One of this year’s best horror outings, the slasher movie In a Violent Nature, is now available to stream on Shudder. And it should make the perfect cinematic experience for Friday the 13th. Written and directed by Chris Nash and made in association with IFC Films and Shudder Films, In a Violent Nature tells the perfect slasher tale while taking a surprisingly unique approach to the way that tale is told. The story (and bloodshed) begins when a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods. Little did the unsuspecting victims know that this is what entombed the corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific crime from decades ago. Oops. Now, Johnny is here…and he wants his locket back.
Not unlike the way many a slasher killer treats their victims, In a Violent Nature flips the slasher movie genre on its head, following the perspective of the killer throughout. Audiences watch Johnny make his way (sometimes pretty slowly) through the woods as he hunts the ones who stole his prized possession. The movie makes the audience wait for the kills, which often heightens the tension and, when the kills do come, they relish in the gorey details. So, for horror fans, the stroll through the woods is worth the wait.
In a Violent Nature was met with largely positive reviews, and now stands at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, with MovieWeb’s own Will Sayre praising the movie’s dedication to the concept and putting the audience in the killer’s shoes more than any slasher outing has done before.
“The sound level of dialogue is directly proportional to the distance Johnny is from its source, which, combined with the camera’s placement directly behind Johnny, situates you right in the killer’s sensory experience. While other films have done this in tiny ways in order to implicate the audience for their salacious and violent desires (Peeping Tom, Funny Games, Salò), In a Violent Nature seems to have a different agenda. It’s an artistic, thought-provoking device that refuses to give in to the temptation of impatient audiences out there who will say, “Just hurry up and get to the action, already!””
In a Violent Nature 2 Is Now in the Works
Following the success of Johnny’s first slasher adventure, a sequel is now in the works. It was confirmed at this year’s SDCC that IFC Films, Shudder, and AMC Networks are now working on bringing Johnny back for more. Producer Peter Kuplowsky released a statement at the time, revealing that the plan was always to create a new slasher franchise and teased how the experimentation demonstrated in the first movie will continue.
“‘In a Violent Nature’ was originally conceived as a meta-sequel within a fictional slasher series, so we were always imagining mayhem beyond the scope of the original film. That we now have the opportunity to continue following Johnny on his restless walk has us feeling incredibly grateful to our incredible partners at IFC Films / Shudder who believed in Chris’ vision from day one. We are thrilled to return for a new chapter and are excited to deploy Johnny as a conduit to further experiments in the genre.”
In a Violent Nature
is now streaming on Shudder.