Canadian filmmaker Brandon Christensen is not a big name in Hollywood, but fans of the horror genre are certainly familiar with his work on Shudder originals like The Puppetman, Superhost, and 2019’s Z. His films tend to be decent rather than spectacular, generating mostly middling reviews. So, one would be forgiven for doubting that the director would make good on his claims about delivering “something totally different” with Night of the Reaper, premiering on Shudder on September 19. However, Christensen has done just that, subverting expectations and delivering a genuine surprise with the film.
What Is ‘Night of the Reaper’ About?

Night of the Reaper takes place in 1980s Anytown, USA, opening with a taut 10-minute scene that sees the titular Reaper take the life of babysitter Emily (Summer H. Howell). The film then moves to Deena (Jessica Clement), a college student returning to her gloomy family home. She gets a call from her friend Haddie (Savannah Miller) imploring Deena to fill in for her babysitting gig that night after falling ill. Deena agrees, and makes her way to Sheriff Rod’s (Ryan Robbins) home to babysit his son, Max (Max Christensen). Meanwhile, the sheriff has a mystery on his hands. Earlier, a box showed up on his front porch, with no markings. He opens it to find a videocassette titled “Night of the Reaper — Connor” and plays it in his VCR. It’s a snuff film, with the Reaper dragging Connor (Drake Seipert) out of his tent and bludgeoning him with a stone. It’s alarming, as his death was chalked up to an accidental fall by the river nearby. He goes to the area and finds yet another unmarked box containing a garage door opener. On a hunch, Rod goes to the home of Emily, and, sure enough, the opener works, and inside is another tape titled “Emily.” They take the cassette back to headquarters, where they watch Emily’s dying moments on film. Back at the sheriff’s eerie-looking home, Max gives Deena a tour, showing off the rooms — the one’s he’s allowed in, that is — and the basement, where Deena finds a box that contains the personal effects of Rod’s wife, who tragically died in a car accident. After Max is put to sleep, Deena becomes aware that she is being watched, hunted by someone in the house with her. It’s the Reaper, and it is toying with Deena and growing increasingly more terrifying every minute. Night of the Reaper then makes a very surprising turn, bringing the two parallel storylines into one.
‘Night of the Reaper’ Thrives on a Less Is More Approach

Closeup of the Reaper’s skull mask in Night of the Reaper.Credit: Image via Shudder.

Both the title and the premise of Night of the Reaper suggest a throwback to 1980s slasher flicks, and that is the primary expectation that Christensen subverts. If you’re looking for gore and a serial killer that murders teens with a scythe, look elsewhere. As he did in Z, Christensen adheres to a “less is more” ideal, relying on suggestions, hints, and the reactions of characters to a presence that is only ever seen in the shadows to deliver the chills. It’s a taut horror thriller from beginning to end, mixed with a police procedural element that becomes increasingly urgent as the “babysitter is locked inside the house with the killer” element continues to escalate. So, when a murder is actually shown on screen, it’s jarring (one is darkly humorous; let’s just say the victim won’t need a barber again anytime soon). And just when you think you know who the Reaper is, Christensen pulls another trick on the audience. The director fills the movie with scenes and moments meant to throw the moviegoer off the scent, and succeeds. There are the peripheral moments that are noticeable, but unobtrusive: The subtle movement of a clothes hanger alludes to a physical presence in the closet, watching; A Grim Reaper lawn decoration whose head swivels ever so slightly, suggesting a spiritual presence. Then there are overt scenes, like the snuff films that hint at one, maybe two Reapers, but doesn’t rule out the idea of a malevolent spirit either (see Sinister). All of it is carefully crafted to deepen the impact of the film’s twist.
The ’80s Setting Helps ‘Night of the Reaper’ Land Its Twist

Closeup of Sheriff Rod (Ryan Robbins) in the forest in Night of the Reaper.Credit: Image via Shudder

Night of the Reaper benefits strongly from its 1980s setting. Over and above setting the expectations of a 1980s-era slasher flick, it lends a degree of plausibility to the film’s twist which, as good as it is, borders on the unbelievable already. Had the film been set in the present, the entirety of the plot falls apart. Cameras would catch whoever was leaving packages on the front porch. There wouldn’t be a reliance on the landline to phone out. DNA testing would have done the reveal alone. In setting the film in the 1980s, Christensen has gained that modicum of belief, but at the expense of a larger pool of suspects, slightly lessening the impact of the film overall. But Night of the Reaper’s greatest strength is that aforementioned twist. Everything Christensen does with the film to that point aids the film’s twist in its third act in becoming truly and legitimately surprising. It forces the viewer to reappraise what they’ve seen, trying to piece together the clues that Christensen has peppered throughout, subtly and overtly. Without spoiling the twist, it demands a rewatch to see what clues were missed the first time around (which Clement also suggests in the aforementioned In Between Drafts interview).
Summer H. Howell and Jessica Clement Are Part of a Great Cast

Deena (Jessica Clement) in skull makeup in Night of the Reaper.Credit: Image via Shudder.

What is truly refreshing and beneficial for the film are its main characters, and the cast that grounds them. They act how they would presumably in real life. Lights get turned on when going downstairs, there isn’t incessant screaming, and, in a decidedly un-1980s slasher flick fashion, the teens aren’t promiscuous hound dogs looking for action before being chopped up. Summer H. Howell, set to star in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Carrie adaptation, makes the most of her 10 minutes of screen time as Emily in an opening reminiscent of Scream, effectively capturing the moment with an increasing terror in her eyes and speech that matches the scene’s pace. Sheriff Rod is, for the most part, rather ordinary, but when he watches one murder video in particular, the anger and grief in his eyes are worth the price of admission alone; a stellar, silent moment of intense horror that hits hard. But the film centers on Deena, and Jessica Clement, currently seen on Gen V as Harper (and in 2017 TV series Pure with co-star Robbins), nails it. She has large, stunning eyes that betray her emotions throughout the film. Glee, terror, panic and more dance there, unmistakably sharing the same emotions as the audience. The early parts of the film, where Deena is mostly morose, land believably, and she maintains that throughout her entire arc. Where the film falters is in its unexceptional secondary characters and, more importantly, its antagonist (antagonists?), which falls into stock psychopath territory without really adding anything new. Still, it pays off in a rewarding end nonetheless. Make no mistake: Night of the Reaper does require a level of suspension of disbelief to truly succeed. Maybe not as high as its 1980s setting would require, but still enough that those who can’t accept a little incredibility will likely be turned off. Additionally, those more horror-savvy can probably figure out who’s responsible for the deaths. But Night of the Reaper succeeds in Christensen’s goal of bringing something new to the horror genre, and keeps the audience engaged, mystified, and on the edge of their seats. Bonus points for fittingly ending with Blue Öyster Cult’s (Don’t Fear) the Reaper. Night of the Reaper starts streaming on Shudder on September 19.

Release Date

October 16, 2025

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Brandon Christensen

Writers

Bryan Christensen

Producers

Justin A. Martell, Michael Peterson, David Hiatt

Pros & Cons

Taut from beginning to end.
1980s setting adds plausibility to the film?s plot devices.
A spectacular, innovative third act twist.

Unspectacular secondary characters.
Pool of suspects is limited.
Antagonist, or antagonists, play(s) more as stereotype.