The Score: 8 out of 10
Where to watch: theaters now, and Shudder soon
When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it.
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The tl;dr Review:
If you’re looking for a slasher flick that goes heavy on the killer’s perspective with absolute stubborn devotion, In a Violent Nature definitely does that. In fact, that actually might be why it’s as great as it is. From the gory kills to the way Johnny hunts to the practicals and the sometimes suffocating silence, it’s all there. The writing and acting could have used a bit more skill and tact, but if you go in strictly to see a monstrosity of a human absolutely butcher people then you’re in for a treat.
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The Review:
While I normally start with the good, let’s get the bad out of the way.
The writing for In a Violent Nature does not do it any favors. Too much hand holding with the exposition, and dialogue that feels tacky, even for a slasher paying tribute to classic slashers. That said, it makes you eager for the kills, with characters being as annoying as they are. The pacing is slow, but given that it’s from the perspective of the killer, that’s expected. The big surprise here is how it plays with viewer expectations. I can’t go into detail regarding this, but even as a devout slasher fan I was still surprised at how some key scenes unfolded.
The only noteworthy performance is Ry Barrett, who absolutely slays as the hulking and predatory Johnny; his performance as the killer oozes sinister and homicidal energy. Everyone else needed to dial down their performances, with facial expressions that go to extremes, and line delivery that doesn’t land right. It almost feels intentional though, especially with how much it makes you want Johnny to just murder everyone.
Visuals are the best kind of tense and ominous. Most of the film follows Johnny, with a few instances where the camera separates to go unpredicted routes. Johnny is surprisingly agile, and the kills are absolutely fantastic, with great brutal deaths. The cinematography is also exceptional, and the 1:1 ratio gives this intense claustrophobia that fits the remote setting. Camera placement is tactical and fully intentional, building scenes up as everything plays out. Practicals are great, whether it’s the absolute ton of gore or just how characters look, it’s all done right. Plus the natural lighting and how it plays into each scene is a stroke of genius in and of itself, though slightly underutilized.
There’s intentional lack of composed music, which actually makes scenes more tense as it removes some of the usual ominous foreshadowing and replaces it with deliberate ambiguity. The sound effects are intentionally punched up, leaving the viewer on edge as Johnny stalks unsuspecting victims. There’s still a soundtrack of sorts, but it’s mostly music that plays in the background, as an added sound detail.
Suffice it to say, In a Violent Nature is a good slasher flick with good kills and a great killer. The flaws aren’t dealbreakers. It’s definitely meant to be watched on a big screen, and you’ll definitely enjoy it more in a theater setting than you would if you watch it when it releases on Shudder.
-Joseph
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Joe's Horror Reviews 