We overview the elevated, arthouse horror flick, In A Violent Nature.
PLOT: When a locket is faraway from a collapsed hearth tower within the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year outdated crime, his physique is resurrected and turns into hellbent on retrieving it.
REVIEW: I’ve been ready my complete life for somebody to return alongside and make “POV Jason Voorhees.” The idea of following a slasher villain as they go on their journey of mayhem is the stuff of desires. I’ve at all times felt that slashers are the prime candidate to deconstruct in an fascinating manner. Not since Scream has the subgenre been given a singular perspective and had hype behind it. So, just like the 1996 traditional, I hoped this could construct off of the movies that got here earlier than it, and produce slasher movies to new heights. As an alternative of a love letter, In A Violent Nature seems like an insult to the style.
In A Violent Nature largely follows the killer, Johnny, as he’s been resurrected to retrieve a stolen locket. He rises from the bottom and we because the viewers deliver up the rear on his sluggish stroll in direction of bloody destruction. However that’s actually all it’s. There’s no deconstructing stereotypes or subverting expectations: we’re merely following this man as he kills particular person after particular person. Every sufferer is fast to just accept their destiny and die in grotesque methods, with little to no resistance. There are components of the subgenre, with a ultimate woman and familial historical past for the killer. But it surely provides as much as nothing greater than window dressing. It’s there to verify a field versus add to the story.
There are apparent comparisons with Friday the thirteenth, with the Johnny character paralleling Jason Voorhees in some ways. Nonetheless, Johnny lacks any sort of persona that may permit the viewers to connect themselves. He’s only a killer husk. One of many causes the Friday the thirteenth movies have persevered for many years, is that they’re simply plain enjoyable. However all the pieces right here is such a bore. Johnny has no distinct persona and largely appears drawn to noise versus debauchery. Ry Barrett has an amazing construct however the movie doesn’t actually permit him to be something apart from a stuntman. I hope he wore his health watch as a result of he undoubtedly acquired his steps in.
Why achieve this many movies insist on going full body today? I can rely on one hand the occasions a contemporary film really pulls it off. It largely simply comes throughout like a gimmick and that’s actually all it’s right here. The director claimed he wished Johnny to get “lost in the frame” extra and “be one with nature,” however I’d argue full body makes that much more tough. And since a lot of the movie is simply following Johnny strolling, and given his vast body, he takes up a lot of the sector of view. So it’s onerous to lose somebody after we’re simply watching their again for lengthy intervals.
I don’t need this to all be destructive so let’s give attention to some positives. The look of Johnny could be very cool, along with his Smoking Masks offering an intimidating look. Although, it’s a little bit pointless since we don’t even get to see the masks more often than not. And his hook felt moderately distinctive as a homicide weapon. There’s one demise particularly that’s an absolute showcase for the image. Sensible results are used to absolute perfection and assist to raise in any other case bland scenes. A lot of the kills go away little affect however the ones that do are fairly memorable.
Whereas the idea behind the movie appears to be “an elevated slasher film” it doesn’t actually have these components outdoors of the pretentious camerawork. The appearing is past unhealthy, which actually clashes with the arthouse aesthetic. The dialogue could be very cliched and the story has been achieved a thousand occasions. And that’s all effectively and good besides they don’t subvert something. They’re merely unhealthy characters with unhealthy dialogue, which I believe speaks to the filmmaker’s opinion on slasher movies. As a lot as I went into this considering it’d be a love letter, it feels extra like an insult to the subgenre.
In A Violent Nature is definitely essentially the most disillusioned I’ve been with a horror movie in fairly a while. As an enormous slasher fan, I had very excessive expectations. The concept of deconstructing the style and elevating it’s a lifelong dream for many followers. Or heck, even simplifying it and distilling it right down to its essence might have additionally labored. But this does none of that. It merely takes a really bland slasher script, and offers it some Gus Van Sant camerawork and modifying. And when that leads to 70% of the film simply being a man strolling for lengthy intervals; it finally feels pointless.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE IS IN THEATERS MAY 31ST, 2024 AND COMES TO SHUDDER LATER THIS SUMMER.
