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V/H/S/Mixtape is the ninth film in the found-footage horror franchise, built around music, rhythm and sound. It is scheduled to stream on Shudder on October 9, 2026. In a review published October 6, Gizmodo’s Cheryl Eddy found pleasures in the anthology—especially one sound-driven segment and its practical puppets—but judged the film too uneven to make its musical concept a high note for the series.
What is V/H/S/Mixtape?
Announced by AMC Global Media on August 3, 2026, V/H/S/Mixtape is the ninth installment of the V/H/S franchise. It uses the series’ anthology and found-footage framework for stories about music and sound, with music-video interludes between horror segments. AMC describes its theme as “the power of music, rhythm, and audio to haunt, possess, and destroy.”
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The official contributor list brings together horror directors and music-world names: segments are directed by Ernest Dickerson, RZA, David Moreau and Renee Zhan. Zhan’s segment features original puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Flying Lotus directed original music-video interludes, Tobias Forge directed a new music video, and GWAR is featured. The mix gives the film a wider palette than a conventional set of short horror stories, although a roster of contributors cannot by itself ensure that the pieces cohere.
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AMC Global Media announced a Shudder streaming date of October 9, 2026, and AMC+’s title page also lists a new-movie premiere that day. The available release information establishes Shudder as the announced streaming destination; it does not establish availability in every country or detail subscription terms.
#1 Best Overall
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- Media Format: Blu-ray
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Country of Origin: USA
- Number of discs: 1
For New York viewers, IFC Center lists a local premiere opening October 8, one day earlier. The listing specifies a DCP presentation and an extended introduction by Ernest Dickerson at the 9:30 p.m. screening. That event is not evidence of a wider theatrical rollout.
What does the review say about the segments?
Cheryl Eddy’s October 6 Gizmodo review calls the anthology’s contents “fine but not fantastic.” Her assessment is mixed rather than a claim of consensus: she identifies individual pleasures, but argues that the stories vary in strength and that some musical inserts sit awkwardly beside the found-footage format.
“Heartbeat” makes the strongest impression
David Moreau’s “Heartbeat” follows influencers exploring a Cold War-era facility in Bulgaria. Eddy calls it “probably the standout entry,” particularly praising its sound-driven, skin-crawling finish. In her view, this is where the movie’s audio-centered idea most clearly becomes part of the horror rather than just a framing theme.
“Dance Dance Dance Dance” has memorable puppets, but a predictable story
Renee Zhan’s segment features Barbara Crampton and puppets created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Eddy finds the practical creatures appealing, while describing the story as predictable. For viewers drawn to practical effects, the puppetry may be a particular attraction; the review’s reservation is about the narrative, not the craft.
Rank #3
“The Music of Mr. Sze” leaves room for more
Ernest Dickerson’s segment centers on a student using camera-equipped glasses to record people without their knowledge and an eccentric neighbor’s violin playing. Eddy describes its reveal as wild, but says the piece feels as if it has more story to tell than its runtime allows.
“Death Tone” goes gruesome without much narrative range
RZA’s “Death Tone” follows a woman making a memorial track for her deceased producer father through gruesome methods. Eddy acknowledges the gore but considers the story narratively one-note.
Rank #4
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- Shrink-wrapped
The music videos test the format’s boundaries
The Flying Lotus and Tobias Forge videos are not styled as found footage, according to Eddy’s review. She questions how they fit the franchise’s format beyond reinforcing the music theme. That distinction matters in an anthology whose identity relies not only on horror stories, but on the premise that their footage has been found.
Is V/H/S/Mixtape worth watching?
Eddy’s review points to a qualified answer: it may appeal to viewers who enjoy the franchise’s grab-bag structure, sound-led scares, practical puppetry and grotesque effects, but it does not suggest that every segment lands equally well. “Heartbeat” is her clearest standout; the review is less impressed by predictable or thin stories and by musical inserts that loosen the connection to found footage.
Best Value
That is one critic’s judgment, not a settled verdict on the film or the franchise. Eddy’s larger question is whether the music concept proved less inspiring than earlier themes, or whether the annual series is entering a creative rut.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does it fit the recent V/H/S films?
Eddy frames V/H/S/Mixtape as part of a run of annual entries beginning with V/H/S/94 in 2021. In her comparison, V/H/S/85 used a year-specific frame, V/H/S/Beyond leaned into science fiction, and V/H/S/Halloween drew on Halloween imagery. Each title gives the anthology a unifying concept while keeping its collection-of-segments structure.
On the dimensions raised by this review, the comparison is about approach rather than a full ranking:
| Comparison | What the review establishes about V/H/S/Mixtape |
|---|---|
| Unifying theme | Music and sound offer a clear premise, and “Heartbeat” uses sound to strong effect; Eddy questions whether the theme inspires the film as much as earlier concepts did. |
| Use of found footage | The anthology retains the format, but the Flying Lotus and Tobias Forge videos are not presented as found footage, making their connection to it less clear in Eddy’s view. |
| Consistency | The review singles out “Heartbeat” and the puppetry while describing other stories as predictable, one-note or as if they needed more room. |
This is a single review’s reading of the films, not a comprehensive comparative ranking of the franchise.
What is established about its release and reception?
The release details come from AMC Global Media’s August 3 announcement, AMC+’s title page and IFC Center’s local event listing. The critical assessment above comes from Cheryl Eddy’s Gizmodo review, published October 6, 2026. AMC Global Media also said that V/H/S/Halloween became Shudder and AMC+’s “most-watched exclusive film premiere of 2025” and drove Shudder’s “biggest acquisition weekend of the year,” but gave no audience counts or methodology; that claim does not quantify viewership for V/H/S/Mixtape.
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