The slasher genre remains alive and well today, largely thanks to filmmakers finding unique spins on the formula to keep things feeling fresh. Whether it’s the time-traveling humor of Totally Killer or the more directly brutal Terrifier films, it’s been a real treat to see that one of the oldest subgenres in horror is back on the upswing after a downward turn in the ’90s.

Which is why Night of the Reaper proves to be a real disappointment. Hailing from Superhost and The Puppetman‘s Brandon and Ryan Christensen, the movie is set in a small town that has had multiple missing persons cases over the years. The story centers on Deena, a college student who returns to the town after a personal trauma.

Shortly after returning, Deena finds herself roped into helping fill in for her best friend by babysitting the sheriff’s son while he investigates a scavenger hunt of clues tied to previous missing persons. However, as he gets closer to the truth, she is also tormented by the masked individual responsible for it all.

Led by Dream Scenario‘s Jessica Clement and Sanctuary‘s Ryan Robbins, Night of the Reaper gets off to a solid start with its retro ’80s aesthetic, slick direction, and classic slasher movie opening. Unfortunately, despite its tense beginning, the movie never really finds its stride from there.

Night Of The Reaper’s Plot Becomes A Cavalcade Of Tropes & Slow Pacing

There’s no denying that a good majority of slasher movies nowadays are true to the formula, though whether it’s their overall pacing or the infusion of other genres, they still overcome their familiarity to be delights. When it comes to Night of the Reaper, not only do the Christensens get a little too direct with the formula, but they don’t even do so in any exciting ways.

At just 93 minutes, the movie certainly could have been the same fun time as Finn Wolfhard’s Hell of a Summer. The retro setting, the thrilling opening sequence, and a solid design for the central villain had all the makings of a routine movie.

But once we meet Deena and get invested in her and Sheriff Rod’s stories, Night of the Reaper becomes so incredibly dull. The entire night spent with the former as she babysits Rod’s son is like one trope after another as she’s stalked by the villain and tormented with various tricks around the house.

The latter’s investigation also takes too long to find any kind of compelling hook or tension. Perhaps the movie was aiming for more of a slow build-up than a fast-paced ride, but even then, the tension could barely be registered as a simmer as we wait for the eventual escalation and reveal of the villain’s idenтιтy.

The other big problem with Night of the Reaper‘s story is just how minimal the body count is. Despite its slasher trapping, we’re not given any actual kills, but most of them aren’t all that effective, barring one nicely surprising bloody death.

With all of that said, the movie deserves some credit for its primary final act twist. Not only does the villain’s idenтιтy prove an interesting surprise, but the way in which Deena looks to turn the tables on them makes the preceding story an interesting setup of clues.

But even with this nice twist, the movie has too many of them. Just as we get settled into one reveal and feel like we’re on a streamlined path to the finish line, another comes in and throws us for another loop that, while initially intriguing, begins to feel like padding as this continues.

Christensen’s Direction Is Stylish & Authentic

Though the script and pacing may not be the best, Night of the Reaper is a good-looking film. Reuniting with Christensen’s Superhost cinematographer, Clayton Moore, the filmmaker has a few stylish tricks up his sleeve, particularly for some of Deena’s more harrowing moments.

The director also makes the movie feel rooted in its period setting. Beyond the occasional MTV or Centipede reference, the visual palette rarely veers too far into feeling like a modern movie, as everything appears lit in a time-appropriate manner, while the settings themselves are all decked out effectively.

Jessica Clement Is A Commanding Presence

Coming into one of her first leading roles after co-starring in everything from Gen V to Cross, Jessica Clement proves to be a star as Deena. She nicely understands the emotional undercurrent that carries Deena through most of the film, while the twist-filled final third sees her step up for the physical villain showdown.

Robbins similarly proves to unlock the various layers of Sheriff Rod. Rather than simply resting on the laurels of an officer hunting down a game-playing villain, we get a tragic backstory for the character that not only makes his actions more interesting, but also all the more impactful when he goes rogue.

Despite some of the better parts of its sum, Night of the Reaper doesn’t really have enough going for it to stand apart from its genre counterparts. It’s a fairly slow, low-stakes journey that, despite its interesting ending twists, never has enough of a hook to feel like more than a slasher retread.

Night of the Reaper is now streaming on Shudder.