NIGHT of the Reaper is a rather unmemorable slasher flick that passes the time easily enough without demanding too much from its heavy-eyed viewer.
Directed by Brandon Christensen, this schlocky Halloween fare is inoffensive, rather lacklustre for the most part, and comes with neither tricks nor treats.
It starts off well enough with its classic 1980s crimped hairstyles, neon colours, and electronic synth-pop, which had me getting all nostalgic and gasping for a refreshing can of Tab.
However, Christensen seems to run out of all ideas once the big hair, big attitudes, and big shoulder pads are in place. Night of the Reaper, which is now streaming on Shudder, is a run-of-the-mill retro slasher with nothing much to offer outside of empty shimmer.
Opting for style over substance, it tips its kitchen knife along the way to such classics as Halloween, Scream, and Prom Night without any of the suspense, terror, or punch.
The film opens with college student Deena (Jessica Clement), who returns home for the weekend, in the wake of the murder of a teenaged babysitter, and is roped into a babysitting gig of her own. When the local sheriff (Ryan Robbins) is mailed a piece of evidence that proves the murder may not have been an isolated incident, he is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer may be planning a sequel.
Director Christensen, who previously made Superhost and The Puppetman, sees his latest film set in a creepy small town that has had multiple missing persons cases over the years.
It never really gets going, and, unfortunately, like so many other films from this horror sub-genre, Night of the Reaper is formulaic and unimaginative.
The body count never seems to rise, and you would find more gore in a butcher’s shop window. I have to confess that I lost interest early on and had one eye on my phone for much of it.
Don’t fear the reaper, indeed!
(2/5)
