In a Violent Nature
Zen and the art of murdering campers
Ry Barrett takes a stab at the slasher genre in Chris Nash’s In a Violent Nature
In the middle of the woods, a group of teens stumble upon the remnants of a fire watch tower and find a golden locket draped over the ruins. They take the locket, because of course they do, and awaken the vengeful being that has stalked the woods for 60 years.
The being, now released from its prison, stalks the woods to find his locket and kill anything that gets in his way.
Have you ever wondered what a Friday the 13th film would look like if it was directed by Yasujirō Ozu or Terrence Malick? Writer/director Chris Nash is way ahead of you. Nash takes the conventions we all know and love in slasher films and chucks them into a reflective, almost serene style of filmmaking. As we follow the lumbering killer into the river, the camera holds, allowing us to absorb the peace of the flowing water and the distant conversation of the people on the other bank. It’s meditative — an invitation to lose yourself in the beauty of nature and forget that there’s an unkillable monster stalking toward the people on the opposite shore. The soundtrack is ambient nature noises (and some screaming), paired beautifully with shots of the forest.
That’s not to say this slasher movie lacks grit. In fact, the laconic pace only ramps up the kills. You’d be forgiven for just enjoying the sounds of birds and forgetting what movie you’re watching until a man’s head is suddenly crushed. The ethos of In a Violent Nature may be reflective of the natural world, but the gore is straight out of a Tom Savini fantasy. You’ll never look at yoga the same way again.
But what makes this film so interesting is the pairing of gore and well-loved slasher tropes with the restraint and reflection of Ozu’s Tokyo Story. Nash throws the audience into constant whiplash, breaking the stillness of his own film to offer up some truly hair-raising kills. In doing so, Nash centers the violence and what these types of stories evoke.
Most moviegoers know the archetypes: Wordless killer that can’t be stopped, mean jock, comic relief stoner, helpful but doomed authority figure, and final girl. They’re all here, but they’re not really the point. Nash uses these figures as shorthand, so the audience immediately recognizes the story and what’s happening (there’s no belabored backstory for anybody in this flick). Nash even puts the film in 4:3 aspect ratio to summon the feeling of watching a scary movie on your pre-widescreen TV (ask your parents about it, kids). If you recognize the story and the experience you expect watching this type of movie, you can focus on other things. Nash wants you to reflect on Pierce Derks’ impressive cinematography and how violent slasher films transform when you strip away the overwrought music, cheesy dialogue, and silly scenarios. Nash forces the audience to really look at the genre, and why it’s so popular.
Such a thoughtful, slow approach to a wham-bam genre might put off some horror hounds, but In a Violent Nature gives us something that’s often sorely lacking in scary movies: a new perspective. If you loved watching Jason chase feckless teens in your youth, but long for something a little more adult, In a Violent Nature is the perfect balance of grown aesthetics and goofy gore.
Verdict: Tilting the genre on its head, Chris Nash dares you to find the Zen of Jason Vorhees.
In a Violent Nature is rated R and will be available in theaters May 31, before going to Shudder for streaming.
