In a Violent Nature

In a Violent Nature
Starring Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley
Directed by Chris Nash

When you think of something ambient, you probably think of something calm and soothing, like ambient noise to help you sleep, or an ambient orange glow of the setting sun - one thing you'd never associate ambient for is in a horror film. Yet through the unique mind of first-time director Chris Nash, that's exactly what you get with "In a Violent Nature" - an ambient horror that owns its unrated nature by implementing some of the most unique kills I've seen in awhile, set through the killer's perspective, with no annoying musical accompaniments.

In a small rural town, the legend of Johnny (Ry Barrett) permeates the atmosphere: a mentally challenged young man who accidentally dies after a prank goes wrong, he returns one year later to get his revenge, and the only way to keep him in the ground is burying him with his mother's locket dangling above his corpse. When a group of youths take it, Johnny rises from the ground in search for it - and kills anyone who gets in his way.

I can truly appreciate horror in all its forms, for the most part, as they range from the silly and slapstick to the corny and purposefully corny to deep thoughtful insights on the human psyche and everything in-between. Yet one of my favorite horror genres is the slasher, because it's simple and easy: unstoppable killer, gaggle of helpless victims, slays, and the final girl. It's easy, it's light, and it's enjoyable to turn your mind off and just watch the carnage unfold. Chris Nash obviously also values the slasher genre, as "In a Violent Nature" has had more than one conversation about how it's a "Friday the 13th" rip-off (personally I think of it as an homage, but some people just like being negative). Unstoppable killer? Check. Mommy issues? Check. Disfigured face and mentally challenged? Check. Group of teens at a remote cabin? Check. Basically everything checks out, but instead of ripping it off, Nash goes the total opposite direction and eliminates all things scary and instead goes for atmosphere, gore, and kills through the perspective of the killer.

The majority of the film follows Johnny as he searches for his missing locket, and involves long moments of him walking through the woods with the camera behind him, kinda like playing a third person horror game. For some, this is tedious and boring, as nothing happens for minutes at a time as he trudges along the grass and trees, but to me it sets the mood for what's to come. The carnage makes it more epic after long scenes of odd tranquility, and is all the more jarring for it.

The film doesn't use music to intensify the horror, but instead relies on the sounds of nature and humans mixing. Footsteps crushing grass, the howling of the wind, and the screams and deep breaths of the victims permeate the eardrums, once again giving a unique horror dynamic that you don't find in most films like it. To this end it's ambient in that it's all-encompassing, and oddly peaceful at moments.

The film's unstoppable killer is named Johnny, played by Ry Barrett, and he can easily hold his own with the pantheon of horror slasher greats, a killer I'd love to see return in a franchise. He hulks like Jason, but still has the mind of a child, most notably when he finds a toy car in the woods and we get to see his face for the first time - it's horrifying, but oddly innocent. The makeup and practical effects in this film are top notch, especially for it being such a small budget.

The rest of the cast is there to be disposed of in the most grotesque ways possible, as the film is advertised as unrated. Maybe I'm too much of a horror fanatic, but I was expecting more in the gore department - but that's not to say the gore isn't there. It is, and when it hits, it hits HARD (most famously what happens to a young woman practicing yoga), and remains unforgettable. These kills are so outlandish and so predictable (purposefully so), it takes any scares away and what's left is an odd gleeful feel as you watch Johnny take out the teens one by one. Seeing everything through his perspective, you even feel a bit sympathetic for him going against a group of egotistical, self-indulgent young adults that we know hardly anything about.

I can see why this film is divisive, as either you love it or hate it. Since I love it, I can also supply the reasons why someone would hate it as well. It's slow, with several minutes at a time with nothing happening, and for those who demand instant gratification it could be frustrating to not see Johnny killing someone every ten seconds. For me, if there's a criticism I have for the film, it's that it doesn't wholly focus on Johnny, but moves to the final girl when the end nears. I don't want to know about her or feel anything for her, and I feel it takes away from the motif of following the killer's perspective. Yet this is just one small criticism set against a very unique, very gory, very memorable small horror film by a visionary first-time director.

The Score: A+