Summary
IFC Films' independent experimental slasher movieIn a Violent Natureturns the well-worn horror subgenre on its head, but it won’t be the only horror movie of its kind in 2024. Like many traditional slasher movies,In a Violent Naturefeatures a massive masked killer stalking a group of unsuspecting teenagers and killing them in inventive and gruesome fashion. However,In a Violent Naturemanages to subvert expectationsby showing the events from the perspective of Johnny, the undead killer with a child-like mentality.
While it’s difficult to identify with a monster as he disassembles human bodies, the movie provides just enough backstory for Johnny to create some sympathy, or at the very least an understanding of his motivations. Thebrutal slasher subgenreis about as played-out as can be, so a movie likeIn a Violent Naturefinding new ground should be considered a major achievement. Oddly enough,In a Violent Naturewill share its most original trait with another high-concept horror movie set to release in 2024, kicking off a small horror trend that has room to evolve.
In A Violent Nature Review: A Slasher Experiment That Turns The Horror On Its Head
In A Violent Nature can be tedious, but it uses its form to ratchet up the tension so that you’re looking for the killer in the corner of every frame.
In A Violent Nature Is The First Of Two First-Person Horror Films In 2024
Presencewill release later in 2024
In a Violent Naturebroke new ground by using a first-person perspective from its killer for much of its runtime, and another movie will do something similar in 2024: Steven Soderbergh’sPresence. The latest from the legendary Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) puts an uncanny spin on the concept of a haunted house, asthe entire movie is shot from the perspective of the entity that haunts the housein which the movie takes place.Presencedebuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January, and was reportedly so intense and stress-inducing that some viewers left the theater, perVariety.
Presencewas shot in just three weeks in one house, and does not contain any close-ups.
Starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox and Chris Sullivan,Presencewill differ fromIn a Violent Naturein that it never reveals the invisible entitythat plagues the family at the movie’s center, while multiple angles are shown ofJohnny’s various brutal kills. While some backstory for the entity may be revealed, the camera never leaves its perspective, so it will remain mysterious throughout the movie’s runtime. Despite the differences, the concept of a horror movie sticking with the perspective of its monster as opposed to switching or focusing on its victims is shared, and will make for an interesting comparison.
The First-Person Monster Concept Should Continue To Evolve With The Horror Genre
It can be used to great effect from time to time
In a Violent Naturehas received critical acclaim and will be a box office win when all is said and done.Presencedebuted onRotten Tomatoeswith a 92% Tomatometer score, so it feels safe to say thatboth movies have proven how effective the first-person point-of-view can be as an approachto horror. It’s something that should be incorporated into the genre more often, and could be expanded upon as the genre evolves.
That’s not to say that more horror movies shot entirely from the first-person POV are necessary. While there may be other opportunities for a fully first-person movie yet to be discovered, the first-person POV could shiftfrom an entire filmmaking style to a useful tool for horror auteurs. The first-person POV has been used in the past to great effect in horror, andIn a Violent Natureproves that mixing that perspective with traditional camera angles can create something unique and visually exciting.
In a Violent Nature
Cast
In a Violent Nature is a 2024 horror-slasher film written and directed by Chris Nash that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. A group of campers in the middle of the wilderness stumble across a fire watchtower and discover a locket buried beneath its charred ruins. However, by unearthing the locket, they’ve invited the wrath of its prior owner and now must survive the rampage of a supernatural killer looking to retrieve his possession.
