Is there comfort in horror? Many horror fans would say yes, absolutely. Some of their favorite things to do are to bundle up with a warm blanket and watch one of their favorite slashers kill a bunch of dumb teens lost in the woods. I wouldn't call In A Violent Nature comforting, but more reflective. The film isn't necessarily trying to reinvent this classic horror trope but to reimagine it from a different lens. It's a meditative take on the genre from the POV of a Jason Vorhees-type zombie super killer, where we spend most of the film slowly following him from behind through gorgeous Terrance Malikesque shots of the forest before he brutally murders young lovers and potheads. What's at the heart of this bold and inventive slasher hasn't left my mind since I saw it weeks ago, so I felt compelled to write something exploring what I believe to be the film's central theme. The pain and violence we experience in our lives never truly leave us.
In a Violent Nature focuses on Johnny, our killer, who has been awakened from his deathly slumber to take back his stolen locket by any means necessary. We follow him as he stomps through a serene forest, ravaging anyone in his path. Through his travels, Johnny will eavesdrop on locals and the young adults who stole his locket as he is either hidden by the brush or darkness or, in most cases, both. Through these eavesdropping sessions, we learn about the lore of this area and how Johnny came to be in his current vengeful zombie state. I thought it was a great storytelling device, and having it from the lurking killer POV was fantastic for building the tension. Did I care for any of these young actors' performances? No, not really, but they excellently play the stereotypical horror teen fodder while giving decent exposition. The actual performance is from the hulking Johnny, played by Ry Barrett, whose presence is quite intimidating. As someone who's played much of the recent God of War reboot and its sequel, it felt like I was behind a person who could be an unstoppable killing force like Kratos.
How are the kills in In a Violent Nature? They are sick. Depending on how slow and methodical some are, they can be gory and gut-wrenching. There is a particular kill on the side of a cliff that made me go oh, I didn't think a human body could do that. If you love Mortal Kombat, you'll enjoy how Johnny handles his business. What I love about this film is that it's clear that director Chris Nash had a vision, and he nailed it with the beautiful help of cinematographer Pierce Derks. It is truly one of the most stunning-looking horror films I have seen this year, and I am taken aback by how methodical this filmmaking was.
What I love so much about Chris Nash's film, though, is the ending. We are left with a sole survivor who is picked up on the road by a local, and the survivor is terrified and paranoid that Johnny will pop out at any moment. The local drives off and tells this off-putting story about a man being attacked by a grizzly bear and surviving while we, the audience, keep looking everywhere on screen for something to happen. The tension builds and builds, but nothing happens. The story reminded me of the end of No Country For Old Men, where Tommy Lee Jones tries to understand what lies in a man's heart and how crazy or evil we are. The story and this woman both reflect on the horrors we witnessed. As she stares off into the camera, we both realize that this violence will be in our lives forever, constantly paranoid, looking over our shoulders. How random or purposeful it was, it will never leave us, and that's the true terror at the heart of the story.
Please go check out this unsettling and kind of chill take on the horror genre, as many people are describing it as Perfect Days for sickos like me.
Final Score: 8/10
Written by: Kevin J. Pettit