Night of the Reaper
September 16th, 2025
MOVIE: NIGHT OF THE REAPER
STARRING: JESSICA CLEMENT, RYAN ROBBINS, MATTY FINOCHIO, SUMMER H. HOWELL, BEN COCKELL
DIRECTED BY: BRANDON CHRISTENSEN
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
As Halloween approaches, there’s no better way to get into the spirit than by diving into new horror films and indulging in a few jump scares before October’s festivities. But in a genre that often feels saturated, it’s becoming increasingly tough for horror films to stand out—especially outside the high bar set by titles like Weapons or Sinners. Night of the Reaper throws its hat into the ring as a spirited indie slasher, but ultimately feels too familiar to make a lasting impact.
Set in the classic babysitter-slasher mold, the film clearly draws inspiration from John Carpenter’s Halloween, yet struggles to bring anything new to the table. While it’s not without its moments, Night of the Reaper is more of a night to forget than one to remember.
The film opens with teenager Emily (Summer H. Howell) babysitting two energetic kids. She’s hoping for a quiet evening to herself, but strange occurrences soon begin: a teddy bear mysteriously appears in the hallway, the garage door opens on its own, and a masked figure resembling a grim reaper emerges. Initially, this seems like a one-off scare, but the narrative jumps forward a few years to follow Deena (Jessica Clement), a college student returning home, only to find the masked terror has returned.
A secondary plot follows Sheriff Rod (Ryan Robbins), who receives a mysterious package containing a garage door opener- one that opens the door to the house where Emily was killed. As more packages arrive, including old VHS tapes of the Reaper’s past murders, the sheriff finds himself on a scavenger hunt to uncover the killer’s identity.
Aesthetically, Night of the Reaper leans hard into 80s-inspired horror, evoking the look and feel of Halloween, House of the Devil, and similar throwback films. Writer-director Brandon Christensen, known for crafting effective low-budget horror, once again demonstrates a strong eye for style. Unfortunately, this time around, the story doesn’t hold up. The plot is riddled with inconsistencies and questionable character choices, and while the film aims for a moody atmosphere, much of it is marred by overly dark lighting. The kills, too, are disappointingly generic and lack the punch needed to make them memorable.
There’s clear potential in Clement, who hints at a Jamie Lee Curtis–style scream queen energy, and Robbins brings a rugged steadiness that recalls Charles Cyphers. But rather than their stories intertwining meaningfully, each character feels like they’re in a separate movie. That disconnect is emblematic of the film’s biggest flaw: it has all the right ingredients, but they never quite come together.
Night of the Reaper isn’t a terrible choice to kick off your spooky season, but it’s unlikely to leave a mark. In such a crowded genre, originality and bold storytelling are what set films apart. Sadly, this one plays it too safe. And in horror- as in life- you reap what you sow.
2 STARS
NIGHT OF THE REAPER PREMIERS ON SHUDDER FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
