Time: 94 Minutes
Cast:
Ry Barrett as Johnny
Andrea Pavlovic as Kris
Cameron Love as Colt
Reece Presley as the ranger
Liam Leone as Troy
Charlotte Creaghan as Aurora
Lea Rose Sebastianis as Brodie
Sam Roulston as Ehren
Alexander Oliver as Evan
Timothy Paul McCarthy as Chuck
Lauren-Marie Taylor as the woman
Director: Chris Nash

I heard about In a Violent Nature, a movie which was said to take place from the perspective of a serial killer. I heard some very split reactions, and having watched it, I have some mixed thoughts about it.

In a Violent Nature is an interesting experiment of a film, it’s like a cross between a splatter slasher and a meditative, Terrence Malick-esque film. The results are a bit of a mixed bag however. Despite being a slasher, it does seem to be a deconstruction and parody of those movies; the intentionally stiff dialogue and acting, obnoxious characters who are brutally killed, and other slasher tropes are prevalent here. There’s also some humour, mostly ironic and dark, usually involved with the kills. At the same time, it is also a very quiet movie, very slowly paced and with long takes as it follows the serial killer. It tries to mix between these two very different approaches, and it doesn’t really work on either count. Usually, slasher films have some degree of tension, as it’s taking place from the perspective of the victims who don’t know who the killer is or where they are. However, because it takes place from the perspective of the unstoppable killer, there is a real lack of tension, so it’s not thrilling, and you are just waiting for the inevitable to happen. If it was intended to be a slower paced artful movie which is viewing through the eyes of a serial killer and their potentially mundane everyday life or the like, it didn’t fully succeed. There are certainly a lot of scenes following the killer as he walks the forest around stalking his targets, captured in long takes. However, these long takes are often broken up by unnecessary cuts, undercutting the otherwise immersive experience and atmosphere that was initially created. It is also worth noting that it doesn’t even commit to the central gimmick of taking place from a killer’s perspective, as there are many times where it shifts from the killer to focus on the victim characters.

The characters in slasher movies are often poorly written and just there to be killed off. If this film was trying to replicate that, they perhaps they went overboard. They are very flat and unlikable as expected, but it almost feels like the movie is wanting to make you feel less bad when they die, after having to listen to them talk for so long. There are so many scenes watching these characters talk, the dialogue is bad, not even in a cheesy fun way, and it becomes a real slog. While it is an appropriately short film at around 90 minutes in length, it’s not interesting to watch. At first, I was into the movie with its slower pacing, but it loses its appeal by the first act, and the pacing becomes increasingly frustrating. The kills certainly were a highlight, but the space between each kill was very dull, and the overall experience gets worse as it progresses. I can say that I liked the killer, he has a great design, his murders are creative, and his backstory is decent enough, if told through some bad exposition.

Chris Nash directs this quite well. It is a quiet movie which helps to build up a weird and uncomfortable atmosphere, at least at the start. It is also a stunning looking movie, it’s beautifully shot and makes great use of the forest environment. As mentioned before, there are lots of long takes and tracking shots which again adds to the atmosphere, but they get old after a while. Also, as mentioned before, cutting down the long takes really undercuts any tension created. There are some very creative and nasty kills, with some great practical effects for the gore.

In a Violent Nature was an interesting experimental slasher with a very steady pace, stunning visuals and memorable kills, but the end result is a very mixed bag and a tedious experience. It’s hard to say who this movie is for, but it certainly won’t be for everyone.