When seeing a film called "Reaper" that's headlined by some of the great B-movie icons of our time, one undoubtedly expects a bloody killing machine of a movie instead of a twisty, character-driven thriller. But surprisingly enough, "Reaper" proves to be an engaging, thoroughly enjoyable ride with unpredictable characters, a few good surprises, and one mean monster of a Reaper.
Usually in these kind of films, you have a bunch of friends, college students, or party goers stranded in a haunted house or a cabin in the woods. Then the mythic, unbeatable killer comes along and starts slashing away characters who have zero persona and no texture. Here, you have the exact opposite: criminals, drug pushers, religious zealots, and a thief trying to survive one another's duplicity, plus a monster! That's what makes "Reaper" both unique and interesting. It actually devotes more time to setting up its characters and plot shifts than it does to the serial killer story.
We get news clips and radio announcements informing us of a cult leader death row inmate who has survived execution and returned as an otherwordly being. But what really draws us in is main character Natalie's wild journey cross country. Desperate to gather enough money to help her ailing mother, she hitchhikes, schemes, steals, and cons her way through the film. Her victims include a lecherous traveling AC salesman (a comically creepy Busey), a drug dealer with a deadline (Jurdi, deviously slick), and a weary trucker (Trejo, a badass with a surprising soft side). But when she ends up at a hotel which happens to be the resting place of the Reaper, she is forced to team up with the men she's betrayed in order to survive one long night.
It's refreshing to see a horror thriller where the female lead isn't just a prop but is actually driving the action. As Natalie, Beesley holds her own, creating a character that's both shady but sympathetic, tough but vulnerable. In supporting performances, Jones is fun as a cruel, knife wielding mob boss; Judge chews up the scenery as a dangerous cop; and Henry is eerie as hell as a strange hotel attendant/Reaper worshipper.
As for the Reaper himself, he does the job when he shows up, but part of the fun of the film is that he's not there long enough for the kills to become redundant or predictable. Our characters have as much to fear from one another as they do from this supernatural force, and guessing who will turn on who and survive in the process is the ultimate thrill of watching this film.
While some hard-core horror film aficionados will undoubtedly be let down that there isn't as much carnage as one would expect in this brand of genre movie, one would hope that thriller/moderate horror fans take a moment to appreciate what director Philip Shih and the makers of this picture were trying to do: a monster movie where the characters, not the monster, push the story forward.
To best sum it all up, here's a memorable quote from early on in the film where Beesley whispers into Busey's ear: "big bad wolf slain by damsel in distress... a whole new kind of fairy tale."
Enjoy!!! Cheers.
Usually in these kind of films, you have a bunch of friends, college students, or party goers stranded in a haunted house or a cabin in the woods. Then the mythic, unbeatable killer comes along and starts slashing away characters who have zero persona and no texture. Here, you have the exact opposite: criminals, drug pushers, religious zealots, and a thief trying to survive one another's duplicity, plus a monster! That's what makes "Reaper" both unique and interesting. It actually devotes more time to setting up its characters and plot shifts than it does to the serial killer story.
We get news clips and radio announcements informing us of a cult leader death row inmate who has survived execution and returned as an otherwordly being. But what really draws us in is main character Natalie's wild journey cross country. Desperate to gather enough money to help her ailing mother, she hitchhikes, schemes, steals, and cons her way through the film. Her victims include a lecherous traveling AC salesman (a comically creepy Busey), a drug dealer with a deadline (Jurdi, deviously slick), and a weary trucker (Trejo, a badass with a surprising soft side). But when she ends up at a hotel which happens to be the resting place of the Reaper, she is forced to team up with the men she's betrayed in order to survive one long night.
It's refreshing to see a horror thriller where the female lead isn't just a prop but is actually driving the action. As Natalie, Beesley holds her own, creating a character that's both shady but sympathetic, tough but vulnerable. In supporting performances, Jones is fun as a cruel, knife wielding mob boss; Judge chews up the scenery as a dangerous cop; and Henry is eerie as hell as a strange hotel attendant/Reaper worshipper.
As for the Reaper himself, he does the job when he shows up, but part of the fun of the film is that he's not there long enough for the kills to become redundant or predictable. Our characters have as much to fear from one another as they do from this supernatural force, and guessing who will turn on who and survive in the process is the ultimate thrill of watching this film.
While some hard-core horror film aficionados will undoubtedly be let down that there isn't as much carnage as one would expect in this brand of genre movie, one would hope that thriller/moderate horror fans take a moment to appreciate what director Philip Shih and the makers of this picture were trying to do: a monster movie where the characters, not the monster, push the story forward.
To best sum it all up, here's a memorable quote from early on in the film where Beesley whispers into Busey's ear: "big bad wolf slain by damsel in distress... a whole new kind of fairy tale."
Enjoy!!! Cheers.