V/H/S/Mixtape review
There’s still some life in the V/H/S formula even if it’s not all hits.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
V/H/S/Mixtape
Directed by Ernest Dickerson, Flying Lotus, Tobias Forge, David Moreau, RZA and Renee Zhan
Written by Zoe Cooper, Ernest Dickerson, Matt Landsman, David Moreau and RZA
V/H/S/Mixtape Review
It’s time for our annual trip back to the V/H/S franchise. The recent flow of these movies harkens back to the yearly releases of slasher franchise films in the 80s. Which is great because it gives us something to look forward to every October. You know…besides Halloween. The latest installment is V/H/S/Mixtape. While it fails to reach the high standards of the recent era of the V/H/S series…it still has enough fun to be worth a spooky season viewing.
Like all V/H/S movies…Mixtape is an anthology. We review anthologies in a specific way on this site, and this will be no different. We’ll be breaking down the segments from worst to best…as the horror anthology Gods intended. First…we need to talk about the framing device for this one. If you’ve read any anthology reviews on this site you know that the wraparound stories in these movies are not my favorite. They usually amount to a lazy attempt to barely connect the short films inside the feature. V/H/S/Mixtape has a little more fun with the idea…even if it remains completely unimportant to forging an overall narrative.
This time around…we’re watching a, pardon the word usage, mix of ideas. There’s a short animated film and a full on music video…and some practical effect gore that’s fun to look at. It all amounts to something like watching a twisted version of a 90s show…but it keeps the energy flowing which is better than most framing devices do. I won’t be ranking it with the short films because it’s just a collection of stuff…but the stuff isn’t bad and that will probably bode well for its placement when I update the overall V/H/S segment rankings article.
Let’s not wait any longer…here are the four main short film installments in V/H/S/Mixtape ranked from worst to best:
The Music of Mr. Sze (segment 3)
Ernest Dickerson’s contribution to V/H/S/Mixtape isn’t a bad one on its own…it just feels largely out of place inside the high energy package that the feature creates. A man documents the strange musician upstairs from him and unknowingly gets wrapped up in some cosmic horror. The concept is strong…the film is well made…but it doesn’t feel like a V/H/S segment. I couldn’t help but feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had been an unrelated short on YouTube or screened at a festival.
The Music of Mr. Sze starts off pretty slowly and takes its time getting to the fun. Which makes for a fairly engaging story but sticks out in this movie in the wrong way. A violin player who lives upstairs conjuring cosmic horror through his violin should probably play a little weirder than it does here. Or, at least, it should get to it more quickly.
Heartbeat (segment 2)
The strength of Heartbeat is its simple concept. The reason it rises out of last place is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. The story revolves around a couple of YouTubers exploring a secret facility used for sonic testing. They end up trapped in one of those perfect silence rooms…and it drives them insane. Simple, effective and a fine look at a descent into blood and madness.
There isn’t much more to say about Heartbeat. That’s what makes it a fairly decent addition to a horror anthology. You get to the good stuff and then get on with the rest of the show.
Death Tone (segment 4)
As an anthology, V/H/S/Mixtape’s best attribute is that it places its two best segments as the book ends to the whole movie. They don’t quite save the best for last…but they do save second best with Death Tone. RZA writes and directs a segment that involves some excellent practical gore effects and a fun performance from its lead character.
The story is about a woman who is tasked with finishing her late father’s final piece of music. To find inspiration for it…she starts murdering people. Does that hold together narratively? I don’t know…maybe, maybe not. What it is though is a lot of fun. The best kills are saved for the end of Death Tone and that lets V/H/S/Mixtape go out on a high note.
Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance (segment 1)
If I had a nickel for every anthology whose best segment turned out to be the one where the puppets start murdering people…I’m sure I’d have more than one nickel. But I’d certainly have one for Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance. V/H/S/Mixtape kicks off by putting its best foot forward. We see the backstage workings of a children’s puppet show…and then we see those puppets go on a bloody rampage. What more do we really need? Horror isn’t that hard to do well when you think about it.
Barbara Crampton is in this one which is always going to raise it up a level or two. The final kill is a doozy…but the whole short is well worth checking out. It might not be an all-time great V/H/S segment…but it’s a darn good one. Throw it on one night and see what you think. Maybe you’ll decide to stick around for the whole show…maybe you’ll just enjoy a little puppet mayhem. You really can’t lose either way.
Scare Value
V/H/S/Mixtape isn’t the best of the series…but it isn’t the worst either. It’s bookended by a couple of worthwhile segments. Recent V/H/S movies are at their best when they let loose with the crazy…and the first and last short films in this package do that well. As an overall film…it’s fine. A let down from the last few entries…but a fun enough watch on some night this spooky season for Shudder subscribers.
2.5/5
V/H/S/Mixtape Link
Streaming on Shudder
