Motion Poster (click to play):
Night of the Reaper (2025) is an 80's Halloween set slasher horror that premieres on Shudder today September 19, 2025. It's about, College student Deena who visits home and is roped into babysitting. While the local sheriff is mailed a piece of evidence and is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer of another babysitter.
SYNOPSIS: "In the heart of a quiet, 1980s suburb, college student Deena returns home and reluctantly takes on a last-minute babysitting job. That same night, the local sheriff receives a cryptic package that pulls him into a sinister scavenger hunt that sets off a game of cat and mouse with a dangerous killer. As the clues unravel, Deena finds herself ensnared in a nightmarish mystery that she may not survive."
Directed by Brandon Christensen (Still/Born, Z, Superhost, The Puppetman), who co-wrote with Ryan Christensen, it stars Summer H. Howell (Hunter Hunter, Cult of Chucky), Jessica Clement (“Gen V”, Dream Scenario), Ryan Robbins (The Thicket, Apollo 18), and Keegan Connor Tracy (Z, Final Destination 2)
Christensen cites House of the Devil and When a Stranger Calls as sources of inspiration. While filming Superhost, Christensen and his brother Ryan began talking about a babysitter for Night of the Reaper, "That started this idea of, 'Okay, well, how are we gonna build this? My brother wrote the opening, the first 10 pages or so, and he sent it to me while I was shooting. I was just like, 'Holy shit, this is so well realized.' Then he just kept going, we worked together after, and we started to find our pathway through, but it was a love letter to the 80s."
Christensen explains the masked killer's use of VHS, "It's something my wife brought up to me recently, that in every movie I've done, I've played with format. In Stillborn, there's the baby monitor, and with Z, there's the old home videotape from when she was a kid. Superhost does all the vlogging; The Puppetman has the sleepwalking tapes. Bodycam, which is coming out next year, is obviously full found footage. But with this one, you're playing with the '80s, and it serves as a tool that you can use to change up the film a little bit. It also allows you to kind of do these Sinister-like vignettes that are filling out the story and giving you a little bit of horror in a storyline that really isn't that horrific until the end."
As for the killer's Halloween mask, "A lot of it was having this constant reminder in this small town that there's this killer that's out there. But at the end of the day, Halloween is such an amazing time of year, just the colors alone and everything, and trying to do a film with that and timing it with the actual trees was a fun challenge to tackle."
Trailer:Opening Scene:
The Woods scene:
Interview Brandon Christensen and Jessica Clement Talk Halloween Horror Movie:
Interview Brandon Christensen & Jessica Clement Talk:
Interview Jessica Clement & Brandon Christensen on Halloween Slasher:
Reviews:
"For a slasher, it should be stated that the kills are a bit lackluster. There's not a whole lot of gore here... 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... 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." 1428Elm.com
"The picture remains engaging and somewhat suspenseful throughout its first two acts, but such momentum doesn’t last. Christensen devotes the entire final act to the climax, adding exposition and plot turns, dragging it all out to an unnecessary length. Viewers are more likely to become fatigued with 'Night of the Reaper' than terrified. However, while the movie doesn’t stick its landing, early tension is appreciable, and Christensen has some compelling visual ideas to keep things interesting, supporting a worthwhile viewing experience." ★★★½ Blu-ray.com
"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." Collider.com
"Filmmaker Brandon Christensen has quietly—or, in the right circles, not so quietly—become a stalwart indie horror creative. Since Still/Born, followed by Z and Superhost (lest we forget The Puppetman), Christensen has maximized the potential of smaller (by comparison) genre productions. That streak continues with Night of the Reaper, although it’s one of Christensen’s rougher-around-the-edges titles. A modest homage to 80s babysitter murder flicks, Night of the Reaper is a store-brand variety of Halloween thrills that never tastes as tantalizing as the dependable name brands." ★★½ DailyDead.com
"Night of the Reaper had some good ideas but ultimately can’t quite get them all on the same page. Without a distinctive directorial style and atmosphere, it struggles to get away from the familiarity in its story. It feels like it wants to be a supernatural thriller so it can’t connect with the grounded, twisted elements to its serial killer story. The performances try to elevate that but can only do so much. It has the beginnings of something but falls short of its potential." ★★½ FilmCarnage.com
"What Night of the Reaper offers is less about surprise and more about atmosphere. It is built as a clear nod to 80s slashers, from the setting to the kills to the VHS-styled image. That will divide viewers. For some, it’s comfort viewing—a reminder of what late-night horror once felt like. For others, it may feel like a retread of territory already covered in films like Maxine or countless other “retro” slashers... A slasher that works within its chosen style. Familiar, steady, and occasionally inventive, though it doesn’t escape the weight of how many films have already gone down the same road." ★★★ HMUncut.com
"NIGHT OF THE REAPER's effectiveness lies in execution: strong performances, a confident director with a clear love for horror, and a story that respects its audience enough to deliver more than just empty nostalgia. At 93 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and while there are minor flaws, the film earns its scares honestly with its throwback aesthetic, clever structure, and commitment to character-driven suspense. NIGHT OF THE REAPER stands out as one of the more engaging slashers of the year—a Halloween-season treat with just enough tricks to keep you guessing." ★★★½ MailNewsGroup.com/ohmr/
"By the end, Night of the Reaper has cheated in too many ways to mention—not only because it would give away too much of third act, but also because each new revelation only reveals more logical gaps and strained acts of misdirection. The screenplay by director Brandon Christensen and his brother Ryan Christensen does explain what has happened in this plot, but an explanation of something this convoluted doesn't, well, actually explain much of anything." ★½ MarkReviewsMovies.com
"This is a nostalgia-driven movie that doesn’t play out like that, though. Night of the Reaper is atmospheric, it has plenty of good going for it, and it sticks the landing with its ending. There’s not a whole lot going on that reinvents the wheel, but if you’re a fan of this genre, it is well worth a watch on Shudder." ThatHashTagShow.com
YouTube Reviews:
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