Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘In a Violent Nature’

5/31/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Ry Barrett and Charlotte Creaghan in Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE. Courtesy of Pierce Derks. An IFC Films & Shudder Release.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘In a Violent Nature’.

It is definitely safe to say, that slasher films operate within a very specific formula in this day and age. One that was forged in the era of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers. Wherein a group of teenagers come to discover a great evil or twisted bloodlust and must fight to survive on a horrifying night. Wherein they learn about themselves, what they are made of and of course… how best to defeat the monster that hunts them. Usually through a ton of research that reveals a weakness they can exploit, one that will come at a cost as they fight for their lives because in the end, it’s either them or the monster.

Which is a formula that works well and has served the subgenre equally as well for decades on end. Since it allows for the monster to return because their mythos extends well beyond one discovery, and it gives rise to some intense tales filled to the brim with gore and guts and jump scares. But it does leave one to wonder, if by chance the slasher will ever see an evolution of sorts. The kind that other monsters have enjoyed in recent years. After all, the zombie continues to evolve in storytelling on television, and the vampire is having a renaissance as well by becoming less sparkly and by embracing the evil they are capable of. But the slasher seemingly keeps on, slashin’ on, but it would indeed seem its moment of evolution has arrived, courtesy of a new slasher feature from Shudder and IFC Films that hits theaters today.

Simply because, In a Violent Nature, is a downright revolutionary slasher feature. One that outright surprises us in every way imaginable. A reality made possible, by way of quite the deceptive plot. Because at first glance, this appears to be just another slasher. After all, we are introduced to a group of college kids that disrespect the final resting place of a man known as Johnny. Who suffered in life and supposedly made people pay for his suffering, and sadly, by messing with his grave… he wakes from a long slumber and seeks out those who desecrated his resting place, and took items from it and well, that is pretty standard slasher fare. The kind that works within a mythos, gives us the backstory and the answer to putting Johnny down for all time.

Which in essence, is a plot that makes the viewer quite comfortable, since this really does feel like an old shoe and a grand homage since the film is shot in the old 1:33.1 ratio found in some classic 70s slashers. But that’s where… things quickly change, and the surprises come into play. Such as the fact that this entire story is told from the perspective of the killer himself. Which we just haven’t seen before. Since men like Johnny are always lurking presences, waiting to strike and their appearance is to set the stage for the horror. But here, he’s the one we spend time with, and we come to learn about the patience of a monster like him, and the slow and methodical way in which they kill and that makes… for some unsettling moments.

Because just like that, you’re plunged into his anger, his desire and his need to kill and kill he does. With an impunity that brings forth the next surprise in this feature. Specifically… the brutal nature of the kills. For Johnny holds nothing back when it comes to his rage and his bloodlust, and that makes us privy to every horrific moment as he takes a life in the most creative and savage manner possible. Which only adds to this uncomfortable ride, one that can only be compared to an outright nightmare. The kind where you are but the helpless passenger, forced to watch atrocities unfold and you simply cannot wake up. Which makes this, an absolutely magnificent and utterly brilliant horror film. One that is savage and cruel yes, but truly takes us into new territory for this type of film.

For we truly garner new perspective, and we truly come to respect the slasher like never before. Since we learn here, they are… unstoppable, and patient forces of nature that absolutely need to complete their goal. Which makes them something to be feared again since Johnny doesn’t speak… he just kills and kills well and that only adds to the majesty of this incredible horror feature. One that also harbors amazing performances since it takes skill to pull off this kind of demented and vicious silence, and Ry Barrett accomplishes that with minimal effort as Johnny, and the rest of the cast only sells his fury, all of which adds to the revolutionary nature of this story. One that embraces new angles and holds nothing back in its desire to make this unstoppable monster a true fixture of terror once again.

Watch ‘In a Violent Nature’

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