In A Violent Nature

In a Violent Nature (2024)

A Victim of Viral Hype and Slow-Motion Slasher Tropes

★★☆☆☆

An ambitious "ambient slasher" that struggles to move past its own hype and pedestrian pacing.

Directed by Chris Nash, In a Violent Nature is a textbook example of a film being crushed by the weight of its own viral momentum. Marketed as a transcendent horror experience following successful festival runs, the reality is far more humble: it is a low-budget, B-movie slasher with a clever perspective twist. Heavily influenced by the "over-the-shoulder" camera work of modern video games, the film attempts to subvert the genre by following the killer instead of the victims. However, once the initial thrill of this aesthetic choice fades, the audience is left with a film that spends the majority of its runtime simply walking through the woods.

"The juxtaposition between peaceful serene nature and horrific violence is poetic... but after awhile becomes painfully pretentious. I envy the new viewers who years from now will come to the film with no expectations."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: Chris Nash
• Starring: Ry Barrett (Johnny), Andrea Pavlovic
• Cinematography: Pierce Derks (The "Follow" Cam)
• Vibe: Ambient / Experimental Horror

The Vision

Nash's vision attempts to strip away the score and fast-paced editing of the 1980s slasher era, replacing it with a meditative, almost nature-documentary feel. While critics found this "slow cinema" approach refreshing, many general viewers felt the lack of a "fast travel" option turned the experience into an endurance test. The film's much-discussed "unique kill" provides a moment of morbidly creative fun, and the final monologue offers a poignant meditation on surviving trauma, but these moments of brilliance are frequently buried under the film's own pretension.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Aspect Ratio: The film was shot in a 4:3 Academy ratio, intended to frame the killer more like a dominant force of nature while restricting the viewer's peripheral vision.
• No Score: There is virtually no musical score in the film; the soundscape relies entirely on the ambient noises of the Ontario wilderness to build tension.
• The Yoga Kill: The special effects team spent weeks developing the mechanics for the film's "centerpiece" kill—which has already been hailed as one of the most creative in slasher history.

✅ Pros

• A bold, unique twist on the traditional slasher perspective.
• One incredibly creative and morbidly memorable centerpiece kill.
• Impressive use of ambient sound and serene nature visuals.

❌ Cons

• Excessive, repetitive sequences of just walking through the forest.
• The critical hype creates a massive gap for audience expectations.
• Pacing that borders on the painfully pretentious.

🏆 Final Verdict

Stripped of the fanfare, it’s a "pretty cool" Friday the 13th knock-off with an experimental edge. Catch it on a late night with zero expectations and you might find it to be a worthwhile, albeit slow, diversion.

View original review on Letterboxd