SUNDANCE 2024: ‘In A Violent Nature’ Flips The Slasher Formula

A slasher, from the perspective of the killer, is a concept that is easy to get behind. In an era of asymmetrical horror games where you get the chance to embody the killer as you hunt down victims, picking the slasher as your protagonist and focusing on their kills is a choice that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. That is only if you keep the space faster than your slasher’s slow stalking. In A Violent Nature delivers on the concept with some inspired kills but doesn’t manage to go above a slow, staggering pace.

Directed and written by Chris Nash, In A Violent Nature is his directorial feature debut, and he played a part in Sundance 2024’s Midnight programming. Nash understands the way slasher films work. He is deeply aware of how to use horror archetypes like resurrection, stalking, motive, and, of course, the victim tropes that come into play too. Set in the remote wilderness, a group of friends wakes up a murderer by picking up a locket. Only the focus of this film isn’t the friends. Instead, we follow the giant of a killer as he wakes up and wreaks havoc on their campsite.

For the better part of the film, In A Violent Nature positions the audience behind the killer. We see him watch the group of friends in the distance as we clearly hear their conversations. We’re in the position of observer but differently than we traditionally are in films like this. For that point alone, it works. Watching the hunter and not the prey is entertaining, but Nash chooses to switch perspectives whenever exposition is needed.

It’s a choice that sometimes works because it embodies the subgenre, particularly when the group is sitting around a fire talking about the mysterious massacre that happened ten years prior. It’s a moment that works. Switching the camera when needed to highlight the specter in the background builds suspense. However, when it’s done too many times, In A Violent Nature loses its subversion of the slasher formula, and instead, the film begins to feel unfocused. The moments of prolonged dialogue endlessly drag on and contribute to the 94-minute film feeling much longer.

But the film falls into a catch-22. The film can’t be just kill after kill, but the downtime between them often feels more like fumbling in the forest than quickly rampaging through the scenery. The stillness works in spots, especially when brutal kills erupt from it. These moments are the highlight of the film. One in particular, which we’ll call the yoga kill, absolutely rips through the audience. It’s visceral and mean, and it shakes up the film. That said, nothing reaches the height of that kill, and the film rolls to a stop instead.

Even with its flaws, however, In A Violent Nature shows the limitless promise that Nash has as a director. His concept, character work in relation to the slasher, and deep knowledge of the genre shine through in the film. While the film isn’t perfect, it does indicate a big future for Nash in the future.

When In A Violent Nature is firing, it does so on all cylinders. That makes it a great late-night watch for fans looking for something creative in the slasher genre. However, with a stalled pace and dialogue that sometimes runs too long, the film is better in concept than execution.

In A Violent Nature is being released by IFC Midnight and Shudder.