“A safe and fun slasher.”
College student Deena visits home and is roped into babysitting. The local sheriff is mailed a piece of evidence and is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer of another babysitter.
Directors: Brandon Christensen

Writers: Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen

Jessica Clement, Ryan Robbins, Summer H. Howell, Matty Finochio, Ben Cockell, Max Christensen, Bryn Samuel
Cinematographer: Clayton Moore

Editing: Brandon Christensen, Blair Drover

Music: David Arcus, Terry Benn, Michelle Osis

Distributed by: Shudder

Release Date: September 19 2025

Platform: Shudder

Releasing at the back end of September, Night of the Reaper dropped on Shudder just a little bit early. The film is a safe and fun slasher, but one that would definitely make for an excellent addition for new films to check out in October for anyone trying to watch new horror films every day.

After an introductory scene showing a babysitter being teased by a masked killer, we jump ahead and are introduced to Deena (Jessica Clement), who is returning to her small-town home, where a year earlier the masked murderer took place. But it’s when she’s asked to take on a babysitting job for her best friend, who’s just fallen, that the night starts to take a turn towards creepy and violent. While she looks after Sheriff Rod’s (Ryan Robbins) kid, the Sheriff is out following tapes and other clues seemingly left behind from the masked killer and trying to discover their true identity, not expecting his home could become the latest target of terror.

For the most part, Night of the Reaper looks like a very basic slasher until a twist towards the end of the film. Up until then, there are many characters, their motivations, and the reasons for their inclusion in the movie that are questioned, which leads to the film’s main problem: leaving the twist until such a late moment. I would have much enjoyed things playing out the same way as they do, except if the script had tightened up where the twist happens, and how the dialogue flows from then on between the characters on-screen.

Even with some light dialogue to carry the film forward, the actors all here elevate the material. Jessica Clement makes for a great final girl, while the drive of Sheriff Rod by Ryan Robbins is sold very well.

If you do add this to your October horror lists, know it’s also one you can get away with introducing to your non-horror friends. The kills are preety tame, apart from one moment, which still isn’t too gory for the genre.

This is also another Shudder original film in 2025 that has both an 80s VHS motif and even snuff films as part of the plot. Physical media is on the return!

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