Chris Nash’s “In a Violent Nature”

In a Violent Nature (2024) - Chris Nash, Canada

“…a good addition to the genre with fresh ideas but unfortunately doesn’t fully commit and in turn falls short of greatness.”

★★★½

I always prefer that a film take risks and fail than be bland and successful. Here we have a interesting concept: a slasher horror from the perspective of killer. As someone who loves slow burn cinema and horror, this worked well in its first act. It felt fresh and grounded. After disturbing a locket in the remains of a fire tower, a group of friends has inadvertently released a vengeful spirit who rises from the earth and it is principally from his perspective that we follow. The camera doesn’t put us in his shoes by first person as John Carpenter’s Halloween, but follows as he ambles in third person as if it were a documentary. His unstoppable but slow steps echo those of the entity in David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows as if he is a relentless force, a kind of allegory for fate though in this case, the motivation is less targeted.

The low-fi realist tone works well and the first kills work well but by the third kill, it jumps the shark, lands on the shark and gets eaten by the shark in a ridiculous kill more suited to a comedy horror and the rest of the middle act similarly goes off the rails with odd pacing, tone and too much exposition. Fortunately, the third act does well to get things back on track, sticking the landing. Overall, it’s a good addition to the genre with fresh ideas but unfortunately doesn’t fully commit and in turn falls short of greatness.