The Reaper Man has enough twists and turns within the plot that show imagination and effort on the part of the filmmakers to set it apart from the masses, despite the clear, familiar message that comes with movies of this genre. The dead brought back to life, but not as they once were being the price one pays for going against nature; abomination. Voodoo? Dark magic that once again comes with a princely sum attached; mess with the natural order at your peril. Take what you want, but be prepared for sacrifice, be it your possessions, your life, or those of the ones you hold dear.

Joseph (Kenon Walker) and Jessica (Jessica Jai Johnson) are a happily married couple, about to seal the deal on the house of their dreams, when they’re gazumped at the final moment. All pleas of being able to grab the extra cash immediately are rejected by the sympathetic property agent whose hands are tied, and the dejected couple return home. However, things can always be worse, as the unlucky pair are about to discover. More misfortune awaits in the form of a botched home invasion, leaving Jessica a widow, her only support sister Candace (Ebony Bivens), from whom she’s become distanced over the years.

Caught in the raw throes of bereavement, Jess unearths the contact details of a stranger who approached Joseph some time ago, mysteriously revealing she knew the two were trying for a baby and she could help. In Jess’s grief and despair it seems a good idea to reach out and contact said stranger, who according to local rumour appears to be a well-known voodoo woman and best avoided. Upon learning Jess’s wish is to have her husband back, the lady offers Jess a solemn warning; this may not work, but even if it does, Joseph may not return as he was in life; and so it proves to be.

Police officers on the case (K.J. Baker and Keith Lamont Johnson) soon find they’re being pipped to the post in pursuit of the culprits, by someone intent on meting out the ultimate justice; atonement in the form of the deaths of the guilty and many of those close to them. Yep, Joseph is back, and bent on equalling the score with those responsible. The scathing reviewer in me, whilst seeing his reincarnated self as a kind of cross between Candyman and Frankenstein’s monster, was actually surprisingly creeped out by The Reaper Man. His now gauntly hollowed cheeks, dead-looking eyes, and unearthly voice in all his shadowy, creeping scenes played out to great effect.

The Reaper Man is by no means a nest of new ideas, but it’s certainly no damp squib either. There are some predictable, even slightly cheesy moments, but these are balanced out by the performance of the cast and a few well pinned moral points. The cowardly, panicky persona of the bunch of intruders (Michael Gordon III, Coley Bryant, Brandon Russell, Brandon Person) is well portrayed; this is no professional gang, more a disorganised gaggle caught on the back foot, reacting on their instincts in the moment.

Seasoned observers will spot parallels a mile off; Pet Semetary and Candyman, as well as Glitch and American Horror Story, the latter two brilliantly written and produced series that had me in full-on binge mode and would recommend unreservedly, even to those weirdos out there for whom horror isn’t a thing. Directed by Jaron Lockridge, The Reaper Man is a slickly-executed (no pun intended, but apt) old-school revenge tale, comfy as your favourite chair to settle in and watch, but not without its own flavour.

7/10 Vengeful Spirits