Review by: Mother of Movies of Night of the Reaper 2025, Courtesy of Shudder
Director: Brandon Christensen
Writers: Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen
Stars: Jessica Clement (Deena), Ryan Robbins (Sheriff Rodney Arnold), Summer H. Howell (Emily), Keegan Connor Tracy (Elizabeth Talbot), Matty Finochio (Officer Butch Cassidy), Max Christensen (Max Arnold), Ben Cockell (Chad), David Feehan (The Reaper)
This film contains multiple scenes involving harmed animals, including deceased dogs. These moments are part of the diegesis and contribute to the tension. Sensitive viewers should proceed with caution.
A Slasher Stalking in Familiar Shadows
Brandon Christensen’s Night of the Reaper arrives on Shudder just in time for Halloween, and it’s a slasher film steeped in the iconography of the 1980s horror boom. From the synth-heavy score to the suburban mise-en-scène. We open with a tableau of unease: teddy bears mysteriously appearing, doors creaking open on their own, and handwritten notes escalating from “Your Pretty” to “Be Mine” to “Forever”, the final one delivered moments before the first victim, Emily (Summer H. Howell), meets her fate.
Christensen uses motivated lighting in these early sequences, letting shadows do the heavy lifting while the reaper’s blade glints in the darkness. This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s calculated framing and pacing that builds dread without leaning entirely on jump scares.
Flash forward a year. College student Deena (Jessica Clement) returns home, slipping back into the same haunted geography where her sister was murdered. Sheriff Rodney Arnold (Ryan Robbins) now lives in the same house and receives a VHS tape labeled Night of the Reaper, the first breadcrumb in a scavenger hunt of death. The footage, heavy breathing, invasive camera work, and another dead dog are part of a frame narrative that forces both characters and viewers to question how far back this killing game stretches.
The sheriff’s suspect list grows, but in true genre tradition, echoing his own line, “It’s never who you think it is”, we’re led down alleys of misdirection. Officer Butch Cassidy (Matty Finochio) seems like the obvious red herring, but Christensen’s blocking of scenes allows suspicion to drift naturally between characters.
Babysitting in the Crosshairs
Deena’s stint babysitting Max (Max Christensen) becomes the film’s primary locus of tension. Christensen’s use of noises that complement what the characters can hear, creaking floors, slamming doors, and the whir of vintage black-and-white movies on TV kept me tethered to her anxiety. The absence of a heavy score lets ambient noises breathe, making every sound a potential threat. It’s the fun element of a slasher film, and Chritensen is an expert.
The killer’s presence is often suggested through juxtaposition: a playful game of hide-and-seek cross-cut with shots of a shadowy figure outside. This parallel editing technique creates a rhythm that kept my heartbeat thumping just a little too fast.
Cinematography & Sound Design – Retro Done Right
Christensen’s cinematography draws on expressionism, using stark contrasts in light and shadow to evoke unease. The suburban setting is shot with a wide aspect ratio that makes every open space feel vulnerable. The costume design, scrunchies, aviator jackets, and striped tops, is a deliberate homage to late-80s horror style. Sound design is restrained but precise. Christensen avoids overloading the soundtrack, instead letting diegetic soundscapes carry the suspense. This choice amplifies realism and links the audience’s perspective directly to Deena’s.
Verdict
Night of the Reaper isn’t reinventing the slasher wheel, but it’s greasing it with enough atmosphere, visual style, and narrative misdirection to keep genre fans engaged. For Shudder subscribers seeking something seasonal, bloody, and just a little twisted, this is a solid addition to the streamer’s Halloween lineup.
Night of the Reaper is rated
4 Teddy Bears Carrying Death Notes out of 5
For other new slashers to watch, check out Clown in a Cornfield / Stream / Slasher TV or for something a little unconventional, Neon Lights. All films where Brendan Christensen had involvement and are mentioned in this review can be found on the Mother of Movies website.
Click here for the spoiler section of Night of the Reaper
Chad (Ben Cockell) is revealed to be the man obsessed with Elizabeth, killing Officer Cassidy as part of a deranged devotion. Elizabeth’s acceptance, even enjoyment, of his acts flips the victim narrative on its head. The final act plays Emily’s murder back to Deena with a cruel “Why not her?” framing, cementing the film’s vigilante slasher identity.
The film’s climax delivers a practical-effects decapitation via an improvised bomb hidden in a walkie-talkie. It’s a moment that feels like it throws confetti all over grindhouse gore. The killer’s motive, tangled in unrequited love and warped vigilante justice, adds a layer of ambiguity to the narrative: is Elizabeth Talbot (Keegan Connor Tracy) a victim, participant, or both?
Director’s Stamp – Brandon Christensen
At Mother of Movies, we love the talent that provides us with What to Watch Next. Christensen’s directorial style leans heavily into family-centered horror, often placing children or parental figures at the emotional core (Still/Born, Z, Superhost). His focus is on psychological tension within domestic spaces, using familiar environments to amplify unease.
- Prefers practical effects over heavy CGI for kills and scares.
- Often employs sound restraint — letting silence and ambient noise dominate.
- Uses ambiguous endings, leaving moral questions unresolved.
- Recurring themes: parental guilt, grief, and the fragility of safety at home.
Where to Stream Night of the Reaper 2025
Night of the Reaper
Director: Brandon Christensen
Date Created: 2025-09-17 14:37
4
Pros
- Old school slasher with modern aesthetics
Cons
- Gives slasher fans what the want, but could have levelled up.
