V/H/S/Mixtape Review: Cursed Music Videos & Found-Footage

The frame narrative strands us with GWAR's monstrous alter egos - BalSac the Jaws o' Death (Mike Derks), Blothar the Berserker (Michael Bishop), Jizmak Da Gusha (Brad Roberts), Beefcake the Mighty (Casey Orr), and Bonesnapper the Cave Troll (Bob Gorman) - as they stumble across a mixtape that should have stayed buried. Each track unleashes a new nightmare, and the film rarely pauses to catch its breath.

The standout segment, "Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance," follows George (Josh Willis) and Sam (Christopher Romero Sosa) as they navigate a scenario that could charitably be called a demonic choreography. Barbara Crampton shows up as Vanessa, and even when the script gives her little to do, she brings a knowing gravity that the rest of the film often lacks. At 98 minutes, the pacing is brisk enough to keep you from dwelling on the threads that don't connect. Whether that's a mercy or a flaw depends on your tolerance for narrative whiplash.

Moreau clearly loves the texture of VHS - the tracking lines, the warped audio, the sense that you're watching something you shouldn't. That affection bleeds through every frame, and when V/H/S/Mixtape works, it captures a specific kind of unease. A music video that turns into a blood ritual. A performance that becomes a possession. The film understands that horror and music share a pulse, and it leans into that rhythm with gleeful abandon.

But the mixtape metaphor cuts both ways. Real mixtapes have sequencing; they build and release tension. This one mostly just slams tracks together and hopes the cumulative noise overwhelms your critical faculties. The GWAR segments are fun in a shaggy, splatter-comedy way, but they never cohere into a satisfying frame. The found-footage conceit, once fresh, now feels like a crutch - a way to excuse sloppy composition rather than a tool for deepening immersion.

The cast is game, particularly Crampton, who elevates every scene she's in. But the film's greatest weakness is its inability to sustain dread. It's gross, it's loud, it's occasionally clever - but it's rarely scary. There's a difference between a haunted house and a demolition derby, and V/H/S/Mixtape too often mistakes the latter for the former.

Still, there's something admirable about a movie this committed to its own grimy wavelength. It doesn't try to be prestige horror. It wants to be the tape you find in a basement, and it owns that identity. That's worth something, even if the overall experience leaves you reaching for the rewind button.

Pros:

• Barbara Crampton brings genuine gravitas to a film that often lacks it
• The "Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance" segment has real energy and a few unforgettable images
• Moreau's visual commitment to the VHS aesthetic creates a consistent, grimy atmosphere
• The 98-minute runtime moves quickly and rarely overstays a scene

Cons:

• The frame narrative with GWAR feels disconnected and tonally adrift
• Found-footage gimmick has worn thin and rarely adds tension
• The film prioritizes gross-out moments over sustained dread
• Segments vary wildly in quality, making the overall experience uneven

V/H/S/Mixtape is a mixed bag with a bloody bow on top. It's not the franchise's high point, and it won't convert anyone who's already written off the series. But if you're in the mood for a grimy, loud, occasionally inspired horror anthology that treats music as a gateway to something nasty, you might find a few tracks worth keeping. Just don't expect the mixtape to play clean.