IN A VIOLENT NATURE
Starring: Ry Barrett
Director: Chris Nash
PAIGE
In A Violent Nature is a lean, mean, killing-machine slasher that is akin to a dissection of a Friday the 13th film. While most horror flicks employ tension and shock value to create suspense, this slasher eliminates such elements in favor of a more minimalist and gruesome approach. It’s honestly like watching a wild animal hunt for its prey. Despite its simplicity and slow pacing, having the movie told primarily from the killer's point of view allows it to deliver a fresh perspective on the slasher genre.
NICK
I can see what director Chris Nash was going for with In A Violent Nature; it just didn’t work for me. This slow moving, minimalist horror puts you into the shoes of the killer in an all too realistic portrayal. There’s no soundtrack, no score, and a lot of walking. All these aspects may have worked if not for the film’s inability to create any tension whatsoever, leaving the proceedings to just, sort of, go through the motions. Even with one of the gnarliest kills I’ve seen on film, Nature still adds up to a relatively boring film.
KATIE
Director Chris Nash manages to find originality in an incredibly oversaturated horror subgenre whilst honouring the tropes that characterise my favourite slasher films. In A Violent Nature takes a brutally realistic approach, with restrained pacing and a compelling art house touch. Whilst some may find the periods we spend with the protagonist patiently stalking his victims slowly-paced, these were my favourite parts of the film. With no non-diegetic sound, the film utilises ambient noise and natural lighting beautifully to draw all focus to the killer’s instinctual march towards his victims, creating a unique and distinctive viewing experience.
PRESTON
God-awful. There is little to redeem what now qualifies as the worst film I have seen this year. In A Violent Nature can surely only appeal to the truly, most dedicated, B-horror slasher aficionados and the most forgiving of movie nerds. There is some uniqueness in its approach, especially with a couple long single-shot takes, but most of this means enduring about eight true miles of the back of the killer’s head on his excruciatingly slow walk-about. There is no redeeming score to build any kind of tension, the acting is atrocious, and the dialogue is laughable. No, spank-you!
