V/H/S Mixtape is, alas, one of the weaker entries in the V/H/S horror anthology franchise. The idea of a compilation of short fear-fare tales built around music holds a lot of promise, but only the opening and closing entries are memorable. Let’s go segment by segment after discussing the wraparound. Synopses in italics are from official press material.
Wrap Segment
Gwar hosts skits and music videos in an MTV-style show from hell. It also features music videos directed by Tobias Forge and Flying Lotus.
Let’s get this out of the way: The Gwar wraparound is, for me, the absolute worst V/H/S franchise wraparound. Certainly, mileage will vary with Gwar fans and those who enjoy the lowest forms of middle school gross-out humor. If you don’t fit into one of those two camps, you’d be well advised to skip through those segments. The music videos, though interesting, feel out of place in a V/H/S portmanteau, even this one that is music-themed.
DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE
Directed by Renee Zhan
A studio attempts to reboot a long-canceled puppet show with a mysterious past. Featuring work from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
Barbara Crampton gives yet another fine performance in this very V/H/S-series style segment concerning a studio executive (Crampton) and her charges attempting to reimagine a popular children’s puppet show of the past. All of the manic chaos you would hope for from a better tale in the V/H/S franchise is on display, making this one of the two best segments in this entry.
HEARTBEAT
Directed by David Moreau
A pair of YouTube urbex influencers find themselves trapped in a decommissioned military facility used for sonic experimentation.
“Hearbeat” went on far too long for its simple tale of two online personalities who were wholly unprepared for the aural madness they would encounter.
THE MUSIC OF MR. SZE
Directed by Ernest Dickerson
A college film student’s documentary project uncovers the reclusive life of a tormented musician.
“The Music of Mr. Sze” swings for the fences with its tale of a mysterious violinist (Alex Hsu) and his new neighbor (Jihad Brendt) who wants to document the man’s musical talent. Naturally, curiosity gets the better of the filmmaker, leading to a familiar kind of ending but one that is nevertheless unexpected until it happens.
DEATH TONE
Directed by RZA
A young sound engineer follows her late dad’s instructions to create the ultimate track.
The strongest entry in this portmanteau, both in storytelling and graphic content, is Death Tone. RZA delivers the imaginative shocks and grue galore in this story of a young woman (Neela Jolene) who attempts to follow in her deceased music producer father’s footsteps by way of torturing and killing to get the right beats and sounds. Gorehounds will have a blast with this entry but it also boasts a terrific lead performance from Jolene, solid direction, and commitment to its storytelling.
V/H/S Mixtape streams exclusively on Shudder from October 9, 2026.
