RensDad666’s review published on Letterboxd:
There have been numerous films attempting to cash in on easy nostalgia points on the back of the 80’s slasher genre. Unfortunately, too many of them tend to miss the mark entirely. Night of the Reaper however, manages to stick its landing in that comfortable contemporary throwback zone, while adding a new spin on a trampled class of horror films. And it’s a perfect Halloween season watch at that.
In a recent interview, Brandon Christensen mentioned taking inspiration from the classic opening of When a Stranger Calls. Night of the Reaper’s ultra-fun throwback opening scene knocks it out of the park, building some genuine fear and tension, and definitely leans on that inspiration in its lengthy execution. While it does show its low budget vibes more than a few times, visually, everything is framed and shot incredibly well. It all adds to its addictive aesthetic, reminding me of an early Ti West mumblegore genre film. Especially the “Heartbreaker”, Pat Benetar lip sync sequence. And on that front, things are accompanied with an excellent score done seamlessly by three composers, David Arcus, Terry Benn, and Michelle Osis. 80’s synths bounce around chillingly, congruently matching Night of the Reaper’s setting and tone and is one of my favorite pieces of its feel.
While the ending cheapened things a bit for me overall, with a few too many predictable twists shoehorned in, Night of the Reaper is exactly what I would hope from a contemporary slasher. It’s the kind of throwback slasher I was hoping Clown in a Cornfield would be honestly.
Hooptober XII is already such a blast.
💀🔪🩸🚔👮🏻♀️🌳
p.s. Exploding Head Hall of Fame entry!
