I’ll admit it: horror hits completely different when it’s not set within the current day.
There’s one thing about being lower off from the fixed lifeline of telephones and Wi-Fi that makes characters really feel extra weak — and makes me lean in just a little nearer.
Evening of the Reaper, streaming on Shudder September 19, faucets into that Eighties isolation and spins it right into a small-town nightmare.
The setup is pure babysitter horror, a subgenre that gave us classics like Halloween and When a Stranger Calls.
Deena (Jessica Clement), a school pupil again in her hometown, reluctantly takes on a last-minute babysitting job.
On the similar time, the native sheriff (Ryan Robbins) receives a mysterious package deal that units him on a path he doesn’t totally perceive till it’s too late.
These two threads — the uneasy quiet of babysitting within the suburbs and the lawman chasing shadows — finally collide in unsettling methods.
Director Brandon Christensen clearly loves this custom.
In his assertion, he even cites the babysitter horror movies of his youth, and you’ll really feel that nostalgia woven by the movie.
There are nods to style staples, but additionally makes an attempt to shake issues up with twists and genre-bending turns.
The film begins like a straight-up slasher, then pulls in thriller, small-town drama, and even a contact of psychological suspense.
What works finest is the sense of place.
The suburban streets, the period-perfect particulars, even the soundtrack — all of it sells the time interval.
The performances additionally floor it: Clement makes Deena sympathetic and sharp, whereas Robbins provides Sheriff Rodney a weight that elevates the fabric.
Christensen’s personal younger son, Max, makes his display screen debut because the sheriff’s baby, and he holds his personal towards the seasoned solid.
The place Evening of the Reaper stumbles is within the scares.
It’s eerie, it’s creepy, however it by no means fairly reaches that window-checking degree of terror you hope for from a late-night horror watch.
Among the style mash-ups really feel extra formidable than efficient, and whereas the surprises are welcome, they don’t at all times hit as laborious as they might.
Nonetheless, the truth that it manages to shock in any respect — and doesn’t simply retread the identical outdated slasher beats — counts for one thing.
In the long run, that is much less of a turn-off-the-lights-and-hide-under-a-blanket horror and extra of a throw-it-on-for-the-Halloween-season horror.
It’s received ambiance, a strong solid, and sufficient twists to maintain you engaged.
Even when it doesn’t hang-out you afterwards, Evening of the Reaper is a worthwhile addition to your spooky-season queue.
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The publish Evening of the Reaper Overview: Babysitting Horror With a Twist appeared first on TV Fanatic.