The Violent Horror Movie That Had Made Audiences Sick to Their Stomachs

In a Violent Nature is a story horror fans know well, albeit told in a radically novel way. In the remote woods, a collection of locals and partying kids are terrorized by a hulking supernatural killer who, having risen from the dead, stalks them in silent, methodical fashion. Trudging through the forest with single-minded purpose, his face covered by an archaic firefighter mask and his hands wielding drag hooks, this marauder appears compelled by a mysterious force to carry out his mission to its grisly end.

That he does, with extreme violence, and those familiar with the exploits of Jason, Michael Myers, and their faceless homicidal compatriots will immediately recognize him as a kindred sort of fiend. Nonetheless, while the subject and premise of writer/director Chris Nash’s film is conventional, the method to its madness is unique, since this genre affair distinguishes itself from its gory brethren by assuming the perspective of its villain—a formal gambit that upends every one of its traditional elements.

The debut feature of Canadian-born Nash, In a Violent Nature is an invigorated reimagining of a classic slasher template, following its killer Johnny (Ry Barrett) as he slowly hunts his prey, all in an attempt to retrieve an object that’s been stolen from him. When he sets upon his targets, his actions are almost maniacally over-the-top, and the film’s lingering power comes from its marriage of patient plotting and outrageous brutality, highlighted by a stunning murder that claims its place in the horror cinema hall of fame.

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