V/H/S/Mixtape

The latest instalment in the V/H/S franchise, 'V/H/S/Mixtape,' attempts to fuse horror with music and sound, but ultimately delivers a collection of shorts that are more discordant than harmonious. While the premise of music as a source of terror is intriguing, the execution across the anthology proves to be uneven, with several segments failing to resonate. The film's overarching theme, while a novel approach for the series, struggles to unify the disparate segments.

Some directors manage to craft compelling narratives, with RZA's 'Death Tone' and David Moreau's 'Heartbeat' being frequently cited as highlights for their effective use of tension and gore. The segment featuring puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, 'Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance,' directed by Renee Zhan, shows promise with its dark humour and practical effects, though some critics found its execution lacking. However, many of the shorts suffer from pacing issues and underdeveloped concepts.

Ernest Dickerson's 'The Music of Mr. Sze,' inspired by Lovecraft, is noted for taking too long to build its premise. The interstitial segments featuring GWAR are divisive, with some finding them jarring and tonally inconsistent with the rest of the anthology.

Visually, the film offers moments of creative direction and effective practical effects, particularly in segments like Flying Lotus's stop-motion nightmare 'Another Cabin.' Yet, the found-footage aesthetic, a hallmark of the series, doesn't always serve the narrative, and some segments lean more towards conventional filmmaking. Overall, 'V/H/S/Mixtape' is a mixed bag, with a few standout moments failing to elevate the anthology as a whole.

It's a testament to the franchise's ability to deliver occasional scares and creative ideas, but this particular mixtape struggles to find a consistent rhythm.