Writer - Director Chris Nash brings a new vision to the slasher film genre with his debut title In A Violent Nature. The VFX specialist's film is shot from the killer Johnny (Ry Barrett) point of view. There is little to no score. Atmospheric sound reigns instead a calming mix of whistling birds and Johnny's boots trudging over leaves, soil, gravel and branches in the forest. The other constant is the echo of voices off in the distance getting louder as Johnny approaches. In a pivotal scene towards the end birds chirping frantically in the forest are used creatively to create an elevated level of tension . At open the camera focuses in on a pendant hanging on a rusted pipe from some long unused structure that nature has reclaimed. The owner of one of the two voices carrying on a non-descript conversation reaches out and grabs the pendant. After further silence the ground begins to rumble and out pops the behemoth that is Johnny. Once free from the soil below he begins a steady march over an extended period of no dialogue in the direction of that hand that grabbed the pendant.
Johnny soon acquires his signature weapons. An Axe that he wields, then recovers a kin to Captain America's shield and a chain link metal rope with a hook on one end that he expertly deploys yielding brutal results. Followed by his last piece of kit a 19th century smoke helmet that he snatches from a fire lookout station. Our killer marches around the forest like an apex predator. Coming across people usually in pairs or the customary group of exuberant teens away at a cabin in the woods for the weekend. You can almost hear him thinking as he formulates a plan of attack on the unsuspecting humans as he approaches. Then the plan is executed and people die. Three kills rank above all. One takes out a swimmer in a lake. The second snuffs out the Ranger (Reece Presley) who's linked to imprisoning him in that tomb below the rusted fire tower many years ago. The third and signature one from the film is thrust upon a seemingly random victim quietly doing her open air yoga practice. To say any more would ruin the epic nature of the act.
Amongst the potential victims Kris (Andrea Pavolic) emerges as the foil to Johnny's rampage. She hears the back story from a fellow teens around a fire at the cabin the group is occupying. Apparently Johnny was bullied by the locals as a youth. He was tricked into climbing up the fire tower where he suffered a tragic accident, the ones involved covered it up.The pendant his mother's hanging it above his burial plot had kept Johnny in place.
In a Violent Nature is a unique entry into the slasher film genre. There is no soundtrack present to build a sense of urgency or fear. Instead, people are going about their lives unaware of Johnny's lumbering approach. Surprise comes next, followed by fear then and the realization that they are about to die. Nash's method is simplistic yet effective resulting in a film that I can highly recommend.
**** Out of 4.
In A Violent Nature | Chris Nash | Canada | 2024 | 94 Minutes.
Pendant, Tomb, Bullying, Fire Tower, Vengeance, Axe, Chained Hook, Forest, Teens, Cabin In the Woods, Smoke Helmet,Sawmill, Bear Trap, Gasoline, Toy Truck.
