IR Film Review: NIGHT OF THE REAPER [Shudder]
The aspect of an 80s tinged horror film is knowing how to balance the style with a lighter sense of terror while still maintaining a sense of dread. "Night Of The Reaper" works well because it understands its working expectations and then switches it without trying to be overly clever...but yet becomes that because it is less assuming than others. It does so by biding its time but also switching between whom one thinks is the hunted and the hunted. The prologue creates a clever device showing a bit of edge without overplaying what is showing. The Reaper concept is introduced but with high, widescreen production value and music before it pushes to the basis of where we are going and begins again. "Happy Death Day" did this too so the aspect works as long as it is played in the long game. It begins again with what seems to be a similar base with Deena (Jessica Clement) who has a reflection of what we saw before in the beginning...and yet might be different. That said, it follows the same babysitter structure formula but something does seem a little off.
Enter Sheriff Rodney Reynolds (Ryan Robbins) who has been affected in an alternate way but is being pulled in by a series of packages which is leading him in a certain direction. The film wants you to take into account that this might be history repeating itself but what works is the build that it reflects. This reviewer doesn't want to give it away but like "It Follow", the power of what Jessica Clements brings allows the film to rise above its indie horror roots. It is very well scripted and precisely directed even if its antagonist ultimately doesn't have as much motivation as one would think. The comeuppance works well because it is what one thinks and yet not at the same time.
As the trap tightens we begin to see what is actually going on. Writer/Director Brandon Chirstensen creates an adept almost Amblin-llke horror film without losing the rails. When it finally comes to near it has a fulfillment, especially where Reynolds is concerned because he is the one ultimately emotionally who carries a heftier load (or at least shows it). Deena is the more powerful force but that is because Clements is very specific in how she places it. There is an analog, almost 8-bit reference to what we see in the movie and yet the visuals function at a high, slick level. "Night Of The Reaper" is one of those unique indie films that feels complete and yet has stalwarts of what was before while still retaining a specific and encompassing style. A-
By Tim Wassberg
