‘Night time of the Reaper’ Is a Retro Babysitter Slasher With a Thriller Twist

Night time of the Reaper begins with a well-known slasher movie state of affairs: a babysitter being stalked by a killer. The masked menace places on an enormous present of toying together with her, leaving creepy notes that just about really feel like a prank till the hazard will get all too actual.

It’s a freaky opening sequence that alerts director and co-director Brandon Christensen (Nonetheless/Born, Z) is effectively aware of the horror tropes his film is leaning into—and you may inform he is aware of his viewers will decide up on them too.

Night time of the Reaper‘s essential reference level is, clearly, Halloween, the mothership of all babysitter horror films. It’s set within the early Eighties—the period of Pat Benatar bangers on MTV—just a little later than 1978’s Halloween. However advancing a number of years means entry to barely extra superior expertise, particularly camcorders, a key plot machine in addition to a stylistic affect. The opening credit crackle with static “monitoring” traces, and VHS tapes are vital all through.

The principle occasions of the movie decide up a while after the babysitter’s demise. We meet essential character Deena (Gen V‘s Jessica Clement) as she’s strolling down a quiet avenue festooned with Halloween decorations; the digital rating additional underlines the Laurie Strode comparisons. Deena’s residence from faculty, dutifully having what’s clearly a strained go to together with her dad and mom. When her high-school bestie, who’s nonetheless dwelling of their hometown, will get sick, Deena agrees to assist her out by stepping in to observe the native sheriff’s younger son for the evening.

Right here we go once more, the viewer may assume—and certainly, Night time of the Reaper does appear to be establishing an identical destiny for Deena because the lady within the opening scene. However there’s additionally a parallel storyline to unwind, as Sheriff Arnold (Ryan Robbins) begins receiving packages that lead him on a macabre scavenger hunt.

It appears greater than doable that whoever killed the lady within the opening is again for extra sinister taunting. Arnold remarks at one level, “Somebody’s making an attempt to inform me one thing.” However precisely what that message is (and who’s sending it) types Night time of the Reaper‘s central thriller.

As Night time of the Reaper progresses, the strain and dread construct in each tales. Deena’s gig watching little Max (Max Christensen) devolves from a playful sport of hide-and-seek to an escalation of terror as doorways slowly creak open, objects get rearranged by unseen palms, and a shadowy determine lurks within the woods simply past the yard.

Sheriff Arnold, in the meantime, freely engages in some jaw-droppingly unprofessional conduct as he puzzles collectively a string of clues, particularly as soon as he realizes the babysitter’s chilly case isn’t the one crime on the desk. There are additionally hints at one other loss of life within the latest previous that’s much more private to him.

To share extra concerning the plot twists that observe would compromise a lot of what makes Night time of the Reaper pleasing, nevertheless it’s not a spoiler to say it’s extra of a horror whodunit than, say, one thing that drags its babysitting heroine into wild Home of the Satan territory.

Halloween is the primary affect right here, however found-footage horror additionally makes its mark, as do different slasher sequence, together with Scream. If the ultimate reveals get just a little too talky as Christensen hurries to elucidate all that’s come earlier than, it’s important to respect the hassle to fill in as many blanks as doable.

Standout performances within the solid come from Clement because the resourceful Deena, in addition to Summer time H. Howell—quickly to be seen as Carrie White in Mike Flanagan’s Carrie sequence—who makes essentially the most of her temporary display screen time as the primary sufferer.

Night time of the Reaper streams on Shudder beginning right now, September 19.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to count on the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every thing it’s good to find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.