I enjoy when filmmakers take chances, especially when I think they work. Writer/director Chris Nash swings for the fences with his new slasher, In a Violent Nature. So, yes, this won’t be for everyone blah blah blah. Nash’s commitment to his unusual aesthetic makes for an interesting watch while still making time for some impressive practical gore effects.
Some decades ago, in the wilderness of Northeastern Ontario, an intellectually disabled child named Johnny was accidentally killed by some firefighting forest rangers. Through some unknown supernatural mechanism, Johnny is soon resurrected as a hulking vengeful monster. He goes on a rampage and brutally kills everyone he comes across. This is all backstory, though, and it is relayed to us through campfire ghost stories and half-heard bits of dialog. In any case, the similarities to any number of woods/camp slashers (Friday the 13th, The Burning, etc) are very likely intentional.
What makes In a Violent Nature different is its approach to this generic setup. In most of those types of films, we follow the victims around, getting to know them before they are summarily dispatched in a gruesome fashion. Though these films are not devoid of visual flair, they are generally shot in a traditional manner. However, in this film, we follow the silent and undead Johnny for the vast majority of the runtime. Additionally, the camera maintains a very close third-person perspective for most of the runtime, wherein we slowly follow Johnny from behind as he trudges through the center of the screen.
This creates an interesting effect in that it’s such an unusual approach that it psychologically distances you from the story while also placing you right in the action (or lack thereof). Furthermore, there are extended sequences of Johnny just walking through the dense undergrowth or standing still and watching potential victims who are off in the distance. In some ways, it makes you feel like an unwilling participant in the stalking and murdering of strangers. Other times, it makes you feel like a victim yourself as if Johnny is dragging you along. In any case, this methodical presentation of the conceit generates a surprising amount of tension.
While the narrative is somewhat deemphasized in favor of the conceit, tone, and overall experience, Nash’s script is tight and tireless. With a couple of notable exceptions, the dialog is mostly delivered in snippets. These bits are nevertheless essential in generating light character beats and moving the film forward. On the surface, this all seems simple, but Nash is a clever writer, and I admire how he uses dialog in an atypical way that when combined with the more conventional scenes creates a unique rhythm.
Speaking of the pacing, Alex Jacobs’ editing is an integral part of the film’s visuals. Long takes and jump cuts combine to make the passage of time a subtly key aspect of the experience. This is one carefully assembled film and is another example of In a Violent Nature being deceptively simple while concealing a deep thoughtfulness. When you combine all of this with Pierce Derks’ languorous camerawork and the stripped-down story, it creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere.
Speaking of Derks, his cinematography is gorgeous. Given the conceit, this could’ve easily been a very boring film to look at, but Derks ensures that the wooded locations are forbidding, beautiful, and ethereal all at the same time. Truly, there are some breathtaking compositions on display, and the way his camera moves (or doesn’t) is vital to the experience. I especially liked it when the film would break from its dominant format and give us long shots of majestic lakes or cliffs.
In a Violent Nature isn’t just artiness and atmosphere, though, as it more than delivers on the gore quotient. Though he’s not listed on IMDb, I saw in the credits that Steven Kostanski was in charge of crafting the fantastically gruesome and believable practical makeup effects. The Astron-6 member is perhaps best known as the director of Psycho Goreman and the co-director of The Void, two of my favorite films from the last ten years, but he actually has more effects credits on his resume than directing entries. Looking through Nash’s IMDb page, it seems he did some work here and there for the Astron-6 crew. In any case, Kostanski’s work here is outstanding, with one scene being one of the more memorable kills I’ve seen in recent memory.
Performances are pitch-perfect for what this type of film requires. Ry Barrett plays the burly Johnny. While he has no dialog, he nevertheless maintains our attention with an impressive physicality and a tangible remorselessness. Again, it would’ve been easy for the film to stumble here, but Barrett makes it look easy. Lauren-Marie Taylor, of Friday the 13th 2 and Girls Nite Out fame, is warm, if somewhat oblivious, in an extended cameo.
The final component of what makes In a Violent Nature so potent is its approach to its soundscape. The film has no score at all. With the exception of a fun old-timey track that plays over the closing credits, the only music we hear during the 94-minute runtime is muffled songs being played from inside a cabin or emanating from a vintage Walkman as its batteries die. Sound design is an element that often goes undetected in films, but it is masterful here. The absence of music in conjunction with the quiet ambient noise of the forest and the dialog heard from a distance conjures up so much lush dread. There’s no spooky music to tell us when to be scared or utilized as a red herring, there are no stingers punctuating sudden violence, and no distracting needle drops. This put me on the edge of my seat for the duration.
Chris Nash’s In a Violent Nature looks to its forebears for inspiration. I detected hints of the aforementioned Friday the 13th, as well as Halloween and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but instead of giving us a by-the-numbers retread or an annoyingly ironic take on the genre with constant winks at the audience, we are given an undeniably fresh spin via an unconventional presentation. I had an absolute blast with this flick, though I acknowledge that it will undoubtedly provoke some undue hatred for daring to try something different. IFC is releasing it in theaters on 5/31 but it will eventually make its way to Shudder. Highly recommended for fans of Cabin in the Woods, the 2012 version of Maniac, and It Follows.
Michael Cavender