Night of the Reaper

Shudder continues its love affair with retro-inspired horror with Night of the Reaper, a slasher that blends 80s atmosphere with modern cinematography and sprinkles of found footage. On paper, this sounds like a recipe for a standout throwback, but what we end up with is a mixed bag... an uneven ride with some genuinely effective moments and a whole lot of missed opportunities.

The film opens strong, babysitter Emily alone in a house, mysterious notes left behind, and objects moving out of place. It's a clever cat-and-mouse setup that nods to the classic babysitter and the man upstairs urban legend. The film feels like something right out of the V/H/S/ playbook, which makes sense since the killer's calling card is leaving VHS tapes documenting his stalking and murders. The inclusion of those tapes builds tension early on, and when the local sheriff gets pulled into a scavenger hunt tied to these killings, the film hints at a more layered story than your average slasher.

Unfortunately, the momentum fizzles and not after the opening either, during it. The middle section drags with a fairly average story and underwhelming kills, and the movie doesn't regain steam until the third act. By then, some fun twists arrive, but it feels like too little too late.

Here's where the film stumbles in slasher fundamentals:

1. The Mask: A slasher needs an iconic mask or look. Here, the killer uses something that feels too generic. Sure, it's "realistic," but realism isn't memorable. Horror fans live for the striking imagery you'd see plastered in old Fangoria ads.

2. Kill Bait: Slashers thrive on characters you either care about or love to hate-people you invest in emotionally, one way or another. Night of the Reaper lacks that, leaving the kills without impact.

3. The Kills Themselves: They're tame, forgettable, and restrained to the point of being bland. If the intention was gritty realism, the execution falls flat. Films like Creep or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer show how you can make "realistic" disturbing. Here, you never feel truly threatened or unsettled.... you just... watch.

By the finale, things finally click into gear. The twists are engaging, and the energy ramps up, which makes you wish the entire film had leaned into that intensity. But by then, you've sat through a lot of middling buildup.

On a side note, it's hard not to notice how much attention the camera gives to the final girl's ass. It feels like the filmmakers wanted to include a little old-school exploitation-style T&A, but forgot the "T" part. Intentional or not, it becomes a distraction and not the good kind (well maybe).

Night of the Reaper is a decent one-time watch for diehard slasher fans who want something atmospheric to play in the background, but it never truly delivers on the promise of its setup. The ending shows what the film could have been, but the ride there is too uneven, too toothless, and too uninspired to stand out in the crowded slasher landscape.

I wasn't sure what to expect since this movie had no reviews but could my expectations exceeded! It was a fantastic suspense movie. I'll count that there were a few elements that I thought were missed but nothing that made the movie less enjoyable. Fantastic twists as well! Also the female lead had that classic "final girl" look that I feel like adds so much! This will be making my rewatch list, & it should make yours too! Enjoy your ride with the reaper ladies & gentleman.

Brandon Christensen's new horror film is an innovative slasher with well-executed ideas that make it highly recommended. It stars Jessica Clement and Ryan Robbins.

Its director presents us with a slasher with a very '80s style, not only because it's set in that decade, but also because of its distinctly analog approach. It's a film that feels retro in every way, highlighted by a memorable soundtrack and nostalgic art design that adds even more charm to what we see on screen.

We're faced with a straightforward, straightforward offering that doesn't present any major complications, but which takes advantage of its varied twists to highlight its powerful Final Girl, played outstandingly by Jessica Clement. Its cast also contributes to the film's solidity. It also offers a very gratifying opening sequence with Summer H. Howell and some villains who are quite interesting to watch.

It's a film that fulfills its purpose; it may not be the best of its genre this year, but the director's intention to offer something fresh to the audience is evident. In my opinion, the film delivers with enthusiasm, although, of course, it has some weaknesses. However, at no point does the story seem to stray. It's a journey that keeps you attentive and, above all, enjoying what's on screen.

It could have been much more well-rounded, but it chooses to prioritize its plot twists, a choice that at times takes away some of the impact it truly deserves.

A recommended film for fans of the slasher genre: it delivers, it entertains, and it genuinely makes you jump out of your seat.

Returning home from college, a student spending time catching up with her family is roped into babysitting for a friend at a local sheriff's house for his kid on Halloween night, but when she finds herself harassed by a killer, she must find the motivation to stop him.

This was an okay enough slasher throwback, although it had some issues. Among the better factors involved here is the fun enough and likeable setup that provides this one with some intriguing enough storylines. The main storyline about the woman coming home and trying to make up for lost time with the rest of her family, only to get brought into the babysitting gig that brings her out to the remote house where the rest of the film takes place, offering the kind of setup where it could've been somewhat fun. The constant notices of the stranger in the area wanting to target her but the series of different interactions found there offer up the kind of suspense that really should've made this far more tense when it gets to the realization that the killer is stalking her in his house following up on the police investigation taking place alongside all this, providing this with some likable enough factors. Outside of this, there are some big issues present that keep this one down. The main drawback present is the sluggish and draining tempo of what's going on in the secondary storylines that aren't that interesting or provide a reasonable enough series of interactions that keep the film moving along. With the majority of this focusing on the murder tapes revealing a gruesome accident in town from years earlier that the sheriff is deadset on solving which instead seems to paint the most obvious suspects of the crime, it feels quite apparent what's going on here as there's little about this that's deviated from the expected, nor is any of it all that interesting. The connection between the stories is trying to make the connections happen when it all just ends up eating into the running time before it all comes back around in a predictable manner at the end. The other factor holding this one down is the series of nonsensical and generally confusing revelations that come about from the killer's final unraveling and motivation. This is the kind of wholly mixed-up series of plot points that would require so much contrivance to play out to come together that there are some unnecessary steps to set everything in motion, which are pulled together more so that it'll be a surprise rather than a genuine factor of this one if it were to come off in a logical sense. That goes as well for the strange resolution that has some bizarre choices here with regards to how the survivors come together and letting everything play out as it feels to go against the rational parts of the storyline for coming up with a shocking ending that doesn't make sense, all of which come together poorly to hold this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

I was hesitant to watch Night of the Reaper because the previous work from this director was a bit meh. I read reviews and saw some if not a good deal of reviews were positive, also I like Shudder and tend to give their original films a chance. In doing so I've been left with a lot of hit or miss, but for the most part I've found pretty entertaining horror. I am pleased to say Night of the Reaper was a pleasant surprise. Although not perfect, but what is, you can appreciate it's throwback attempt, which was well done and it's low budget feel. It wasn't low low but they made good use with what they had. I did have a problem with the first hour not having enough kills to be considered a slasher film. Be patient it's all apart of the setup. You get to know the characters and motivations for the things they do in the film. The main character may grate you with her decisions but it's again motivation. Not giving away any spoilers here but the last 30 minutes is when the payoff kicks in, and oh boy does it. It's worth the wait for the setup. The trapped babysitter being terrorized and making the same old mistakes is worth the frustration you feel. A few plot wholes and slow pacing can put you off but wait, it pays off. The entire cast was solid and the DP work kept the mood at a damn good atmospheric creepy mood. I'd give it a 7 but the budget constraints do show at times. This is a solid horror film and well worth the watch. The lead actress and the sheriff carry the heavy workload and they deliver. Watch and enjoy.