‘V/H/S/Mixtape’ Isn’t a High Note for the Horror Franchise

For a while, it seemed like the V/H/S series was onto something with its approach to theming. Making all the segments set in the same year was clever, with cultural considerations and the limits of technology helping guide the individual segments. The franchise is still trying to top 2023’s V/H/S/85 and very nearly got there with 2024’s V/H/S/Beyond, which signaled a shift from “years” to “horror subgenres.”

In that case, it was sci-fi; last year’s entry, V/H/S/Halloween, focused on the…