Sundance Review: In a Violent Nature

Arthouse horror reinvents The Slasher genre with mixed results

In A Violent Nature

Written and Directed by: Chris Nash

Starring: Ry Barrett, Reece Presley, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, Sam Roulston, Timothy Paul McCarthy

At this point, we’re all well accustomed to the slasher genre and what it entails. From Jason in Friday the 13th to Michael Myers in Halloween to Ghost Face in Scream and Beyond. Countless maniacal killers are roaming through the cinematic halls, frequently portrayed as relentless stalkers who use edged weapons and household items to butcher their victims, which are usually a bunch of mouthy, arrogant, or otherwise obnoxious characters (usually teens).

We know the tropes, from the slow-and-steady stalk of their prey as the hapless victims run, scream, trip, fall, and meet their fate while the determined villain casually reaches them to dish out their dose of creative murder. It’s a finely tuned formula and up until now, we’ve seen it all play out from the perspective of the protagonists or victims. In A Violent Nature, the first outing for director Chris Nash seeks to flip the script by showing the entire film from the perspective of the killer, making for an interesting, compelling, and monotonous journey that is a fascinating exploration, but also evidence that the old formula works for a reason.

Nash takes a very Terrence Malick approach to In A Violent Nature, letting shots linger for way longer than is needed while allowing voices to carry and guide a scene from afar, leaving the subject to kind of wander without having a say. This is the literal case for In A Violent Nature, as the main villain, the aptly named “Johnny”, spends the vast majority of the film traipsing through the woods, the camera following behind, much like a 3rd-person videogame, as he wanders from one victim to the next.

There’s a backstory given to Johnny, which is very Jason Voorhees-esque, but far sillier when told out loud. The “origin” nearly took me out of the film as it was so goofy and nonsensical. But, in the end, it was enough for me to stay invested, watching Johnny slowly stomp through the woods, wondering where he’ll end up and who he’ll kill next (and how). The issue is that even though this is an entirely new look at the genre, it ends up being more like Friday the 13th: Jason Goes On A Hike, rather than a super interesting and intricate journey into the mind and motives of the killer.

The kills are brutal, no doubt, although I feel like Terrifier 2 has set the bar for this type of gore and it’s hard to top. That said, In A Violent Nature features one of the most insane and inventive kills ever put to film and it’s worth watching the movie just to see it. How Nash even conceived of it seems like it was made up on a dare to imagine the wildest slasher kill he could think of. The director certainly delivers are far more brutal, convincing, and creative killer than many of the recent cinematic stalkers, including Jason himself in his last outing, so there’s something to be said for that.

The victims of the story, a typical bunch of early 20s singles, are all up to par for the genre, with each of them meeting their fate in a grisly fashion, some more shocking than others. When not walking endlessly through the woods for five minutes at a time, Johnny going to work is pretty fun and fucked up for the genre, although not always as horrific as you might think. That may just be a problem with modern audiences, though, as we’re exceptionally desensitized to seeing violence onscreen. Hell, you see worse on the news these days.

However, as a new, innovative take on the genre, In A Violent Nature opens up the doors to continue this trend, which could very well be what the genre needs to amp things up. There’s something reliable (and frequently more interesting) about protagonists that are “like us” and that have other issues going on besides trying to survive a supernatural stalker while visiting a cabin in the woods, but showing the perspective of the villain makes for an interesting take, so long as they do more than just walk through the woods.

Unfortunately, that’s about all Johnny does, so there’s not much to work with, but anyone looking to pick up the concept and expand it could certainly take the next leap that In A Violent Nature sets up. The film delivers enough blood and gore to make it a solid entry in the long resume of slasher films, but it’s way too long and way too stripped down to be a classic. The ending goes on and on with one of the biggest anti-climatic teases I’ve endured in a long time, holding the audience hostage to the end credits when it should’ve rolled them ten minutes prior.

For fans of the genre and those looking to see a new take on the genre, I recommend giving In A Violent Nature a look (which will be on Shudder), as it’s a nice departure, even if a lot of it is spent following a madman aimlessly through the forest.