Reaper (film)

Plot

A young, attractive, and cunning hitchhiker (Beesley) stumbles into a mysterious town where a dangerous, supernatural killer is on the loose. Consequently, she is forced to team up with a group of intimidating drifters and criminals (Trejo, Jones, Busey, Jurdi) in order to survive and defeat the "Reaper".

In a news bulletin, it is revealed that a former cult leader escaped the electric chair and has now returned as a supernatural serial killer named Reaper, wreaking havoc on a small county and targeting those he believes to be sinners.

In parallel, we meet Natalie, an attractive hitchhiker (Shayla Beesley) trying to catch a ride on a dry, desolate road. She gets picked up by alcoholic salesman named Bill (Jake Busey), but his car breaks down and they wind up at a motel. Bill and Natalie check in as newlyweds, with a creepy, religious motel owner (Justin Henry) in the midst.

Bill starts to get intimate with Natalie after she begins to flirt with him. She spikes his cup of Jack Daniels with a sleeping pill. She plays pseudo-bondage games with him, ties him up, and takes his wallet as well as his car keys. She leaves and locks the door behind her. The creepy owner walks down the hall, then the Reaper attacks and kills Bill with a scythe, while the owner begins to say a prayer. Natalie calls her mother, finds out that her mother needs money for her surgery, or else the bank will cancel her hospice. Natalie says to her that she will get the money and pay for the operation.

She stops in at a diner to get something to eat. Rob, a mean mob boss (Vinnie Jones), realizes that his slick, young protege, Brad (James Jurdi), has been botching his tasks. After threatening him with a large knife, Rob gives Brad a final chance and throws him some money to finish up a pending deal. After witnessing Brad flirt with a waitress and tip her handsomely, Natalie sets her sights on him, first tampering with his wheels, then running him over. Feigning concern, she runs out of the car, makes small talk with a smile, then offers him a ride. Some sexual foreplay ensues, but she convinces him to get her a drink from a liquor mart, then zooms off with his money and gun and leaves him in the dust.

Later on, the tables turn when Natalie finds out that Brad is a drug mule, and his associate, humble truck driver Jack (Danny Trejo), his dealer, are at the same motel she was taken to by the latter (which is also where she started off with Bill). Two hit men then enter the motel, where they get killed by the Reaper. The motel owner tries to rape her when she tries to call the police. The Reaper arrives and kills him. Jack and Brad decide to help Natalie, but a policeman named Officer Banks (Christopher Judge) arrives to question them about what has happened.

Officer Banks takes them into custody, but the Reaper arrives, luring Banks to follow him with a shotgun. Rob, fed up with Brad's inability to close the deal, decides to go after him. Banks starts to taunt the killer out of hiding, entering room after room. Natalie and the others are locked in the supply closet for their safety. After searching the motel, Banks gets killed by the Reaper. The trio escape from the supply closet, and decide to work together to fight the Reaper.

They try to escape by using Jack's truck, but she tells them that she removed the distributor cap from the vehicle. Brad and Natalie decide to put their differences aside and locate the money and the drugs. Meanwhile, Rob arrives at the motel, while Jack decides to confront the Reaper. Brad is cornered by Rob and is about to meet his doom, but Natalie saves his life by dropping a fire extinguisher on Rob's head. Rob survives, slaps Natalie around, and is about to off her when Brad kills him with his own knife. Just when it looks like they have made it out safe and Jack pulls up in the truck, Brad shoots Jack and makes clear that he wants all the money and the drugs for himself and is going to strand Natalie behind as payback for robbing him earlier. Moments later, he is killed by the Reaper.

Natalie tries to escape but is captured by the Reaper, then taken to a church where he brings his victims. He starts to torment her, planning to send her to hell. At the last minute, Jack (who survived his gunshot wound) returns and drowns the Reaper in a bucket of water, saving Natalie's life. Jack dies but not before telling Natalie to start her life all over again. She calls her mother to let her know she's on her way to see her. Natalie takes off in Jack's truck, then picks up a female hitchhiker who asks about Natalie's story. She smiles, asking how much time she's got and then drives off into the sunset.

After some credits, it is revealed that the Reaper survived and rises to his feet, presumably on his way to continue reaping.

Cast

Production

Much of the film was shot at the Tudor-style getaway "The Glen Tavern Inn" in Santa Paula, California.