Night of the Reaper

First off, if you prefer more shocks and gore and brutal kills and action in your Horror Thrillers, then this is Not the one for you.

To better describe the film would be I think to say that it is a very Suspenseful, Murder/Thriller with some nice Horror touches and a strong atmosphere. What I noticed immediately from the start is that this movie was crafted very well. You could tell readily by the camerawork alone and editing that the technical skills behind this were very strong indeed.

There is no corny acting or dialog or cliched nonsense here, and ones who watch a lot of these types of Horror films will be able to tell the stark difference in quality right away. The acting across the board was very good. And again, it was the direction and extremely skilful way the scenes were shot and put together that really impressed me. I mean, it was done So well, that at that point I almost didn't really care about the story itself because I was enjoying the wonderful way this film was clearly put together.

The way the story unfolds is definitely a Slow Burn. You don't get to the actual Horror/Action until later on. But, I felt the story itself was well done and the way the filmmakers created a Suspenseful atmosphere and the way the plot unfolded was to me extremely effective and engaging.

So, again, if you prefer more wall to wall thrills and kills you are likely going to find this one rather slow and boring. But the movie is truly anything but... There are some nice, Very Refreshing twists and turns in the story that I was really happy to see, rather than the usual, cliched, and tiresome double whammy at the end. That's all I'll say about that without spoiling anything, but I very much liked the ending (and of course, the ending song... :D)

So, we're really talking high quality filmmaking here which is strongly directed, written, and acted, not to mention the excellent cinematography. I believe in the closing credits I noticed that the director also did the editing. Oh, and yes, that is extremely well done too. You could tell that there was a lot of thought and planning in the way even very simple shots were put together and the angles and panning used that built a nice sense of tension and flowed really well. But it did this in a genuine, organic way, never overdone but clearly very well thought out.

If you like real quality Thrillers with some Horror elements, and in addition if you like a nice Crime/Mystery, and you do not need constant, extreme violence (but, granted, there are a couple of nice shocks here too!) then there is an excellent chance that you will really enjoy this movie. For me personally I would give it an '8', but I think perhaps people in general would likely view it more as a '7', so that is what I gave it.

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I don't waste your time on just restating the plot, but I try to let you know if I think this is an entertaining movie and what it's strengths and weaknesses are.

Hopefully, that will be of more benefit and genuinely helpful to you as to whether I feel the movie is worth watching (and also perhaps what 'Type' of film it is and what type of people may enjoy it)

My Particular Way of Rating:

5 - Flawed, but perhaps with a little entertainment value here and there for some.

6. A decently passable story maybe worth a watch.

7. A solid film, well made, effective, and entertaining.

And, obviously, you can probably figure out what above and below these would mean... : )

A Shudder original that samples from several slasher films, but has some nice twists & something a little new. Ended up liking it better than I expected. Some #Shudder originals are hits and some are misses. This is a hit. This is the second film I've seen by Brandon Christensen. I've enjoyed both of them. Looking forward to seeing more of his work.

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.

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.

Loved the 80s vibe, vhs, walkie talkies, babysitter alone in the house, sheriff on a mission to save the day before it's too late. All a fantastic setup for a great little slasher movie.

The set up was great. But the way it turns out in the last half hour was completely different.

You get the feeling while watching it that a lot of your opinion of the whole movie will depend on the payoff at the end. Will it be surprising? Clever?

Well i think it tried to be both, bit failed on both accounts. And when you look at the full reveal and lay it all out exactly what happened it makes no sense at all, why? Why was anyone doing what it was revealed they were doing?

Ok you can think well i don't understand why they did that but ok, but how?? How did anyone do what they did? So little makes sense

there was some real nice tension and suspense in the house i really liked up till the end, the ending isn't the worse but i just felt went against so much of the tense build up that was created before.