We’ve got a dearth of traditional slasher movies these days. There’s an even bigger valley of mystery-based slashers out there. Night of the Reaper combines those vibes with a nostalgic look, but not one that hits you over the head with it. Night of the Reaper is set in the 1980s, but there aren’t any winks and nods to the fact that it is. That’s incredibly refreshing to see, because let’s face it, nostalgia is a hell of a drug, but it’s grating when a film lets you know that you’re watching something trying to be an ’80s movie.

Night Of The Reaper comes from Writer/Director Brandon Christensen and was co-written by Ryan Christensen. The story follows Deena, who visits home from college and is roped into babysitting for the night when her friend falls ill. It also follows Sheriff Rod (played by Ryan Robbins), who is following a killer who’s leaving him clues and evidence on a scavenger hunt to find the killer of another babysitter. Deena (played by Jessica Clement) is returning back to a family life that’s a bit sketchy and a town that’s gripped by the fervor of the killer.

There’s a lot to like about Night of the Reaper, with its score, cinematography, and just the vibes overall. But the question is, is Night of the Reaper good, bad, or ugly? Let’s find out.

The Good Of Night Of The Reaper

Night of the Reaper starts off in a similar way to other slasher movies with a cold open showing off The Reaper’s first victim, a babysitter named Emily. The scene extends past the point of where you’d think it would. Scream did this first, and this opener is clearly inspired by it, but it doesn’t outright steal the scene, which is nice to see. Emily feels like one of those characters that’s sad to see them go in the opening scene, because she feels like she’s interesting enough to carry a whole movie. That makes the movie even more powerful, especially when the story shifts over to Deena. Deena is much different, older, more jaded, and just all around a mysterious character. She’s got baggage from her past and connections.

Jessica Clement gives us a fantastic final girl, and as the movie goes on and the mystery unravels, she only gets better. Ryan Robbins’ turn as Sheriff Rod is also not your normal “stupid cop” character in a slasher movie. He’s lost his wife and he has to deal with the killer leaving him clues. They’re the two main characters of this story and they definitely carry the film with their performances.

The score here is also fantastic, with some synths that don’t overpower any of the scenes. The needle drops in the film from licensed songs are also nice and the song that plays over the end credits is pitch-perfect.

More Good Of Night Of The Reaper And Not A Whole Lot Of Bad

Those small tweaks to the overall slasher formula that bring Night of the Reaper to more of a thriller/mystery than an outright slasher movie make it a better movie. This wouldn’t work as well as just a kill-a-thon with people dying left and right. There’s enough frights to keep people interested, and the most interesting part of the whole thing is the mystery at hand. Who is the killer? What are their motivations? By the time it’s all revealed, I was shocked and the events that go on after that reveal are just as interesting.

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.

Night of the Reaper releases on Shudder on September 19th.

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