V/H/S/Mixtape, music-themed horror anthology, reviewed as Beyond Fest 2026 screens it
Reviews of V/H/S/Mixtape, the latest music-themed entry in the V/H/S horror anthology series, call it uneven. /Film praises its theme and best segments, while The Guardian finds it a mixed bag that would struggle to frighten a toddler.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2V/H/S/Mixtape, the latest entry in the long-running V/H/S horror anthology series, was reviewed on 6 October 2026, with /Film covering it from Beyond Fest 2026. /FilmN “V/H/S/Mixtape Review: The Horror Anthology Series Finds Its Groove [Beyond Fest 2026]” Read at /Film ↗ The GuardianLC “The latest in the long-running horror-feature series is, as per usual” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1/Film says the franchise now has nine films produced over 14 years, and that the film is streaming on Shudder from 9 October 2026. /FilmN “the franchise boasts 9 films produced over the last 14 years”“"V/H/S/Mixtape" is streaming on Shudder beginning October 9, 2026.” Read at /Film ↗ Mixed · 2Its theme is music and sound, and the metal band GWAR appear as hosts of the linking segments. The GuardianLC “The theme this go-round seems to be music and sound” Read at The Guardian ↗ /FilmN “directed by Flying Lotus and starring the spooky heavy metal band GWAR” Read at /Film ↗
Centre · 1/Film says the wraparound is directed by Flying Lotus and set in a fictional vintage MTV-style programme. It also credits Tobias Forge's music video "Premature Burial" and RZA's "Death Tone", the latter co-directed with Matt Landsman. /FilmN “via a fictional vintage MTV-style program”“RZA and Matt Landsman's "Death Tone" is a nasty, clever little tale” Read at /Film ↗ Mixed · 2Both reviews name the segments Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance (Renee Zhan, with puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop), The Music of Mr Sze (Ernest Dickerson), Death Tone (RZA), Heartbeat (David Moreau) and Another Cabin (Flying Lotus). The GuardianLC “Renee Zhan’s Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, the opener” Read at The Guardian ↗ /FilmN “David Moreau's "Heartbeat" is a little too bold in its presentation” Read at /Film ↗ Centre · 1/Film judges it perhaps not the series' best entry but the one with the best theme so far, and says the series has found a comfortable groove. It praises Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance and Death Tone as the strongest segments, while finding The Music of Mr. Sze, Heartbeat and Another Cabin sit awkwardly in the sequencing. /FilmN “it's the one that feels like it has the best theme so far”“Where "V/H/S/Mixtape" really shines is in its greatest segments” Read at /Film ↗
Left · 1The Guardian's Leslie Felperin calls it a "mixed bag" and a "ragbag of shorts" with thin connective tissue, and says the five segments vary significantly in length and quality. The review finds Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance drags but has a reasonable gags-to-gore ratio, The Music of Mr Sze beautiful but thinly written, Death Tone repetitive and Heartbeat "snoozy". The GuardianLC “a decidedly diverse ragbag of shorts, strung together with the thinnest of connective tissue”“Heartbeat is a snoozy riff on a theme from Edgar Allan Poe” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The Guardian says the practical effects are over the top, rubbery and absurd, so much so that they would struggle to frighten a toddler. It adds that the film is not really for children given its warped humour. The GuardianLC “they would struggle to frighten a toddler, but with its unpleasantly warped humour it’s not really for kids anyway” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1/Film also notes that a tenth V/H/S film has been announced as a collaboration with the SCP Foundation, and says it worries the series may change direction again. /FilmN “the 10th film in the series, which has been announced as some sort of collaboration with the previously unrelated fictional secret organization known as the SCP Foundation” Read at /Film ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A sceptical, wry review that treats the film as an uneven ragbag of gory shorts and mocks how toothless the horror is.
- Emphasis
- Segment-by-segment verdicts, thin writing, repetitive jokes and rubbery effects.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not discuss the franchise's history, the theme as a strength, or the Shudder release date and the planned tenth film.
- Charged language
- “ragbag”“snoozy”“mixed bag”
- For example
-
“a decidedly diverse ragbag of shorts, strung together with the thinnest of connective tissue” — The Guardian
“Heartbeat is a snoozy riff on a theme from Edgar Allan Poe” — The Guardian
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- A fan-friendly franchise review that presents the film as the series settling into a reliable thematic groove.
- Emphasis
- Franchise history, the music theme, the GWAR wraparound, the standout segments and worry about the tenth film.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Says little about weak spots in the individual segments beyond sequencing and pacing, and does not mention the gore or the humour not landing.
- Charged language
- “finds its groove”“fabulous work”“nasty, clever little tale”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- V/H/S/Mixtape is a music-themed instalment of the V/H/S horror anthology series.
- GWAR feature as hosts of the linking segments.
- Segments include Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, The Music of Mr Sze, Death Tone, Heartbeat and Another Cabin.
- Both reviewers call the film uneven.
Where accounts differ
-
Overall quality and the effect of the anthology format
- Left
- The Guardian calls it a mixed bag of segments that vary significantly in quality, with thin connective tissue and effects that would struggle to frighten a toddler.
- Centre
- /Film says it has the best theme in the series, with a wraparound that integrates the segments and two standout shorts. It concedes some unevenness.
-
The GWAR wraparound
- Left
- The Guardian describes GWAR cracking Halloween dad jokes as hosts of the interstitial bits.
- Centre
- /Film calls it the franchise's most successful wraparound, thanks to its Troma-style gross-out humour.
North America1 outlet
/Film reviews the film from Beyond Fest 2026 with franchise context, mostly positive.
“V/H/S/Mixtape Review: The Horror Anthology Series Finds Its Groove [Beyond Fest 2026]” — /Film
/Film
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Guardian gives a briefer, more sceptical verdict, calling it a mixed bag.
“mixed bag of gory music-themed mini-movies” — The Guardian
The Guardian
Left1 article
-
The GuardianLC · · Opinion
Mixed Wry, lukewarm review that calls the film a mixed bag of gory shorts whose effects are too silly to scare.
Centre1 article
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/FilmN · · Opinion
V/H/S/Mixtape Review: The Horror Anthology Series Finds Its Groove [Beyond Fest 2026]
Sympathetic Enthusiastic franchise-insider review that frames the film as the series finding its theme.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 6 Oct 12:56 First /FilmN V/H/S/Mixtape Review: The Horror Anthology Series Finds Its Groove [Beyond Fest 2026] Opinion
- 6 Oct 14:00 +1h 4m The GuardianLC V/H/S/Mixtape review – murderous puppets pull the strings in mixed bag of gory music-themed mini-movies Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.