As you prep for cottage season, you might want to be wary of the woods.
In A Violent Nature begins in the midst of a remote forest as a group of campers come across a locket, hanging on a collapsed fire tower. After they take the abandoned item for themselves, a rotting corpse emerges from the depths. The force in question is Johnny (Ry Barrett), an undead fiend who mercilessly pursues those who have taken his missing possession, leaving a path of wanton destruction in his wake.
Written and directed by Chris Nash, In A Violent Nature drops the viewer into the warpath of mysterious, supernatural killer. In the vein of slasher classics such as Friday the 13th and Halloween, Johnny becomes a literal force of nature as he slashes, guts and dismembers (mostly) innocent campers in the rural countryside. The killings are vicious and the tension is high.
While many films of this nature follow its victims, Violent Nature instead chooses to walk closely behind its killer. Though we know little about him, we know his vendetta is rooted in the loss of his family. As Johnny lumbers towards his prey, we watch the film entirely from his perspective, stalking his prey like a hungry animal. Yet, in doing so, the film takes a quiet, persevering approach to its storytelling. Every step is kept in silence as he moves towards his next target. Conversations are overheard at a distance and little is known about his victims. Rather than spend time with these characters directly, we piece together their stories from the bushes to the side. As a result, it can be difficult to empathize with them as become little more than fresh meat for this mysterious force of nature to devour.
But, at the same time, that’s also what makes Violent Nature unique. There’s a brutality to walking in the (literal) footsteps of a serial killer that other films fail to capture. By putting the film in his perspective, we are left helplessly to watch his reckless abandon, unable to help. He is a force of nature, with a penchant for absolutely brutality.
And we become unwittingly complicit his violence.
However, Violent Nature is aware of our need to empathize as well. Without giving any spoilers, the film’s finale offers us some of its most terrifying moments as perspective shifts to its targets. These are the moments that truly engage the emotional pulse as they remind us of the souls of the people involved.
Here, Violent Nature seems to take the viewer beyond slasher tropes. Once we can connect with the people, the film begins to feel like a metaphor for the chaos of life. These characters are oblivious to the fact that they could become victims at any moment. Even so, Johnny lurks with his own agenda and cares little for their well-being. Yet, once we are allowed to connect with these characters, we recognize their important. Though we’ve spent the film outside of their perspective, there’s more to them than simply bags of flesh. They matter. And we are finally allowed to remember their importance.
While the pacing of In A Violent Nature may not be for everyone, there’s no question that this tightly-written thriller knows what it wants to accomplish. In Johnny, Nash has created a blunt instrument that exploits the most violent impulses of humanity itself. And the value of those who are victimized by them.
In A Violent Nature is available in select theatres across Canada on Friday, May 31st, 2024.
