absolute viciousness.”
• Maitland McDonagh (MaitlandOnMovies) calls the film “handsomely produced, well‑acted and creepy,” comparing some scenes to a “spectacular deal on corn‑syrup blood and pig intestines.”

These observations line up with broader industry trends where horror‑comedy hybrids (think “The Cabin in the Woods” or “Ready or Not”) dominate streaming charts. By delivering “a tongue‑in‑bloody‑cheek sense of humor” (RogerEbert.com), V/H/S/Halloween becomes a case study for how anthologies can stay fresh without sacrificing scariness.

Curious about the production crew behind these jokes? Visit our [profiles] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person) page to read bios of the segment directors and see what other horror‑comedy projects they’ve helmed.

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5. Final Verdict – Should You Watch V/H/S/Halloween?

Putting the pieces together, the reception of V/H/S/Halloween (2025) can be summed up in three words: playful, gritty, seasonal. Critics overwhelmingly commend its tonal consistency and innovative gore, while fans enjoy the nostalgic VHS feel and Halloween‑themed twists. The few criticisms—mainly about uneven humor—are outweighed by the film’s ability to deliver a satisfying anthology experience.

Bottom line: If you’re a horror enthusiast seeking a fresh, Halloween‑ready anthology that balances scares with dark comedy, V/H/S/Halloween earns a solid recommendation. For the full experience, stream it on a crisp October night, then swing by What’s After the Movie for an in‑depth [summary] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/summary), compare the [movie wiki] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/wiki) entry, and challenge yourself with our themed [quiz] (https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/game).

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External Links for Further Reading

Site	Link
IMDb	IMDB
Wikipedia	Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes	Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic	Metacritic