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Pop One In: How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the V/H/S movies in order before V/H/S: Beyond comes out on October 4.

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In what order should I watch the V/H/S movies?

Nothing spells fun like unmarked VHS tapes. You’re almost guaranteed to find hilarious cringe from the Beforetimes or, you know, blackmail fodder.* In the V/H/S movies, however, you almost always discover something utterly horrific and, if you can suspend disbelief, possibly real.

You’ve heard about the joys of the super-scary found-footage V/H/S franchise. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking CableTV.com how to watch the V/H/S movies in order. Well, here’s the scoop on which streaming services and video-on-demand outlets have the films available to stream, rent, or buy.

Why trust us? At age 9, Randy Harward begged his mom to take him to see An American Werewolf in London. She resisted but eventually relented.

Soon after that core cinematic experience, Randy discovered FANGORIA magazine and video stores. Several decades later, he supports himself and his raging horror habit by writing, reading, and talking about scary movies for CableTV.com.

If you start now, you’ll probably finish them all before the newest film in the series, V/H/S Beyond, comes to Shudder on Friday, October 4.

* Blackmail is a crime. Don’t do it or we’ll tell everyone about you-know-what.

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Pro tip: Watching every V/H/S movie in order—including the spinoff films—will take 14 hours and 43 minutes.

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What are the V/H/S movies?

The V/H/S franchise is a popular series of found-footage horror anthologies, where the found element makes the shorts feel all too real, resulting in some harrowing change-your-underwear moments.

Brad Miska, a film producer and co-founder of the popular horror website Bloody Disgusting, conceived the series, recruiting filmmakers he’d worked with on the website. Since V/H/S debuted in 2012, the series has featured innovative, terrifying, and often shocking short films from more than three dozen directors—including many whose names you may know.

Image from the "Safe Haven" short in V/H/S/2 shows a wide-eyed Asian man in an office giving an interview. Subtitles read, "I do not need to look upwards." The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

A scene from “Safe Haven” in V/H/S/2. (Video screenshot from Peacock)

A scene from "Hail Ratman" in V/H/S/94 shows the back of a reporter's head as she interviews a wide-eyed, blood-drooling, unhoused man.

A scene from “Hail Ratman” in V/H/S/94. (Video screenshot from Shudder)

The general structure of a V/H/S movie is similar to that of other horror anthologies like Trick ‘r Treat (2007) or Creepshow (1982), with four or five horror shorts that play between episodic doses of a wraparound story (or framing narrative). The wraparound tale typically involves someone finding and playing a mysterious stash of VHS tapes—the source of the abovementioned shorts.

The V/H/S series now encompasses seven anthologies, two spinoff features, and a Snapchat “Snap Originals” miniseries. The latest V/H/S movie, V/H/S: Beyond, comes to Shudder on Friday, October 4, 2024.

How to watch the V/H/S movies in chronological order

We’ve included automatically updating links from JustWatch.com for every V/H/S movie and spinoff (plus a direct link to the free miniseries). These will show you where to stream, rent, or buy the V/H/S movies via on-demand streaming TV services or video-on-demand (VOD) retailers like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

List of V/H/S movies in release order

Although some of the V/H/S stories are connected, they’re not enough to make a difference narratively. The closest you’ll get to watching them in chronological order is in the list below—but don’t expect any interesting narrative variation.

List of V/H/S movies in chronological order

But since there’s no timeline to adhere to in the V/H/S franchises, you can watch the films any way you want, whether it’s release order or a sequence determined by your whim. So pick a “tape,” pop it in, and press play.

Where to watch V/H/S (2012)

The V/H/S (2012) poster art shows a skull mosaic made from the spines of VHS tapes. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

Directors in this inaugural V/H/S movie include David Bruckner (The Ritual, The Night House), Adam Wingard (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, You’re Next), Ti West (X, Pearl, MaXXXine), and Radio Silence (Scream 5 and Scream VI). Bruckner’s “Amateur Night” short spawned a full-length version, SiREN.

Where to watch V/H/S/2 (2013)

The V/H/S/2 poster art shows a skull mosaic made from strips of VHS tape. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

In the first V/H/S sequel, Wingard returns, joined by Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project), Timo Tjahjanto (May the Devil Take You, Nobody 2) and Gareth Evans (The Raid movies), Simon Barrett (writer, You’re Next), and Jason Eisner (Hobo with a Shotgun, Turbo Kid). In 2023, Eisner expanded his “Slumber Party Alien Abduction” into the feature-length Kids vs. Aliens.

Where to watch V/H/S: Viral (2014)

The V/H/S: Viral poster art shows a human head wearing a sheer skull mask. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

VHS: Viral opens the door to digital footage from cell phones and GoPros with five new shorts. Contributing directors include Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), Greg Bishop (SiREN, Dance of the Dead), Nacho Vigalondo (The ABCs of Death, The Profane Exhibit), and the duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Something in the Dirt).

More how-to-watch horror franchise guides

Where to watch SiREN (2016)

The poster art for SiREN shows a waist-up, rear view of a nude woman with gnarled hands emerging from in front of her. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

The first spinoff film in the V/H/S series, SiREN finds Hannah Fierman reprising her role as the ostensibly shy succubus Lily/Lilith in this expansion of David Bruckner’s short film “Amateur Night” from V/H/S.

Where to watch V/H/S: Video Horror Shorts (2018)

The V/H/S: Video Horror shorts poster art shows a phone with a cracked screen. The cracks form an image of a skull. The miniseries is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

This collection of four, 4–5 minute, vertically filmed V/H/S shorts streams on the Snapchat platform. It tries, but largely fails, to capture V/H/S lightning in a mini-bottle. Blame the format: These short-shorts feel like rejected contest entries and end before you’re properly invested or even frightened. If you still wanna watch them, they pass quickly—in about 20 minutes.

Where to watch V/H/S/94 (2021)

The V/H/S/94 poster art shows a person screaming with VHS tape coming out of their mouth. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

The first full-length V/H/S movie in seven years, V/H/S/94 includes segments from Jennifer Reeder (Perpetrator), Chloe Okuno (Watcher), and Ryan Prows (Lowlife). Also, Barrett and Tjahjanto return after directing segments in V/H/S/2.

Even more how-to-watch horror franchise guides

Where to watch V/H/S/99 (2022)

The V/H/S/99 poster art shows a with glowing eyes over a burning cityscape. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

The fifth anthology, V/H/S/99 features segments by directors Johannes Roberts (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City), Flying Lotus (Kuso), Vanessa & Joseph Winter (Deadstream), Maggie Levin (My Valentine), and Tyler MacIntyre (It’s A Wonderful Knife, Patchwork).

Where to watch Kids vs. Aliens (2023)

The poster art for Kids vs. Aliens shows an alien dragging a screaming child through water. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

Like Gregg Bishop did with SiREN, director Jason Eisner (Hobo with a Shotgun, Turbo Kid) expands his V/H/S/2 short, “Slumber Party Alien Abduction,” into a feature film.

Where to watch V/H/S/85 (2023)

The V/H/S/85 poster art shows a person standing before a pink and purple ramp leading to a giant skull with open, glowing mouth and eyes. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

Rewinding to the ‘80s (and those huge camcorders), V/H/S/85 has segments from Bruckner, Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Black Phone), Gigi Saul Guerrero (México Bárbaro, Bingo Hell), Natasha Kermani (Lucky, Imitation Girl), and Mike P. Nelson (2021’s Wrong Turn).

Where to watch V/H/S: Beyond (October 4, 2024)

The V/H/S: Beyond poster art shows a skull with an astronaut helmet using a crystal ball. The film is covered in How to Watch the V/H/S Movies in Order.

The seventh V/H/S movie, V/H/S Beyond, is a sci-fi horror affair, with segments from Jordan Downey (ThanksKilling, The Head Hunter), Christian and Justin Long (yes, the actor and his brother), Justin Martinez (of Radio Silence), actress Kate Siegel directing a segment written by her husband, Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Oculus), and Virat Pal (Recapture). The film comes to Shudder on Friday, October 4, 2024.

How to watch the V/H/S movies in order FAQ

Which V/H/S movie is first?

The first V/H/S movie is V/H/S (2012). Here’s the complete list of V/H/S movies in release order:

  • V/H/S (2012)
  • V/H/S/2 (2013)
  • V/H/S: Viral (2014)
  • SiREN (2016)
  • V/H/S: Video Horror Shorts (2018)
  • V/H/S/94 (2021)
  • V/H/S/99 (2022)
  • Kids vs. Aliens (2023)
  • V/H/S/85 (2023)
  • V/H/S Beyond (Oct. 4, 2024)

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