Review: In A Violent Nature (2024)

Do you ever wonder what the time in between victims was like for Jason Vorhees or Michael Meyers? The walking from destination to destination? Director and writer Chris Nash decides to answer that question with In a Violent Nature, an indie slasher film that is told from the perspective of the slasher. Not just any type of slasher, specifically the camp slasher. In a Violent Nature, a couple of campers end up taking a locket they find hanging from a hook in a collapsed fire tower. This awakens the body of Johnny, a victim of a sixty-year-old crime. This resurrected soul leaves a trail of blood and guts in its wake as it searches for the stolen locket and seeks revenge on those who stole it.

In A Violent Nature is a creative approach to a straightforward story we have seen many times before. For the majority of the film, the audience follows behind Johnny as he makes his way to his victims, similar as if you were watching a character in a video game. Nash changes things up visually when Johnny goes in for a kill, and we get tracking shots through the rooms of a house, reverse angles where we can see Johnny coming up behind his victim, and one campfire scene that gives us a brief look at the group of campers Johnny is going to kill. The kills are brutal and gory. The practical gore effects are amazing and one of the highlights. The work of Cinematographer Pierce Derks really helped keep things interesting visually. I particularly liked the moments when the camera would stop and stay static as Johnny walked out of focus towards his prey. There is also solid editing of Johnny’s walking scenes to help convey the passage of time so you know how long he has been walking, without having to experience the full length of travel.

Johnny is played by Ry Barrett who does an excellent job in embodying many of the silent slasher characters that have come before. I caught hints of Michael Meyers, a lot of Jason Vorhees, and even some Cropsy from The Burning. He also brings in his own nuance to the character, especially once he acquires the mask and weapon of choice, two big hooks connected with a chain. He is a silent character so what little emotion he feels is shown through body language. Barrett emotes these feelings perfectly with just a head tilt or gesture. The true hero of this film is not in front of the camera, but behind it. The entire sound department should get top billing for their wonderful work in the sound design. Sound is so important in horror and this team nailed it in every aspect. From the sounds in the woods, to the crunching of leaves, to the smashing of heads, all of it helped put you right there behind Johnny. With no music soundtrack to speak of, the sounds stood out even more.

There was room for improvement in a few of the scenes. One involves a kill later in the movie that seemed a bit out of character. I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say given what we had seen of Johnny by that point in the movie, I would have expected a bit more. There is also something they do with Johnny during a scene involving a mini car on a keychain that I wish they had not done as it took away some of the mystery for me. The ending could have been shorter as there is a setup with no real payoff, just exposition. While I get what they may have been going for, it didn’t quite work for me.

In A Violent Nature is a very creative slasher film that takes some risks bucking the expectations one may have for this type of story. It gets top marks for all of the technical aspects while having room for improvement on the story. I can see why many horror fans are divided on it. I find it a refreshing change from many other slashers and can find myself watching it again sometime. If you are looking for something different in your slasher film, this one definitely is going to be for you.