In a Violent Nature (2024)

A vengeful spirit takes over a corpse that belonged to a young man and kills whoever stands in its way.

Not for the faint-hearted. In a Violent Nature is sadistic, brutal, gory and pretty much disgusting. Who would recommend such a film? Definitely me! BUT… as stated above, this is not for everyone. It is for the hardcore horror fans and lovers of brutal cinematic deaths – where they should belong. So, the phenomenal opening sequence dives right into it. Slow-paced, diegetic (natural) sounds, omnipresent (invisibly following) camera capturing the action, and meticulous mise-en-scene (what you see, where, and how within the frame) promise a great horror with Jason Vorhees vibes.

What makes the film stand out is the omnipresent camera. That means the camera is everywhere, following the action wherever it takes place, the whole time. Writer/director Chris Nash “forces” the audience to experience Johnny’s every malicious intent. In a nutshell, here’s what you sign up for: vicious and ungodly murders of young men and women with utter devaluation of human life or death. Deaths so innovatively brutal that you won’t hesitate to rewind them or produce whatever kind of sound while they are happening. It is pure sadism! In a Violent Nature is one of the most bloody, gory, and brutal slashers you have ever seen. With uncut, uncensored, and peacefully paced (like the killer) slaughters.

This is basically the film; you follow around Johnny, watching him annihilate everyone. What I consider a major foul, though, is not that. I don’t know if Nash did it on purpose, but almost every character is indifferent, which makes you not care much about them when they die. And that kills the drama behind the horror. And without drama, it gets monotonous. The subplot that could have provided that drama is spreading thinner and thinner as the story unfolds, and you just wait for the next creative atrocity to happen. Finally, without giving away anything, I’ll just tell you that the ending is also anticlimactic.