CANADIAN horror film In A Violent Nature breathes new life into the slasher genre and certainly lives up to its name.
Written and directed by Chris Nash, this Shudder Original takes us on a ramble like no other through the natural world as the enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness unleashes an iconic new killer after a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower that entombed its rotting corpse.
Nash gives us a rather novel and totally original ‘POV’ peep into an average walk in the park for a demonic creature that takes heads as casually as Yogi Bear takes picnic baskets. Little Johnnie is not having a good day as he trudges through the forest in pursuit of a group of young people that awoke him from his ghostly slumber.
Breaking away from more traditional slasher tropes for a lot of the film, In A Violent Nature is one that fans will either be straight onboard with or left scratching their heads over. It’s the scenery that is real killer here, and the slow-pace of the unhurried maniac and constant birdsong instead of an electronic theme tune from John Carpenter, might be a bridge too far for some.
For my tuppence, this is a welcome change from drunken and horny teens meeting their predictable end from a mute giant with tree trunks for arms and a mask to conceal their bashful ways. They still meet their end, and with all of the above boxes ticked, but what’s so fresh about Nash’s film is the fact it is all shown from the killer’s perspective. The victims are mere prey, fodder, compost for the woodland floor.
In A Violent Nature is more Cocaine Bear than Friday the 13th but it is merciless, and almost blasé, in its stony-hearted cruelty and brutality — animalistic even. The calming effect of the natural world all around just makes it more chilling.
(4/5)
