5 Reasons Why V/H/S Has Become the Definitive Found Footage Series

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The V/H/S film series continues to expand in both breadth and audience appeal, earning recognition as the foremost found-footage horror movie franchise. Each installment revolves around a group of VHS tapes containing bizarre and inexplicable occurrences, which are often watched by characters within their own interconnected stories. By blending found footage with horror anthology elements, the V/H/S movies have garnered success as a horror film franchise following the release of the first movie in 2012. Over time, the series has found a home on the streaming platform Shudder and has become an annual Halloween tradition.

The V/H/S franchise is set to carry on with its eighth installment in 2025, titled V/H/S/Halloween. This new chapter will feature a talented lineup of horror directors. While other found-footage horror movie franchises have had successful runs in the past, like the [REC] movies, The Blair Witch Project, and Paranormal Activity, the endurance and ongoing appeal of V/H/S have solidified its status as arguably the undisputed ruler of the found-footage sub-genre. Here are five reasons that demonstrate why the V/H/S franchise has become the benchmark for found-footage horror series.

1) V/H/S Learned the Biggest Lesson of Any Franchise That Goes Dormant

After the initial success of the first two V/H/S films, the series encountered a setback with its less favorably received third installment in 2014, titled V/H/S/Viral. At that time, it seemed like the V/H/S franchise had reached its end. However, the comeback of V/H/S in 2021 with V/H/S/94 not only rejuvenated the series but also established it as a Shudder Halloween tradition. Interestingly, this resurgence happened because V/H/S had been relatively inactive for seven years.

Time and again, famous film series conclude, yet those that come back with eagerly anticipated follow-ups (like Mad Max: Fury Road, Top Gun: Maverick, or even 2025’s Final Destination Bloodlines) enjoy substantial profits due to the illusion of their end, enabling curiosity and anticipation among viewers to gradually resurge and intensify. The creators of V/H/S seemed to grasp this concept perfectly, as they skillfully timed the franchise’s return to optimize the excitement surrounding its comeback. In essence, the return of V/H/S serves as a powerful illustration of the proverb “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2) V/H/S Has Kept Its Momentum Consistent Since 2021

The significance of V/H/S‘s hibernation playing a crucial role in its success is matched by the franchise’s persistent presence during Halloween, starting from 2021. Shudder and Bloody Disgusting both recognized the potential of a blockbuster with the success of V/H/S/94, while also learning from the highs and lows of the initial V/H/S trilogy. Since the release of V/H/S/94, October has not passed without a new V/H/S movie premiering on Shudder, and later becoming available on physical media and digital download.

The “found footage” style of the V/H/S series proves advantageous, enabling swift production on a modest budget without compromising quality. It’s essential in business and filmmaking to capitalize on momentum, and the V/H/S franchise has effectively done so since its 2021 comeback, keeping the creative heat at a high level with impressive outcomes.

3) The V/H/S Franchise Assigns a New Theme to Each Movie

The V/H/S series, starting with V/H/S/94, has introduced a distinctive twist by setting each movie within a specific theme. For instance, V/H/S/94, V/H/S/99, and V/H/S/85 are connected to particular years, allowing the stories and visual aesthetics to reflect the cultural anxieties, fears, and VHS recording styles of those eras. This has become another clever move in the V/H/S series, ensuring that each new addition feels innovative and unique.

In simpler terms, the 2024 film “V/H/S/Beyond” followed the series’ trend by setting each segment in a science fiction context, which paired well with horror as seen in the original “V/H/S”. The upcoming 2025 movie, “V/H/S/Halloween”, seems to be focusing on a Halloween theme, continuing the tradition of giving each V/H/S film since “V/H/S/94” a distinctive and engaging theme. This opens up possibilities for future V/H/S movies with themes ranging from musical to Christmas.

4) V/H/S Pulls in Many Horror Auteurs With Each Movie

Since the success of V/H/S/94, what’s been constant in the series is their collaboration with renowned horror directors for individual segments. The initial V/H/S films served as a stepping stone for Adam Wingard, while also featuring horror heavyweights like Eduardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale from The Blair Witch Project, Jason Eisener of Hobo with a Shotgun, and the Radio Silence Productions team – Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villela, and Justin Martinez.

The V/H/S franchise, renowned for its roster of distinguished horror directors, has each installment’s horror short crafted by talents like Simon Barrett, Johannes Robert, Flying Lotus, Scott Derrickson, Kate Siegel, and Mike Flanagan. In V/H/S/94, Indonesian action and horror master Timo Tjahjanto returned for the segment “The Subject,” having previously co-directed V/H/S 2’s “Safe Haven” with Gareth Evans from The Raid. Similarly, V/H/S/Halloween features Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly, and Paco Plaza, demonstrating the series’ ongoing commitment to collaborating with well-regarded filmmakers in the horror genre while also providing a platform for emerging talent.

5) V/H/S Gives Horror Fans Several Scary Movies for the Price of One

In essence, what makes V/H/S stand out is its unique blend of found footage style and horror anthology storytelling. This fusion allows viewers to choose their preferred terrifying tales from each V/H/S film, thereby shaping their overall experience with the series. Statistically, it’s highly likely that almost every viewer of a V/H/S movie will find at least one segment genuinely scary and impactful.

The varied structure of the anthology series, V/H/S, allows each new episode to gain attention in a distinctive manner. The most acclaimed short films often generate considerable buzz, attracting viewers with an excited exclamation of “You need to watch this!” Such excitement propels the V/H/S franchise to deliver as many as six heart-pounding found footage horror experiences annually, accumulating a total of 45 terrifying tales by the 2025 release of V/H/S Halloween. No other found footage horror series has provided horror enthusiasts with such outstanding value for money, cementing V/H/S as the undisputed leader in the found footage horror genre.

V/H/S/Halloween will be released on Shudder on October 3rd.

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2025-08-13 00:54