If you’ve spent October marathoning horror in the lead-up to Halloween, the constant parade of brutality can leave you numb — and bored of the same predictable formulas: masked maniacs, car-chase escapes, and teenagers running in socks. Chris Nash’s 2024 microbudget shocker In A Violent Nature sidesteps both problems with a refreshingly original conceit.
And yes — two words: human pretzel.
Written and directed by Nash, In A Violent Nature is essentially a slasher filtered through an unusual lens: the story unfolds from the viewpoint of its undead antagonist. When a group of careless teens stumbles on local lore, they rouse Johnny (Ry Barrett), a hulking revenant who methodically pursues them through remote woodland. That is the spine of the movie, and it works.
Johnny never utters a word. Long stretches of the film follow his slow, inexorable progress through the trees, producing an odd blend of voyeuristic immersion — like watching someone else play a single-player game — and the tactile calm of ASMR. The effect is unexpectedly hypnotic.
When he does confront his targets, the violence is unflinching and inventively brutal. Johnny favors a rusty hook affixed to a heavy chain, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing the aftermath: an iconic sequence finds him interrupting a solitary yoga practice by a river, with predictably grisly results.
The movie sprinkles in backstory and exposition — delivered by secondary characters as they await their fates — but the lore never overwhelms the primary experience. If anything, too much explanation occasionally softens the mythic menace; Johnny reads like a contemporary cousin to Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers: mute, inexorable, and emotionally inert.
The central gimmick sustains roughly 90 minutes of escalating carnage, gradually revealing facets of the killer even as his methods grow more inventive. The final act takes an unexpected turn that might baffle or frustrate some viewers, but the film remains a worthwhile detour for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on a familiar genre.
Where to watch: In A Violent Nature is listed as streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus, and is also available to rent through the usual digital platforms.
Polygon’s annual Halloween Countdown is a 31-day series of short recommendations — the best horror films, shows, episodes, and online specials to stream all October. You can view the full calendar here.
Source: Polygon
