Though Night of the Reaper is set in 80s suburbia, the film is careful not to dwell too much on nostalgia. Yes, the slasher is one part love letter to the decade and the heyday of the genre, but it also very much feels contemporary, with meta elements and a delicate handling of multiple narratives. Once again, writer/director Brandon Christensen has crafted an arresting horror movie that also sets the spooky season vibes. Night of the Reaper deserves a spot on Halloween season watch lists.
Like the Scream movies, Night of the Reaper begins with a long cold opening. A killer dressed in a skull mask and grim reaper costume stalks and eventually murders a babysitter named Emily (Summer H. Howell). This premise isn't exactly new, and at first glance, it seems like Brandon Christensen and co-writer Ryan Christensen aren't giving us anything fresh. We've seen this play out countless times in endless slashers. However, Emily's murder eventually connects to other threads, ultimately building to a well-written conclusion.
After the cold opening, the movie then shifts to two other narratives. Deena (Jessica Clement) returns from college for at least a weekend and feels slightly out of place in her small suburban hometown. Everyone asks her what college is like, but she's reluctanct to answer. In terms of a leading female protagonist, Clement does a pretty good, if not understated job. She shines much more in the last act.
The other narrative pertains to the weary Sheriff Rod (Ryan Robbins), who can't quite figure out who murdered Emily. Additionally, someone keeps sending him disturbing objects in the mail that may or may not have something to do with the reaper killer and Emily's death. The film's varying plotlines do start to somewhat connect once Deena bails out one of her hometown besties and agrees to babysit Sheriff Rod's kid. Again, it initially seems like the film will only hit upon well-known slasher beats and the overdone narrative of a babysitter in peril. However, that's not quite where the film ultimately lands and the third act is worth the wait.
For a slasher, it should be stated that the kills are a bit lackluster. There's not a whole lot of gore here, but the villain does create disturbing snuff tapes that other characters eventually view, catching the final moments of the reaper's victims. The grainy VHS tapes add to the 80s aesthetic and create a hair-raising factor that the rest of the film doesn't really have.
Additionally, the film showcases plenty of vintage Halloween decorations, which certainly makes this a fun watch for spooky season. Again, the film doesn't focus on 80s nostalgia, but Night of the Reaper contains a visually arresting Halloween atmosphere that makes it the perfect watch now that pumpkin spiced everything has hit the shelves.
With multiple films under his belt at this point, Christensen has become a bit of the journeyman in the genre. He's always a reliable director. With Night of the Reaper, he's crafted an intriguing slasher that plays out like a whodunit. It's also a fitting watch for spooky season, thanks to its Halloween setting, vintage decorations and all.
Night of the Reaper streams on Shudder beginning September 19 as part of the network's Season of Screams.