In A Violent Nature Brilliantly Subverts A Common Horror Movie Expectation

While In A Violent Nature might technically follow a standard slasher template, the subversive horror movie changes the perspective of its story. As the main characters of 1996’s Scream famously noted, horror movies have a fairly rigid set of genre tropes they can sometimes rely on heavily. Specifically, slasher movies are often seen as trashy fare where partying teens are picked off one at a time by a seemingly unstoppable masked killer who doesn’t talk but does come up with increasingly elaborate and gory ways to end their lives. This effectively describes many of the Friday the 13th and Halloween movies.

Add in a remote woodland setting and the above synopsis could apply to dozens of movies that ripped off those franchises since the ‘80s. On paper, the brutal slasher movie In A Violent Nature follows this description to a tee. The Shudder horror movie sees an unspeaking undead killer stalk and inventively murder a group of teens in a remote forest after they accidentally awake his vengeful spirit by disturbing his cherished locket. However, in practice, In A Violent Nature could not be less like Madman, The Burning, Don’t Go Into The Woods, Hatchet, Bloody Murder, or The Forest.

In A Violent Nature Is A Rare Horror Movie Told From The Killer’s Perspective

In A Violent Nature’s Slasher Story Subverts Horror Convention

Unlike almost every slasher movie ever made, In A Violent Nature is told from the slasher’s perspective but is not a comedic self-parody. Instead, In A Violent Nature’s sleepy, leisurely story follows Johnny as he emerges from the earth, arms himself, and picks off the teens one by one. For any viewers who ever wondered what Jason Voorhees got up to between kills, In A Violent Nature finally provides an answer. The killer walks through idyllic fields and lush backwoods, occasionally stopping to take in his surroundings before moving on to his next kill. This subversive approach is surprisingly effective.

No less a luminary than Stephen King recommended In A Violent Nature even though, despite its critical success, the slasher isn’t traditionally scary. There is little tension since viewers know where Johnny is at all times and, after the first few kills, it is abundantly clear that none of the teens will stand a chance once he finds them. Despite this, In A Violent Nature’s premise is inherently creepy since the movie makes quiet forests and serene woodlands haunting. Viewers can never relax and enjoy the movie’s stunning vistas since they are constantly reminded of Johnny’s lingering presence.

The Killer’s Perspective Makes Johnny More Sympathetic

In A Violent Nature’s Johnny Is A Surprisingly Tragic Figure

Although Johnny is a monstrous murderer, the few glimpses that viewers get of his backstory do make him a surprisingly sympathetic protagonist. Like In A Violent Nature’s inspiration Friday the 13th, the movie displays that its killer has almost childlike intelligence in numerous scenes. When Johnny sits down to play with toy cars for a moment, it is a jarring reminder that he hasn’t shown much mental maturity throughout his killing spree, and he may not even be aware of the mayhem he wreaks. This makes Johnny all the more scary since he’s driven not by sadism but by grief.

Johnny’s quest begins when one of the movie’s antiheroes steals his mother’s locket and his entire killing spree is predicated on getting this item back. The locket carries some emotional significance for the undead killer and, although the critically acclaimed In A Violent Nature doesn’t go out of its way to humanize Johnny, it is hard not to feel for him at times. When viewers spend an entire movie in a character’s company, it is tough not to feel some connection to their fate. This makes it all the more disturbing when In A Violent Nature’s death scenes are notably nasty.

In A Violent Nature’s Kill Scenes Are Increasingly Brutal And Original

In A Violent Nature’s Deaths Prove The Movie Is Still A Savage Slasher

Even in the gory world of slasher movies, In A Violent Nature features some truly horrifying death scenes. There are two reasons for this, both of which are informed by the movie’s unusual storytelling style. For one thing, it would be easy for hardened horror fans to complain that that meditative experimental movie isn’t a real slasher if In A Violent Nature didn’t deliver on the promise of its title. A slasher movie made in the style of Terrace Malick and Gus Vans Sant is a cute pitch, but this idea required truly gruesome death scenes to succeed.

Secondly, In A Violent Nature’s unusual delivery makes its kills more effective. Slasher movies are typically full of constant character drama, comedic relief, and other distractions. By stripping away all these extraneous elements, In A Violent Nature contrasts long stretches of lonely silence with sudden shocks of intense gore. This makes In A Violent Nature all the more impactful as a slasher, albeit one that is far from traditional.

In a Violent Nature

Director

Chris Nash

Release Date

January 22, 2024

Studio(s)

Shudder

Writers

Chris Nash

Cast

Lauren-Marie Taylor , Andrea Pavlovic , Ry Barrett , Reece Presley

Runtime

94 Minutes

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