It looks like just another old VHS-slasher setup: college student returns home, babysitting gig, quiet suburban night. But Night of the Reaper (2025) peels back the veneer of nostalgia to set loose a twisted game of vengeance, masked killers, and buried pasts.

The Plot

Deena (Jessica Clement) comes home from college, expecting nothing more than downtime and family. Instead, she’s roped into babysitting Sheriff Rodney Arnold’s child for the night — when the regular sitter cancels. Meanwhile, the local sheriff gets a mysterious package: evidence that a past babysitter’s murder may not have been an isolated case.

What begins as creepy phone calls, ominous shadows, and unnerving silence soon unravels into a scavenger-hunt of clues mailed by someone who knows the town’s darkest secrets. As Deena grows more aware she’s being watched, the sheriff races against time, trying to crack the mystery before the killer strikes again.

Why It’s More Than Just Another Slasher

• Retro horror done with care – The film leans into ’80s slasher tropes (suburbia, VHS, babysitter in peril) but builds atmosphere over cheap gore. 

• Dual storyline tension – While Deena fights for her life inside the house, the sheriff uncovers clues outside, making the threat feel all around. 

• Twists with emotional weight – It’s not just the killer’s identity that matters, but what unfinished business, buried grief, or revenge underpins their plan. 

• Final-girl vibes – Deena carries the film—she’s vulnerable but smart, making her more than just a target.