Did I just witness the greatest and gnarliest kill I have ever seen on screen? In the deepest and darkest part of my imagination, I could have never born such an idea. I was shook and admit I silently screamed and forgot to breathe for a second. Sorry, not sorry, that was some twisted shit. In a Violent Nature is hitting theaters today, May 31st and I am living for the reactions I’ve been reading surrounding its premiere. A crazed, raised-from-the-dead, masked murderer is on the loose in the woods. Let’s go camping.
“In the dark, dark wood”
After a locket is removed from a dilapidated fire tower, the rotting corpse of an undead killer is resurrected. A monster emerges, hell-bent on retrieving his “precious” and immediately gets to work.
To start, we have a group of campers sitting around a fire and one of them entertains the rest with the sad tale of Johnny. We don’t get much but glimpses into their conversations because this is Johnny’s story. And Johnny is watching and waiting in the dense line of trees just beyond their view. We are just witnesses to his bloody rampage.
Horror fanatics, gather ‘round
I’ve had this new slasher on my watchlist all year and it’s arrived just in time for the summer. This is the brain baby of Chris Nash and his first feature length film. I can name a dozen things that I love about it and I am already excited about the prospect of a sequel. First, I’ll save you all the comparisons to slashers of long past. Let’s dig into it.
Foremost, I LOVE the extensive shots from the killer’s perspective. Johnny moves methodically along a nondescript killing path. He instinctively works his way through the group of campers at a slow and tension building pace. On top of that, the sound design was nerve-racking. The never-ending footfall, the bubbling, gurgling, and squelching sounds turned my stomach. However, it’s the kills that will stain your memory. The overkill is sickeningly glorious! The detail in the bloody, gory, grossness of it all is masterful. It relies heavily on its setting and it is gorgeous and the views are breathtaking. Every sound echoes. The tranquilness is never lost and only heightens the shock of the violence unfolding on screen.
Slow and steady wins the race
Unfortunately, my excitement dwindled. It’s slow to a fault. Eventually, the things I was enjoying became too much. The walking goes on and on. Then, the slow pace trickles until there’s nothing left. I understand and appreciate the ambiguity and I could not care less if a Sally emerges victorious from the forest. Ultimately, the actors didn’t have enough to land a feeling of anything.
I really want to like this movie and it took me a few days to decide what to share. Thankfully, I will be rewatching this at a theater. I’m enthusiastic about seeing it in a proper environment. Most importantly, I need that surround sound with huge speakers and a giant screen. I will appreciate all of the same things. But I’m hoping that I can immerse myself in the sounds of nature, the landscapes, and the brutal kills. Don’t miss out on this one. In a Violent Nature is in theaters now.
