🩸 In a Violent Nature Review: A Brutal Slasher Seen Through the Killer's Eyes
We have watched this story before. Young people enter the woods. Something terrible happened there years ago. An unstoppable killer appears, and the bodies start piling up. This In a Violent Nature review looks at the 2024 Canadian slasher that takes that familiar formula and changes one important thing. Instead of running from the killer, the camera follows him. It is slow, strange, beautiful, and extremely violent, and there is nothing else quite like it.
In a Violent Nature Review: Flipping the Slasher Movie Around
We have watched this story before.
Young people enter the woods.
Something terrible happened there years ago.
A seemingly unstoppable killer appears.
People make extremely poor decisions.
Then the bodies start piling up.
But writer and director Chris Nash asks a much more interesting question:
What if we followed the killer instead?
That is the simple idea behind In a Violent Nature, and it makes a familiar slasher setup feel remarkably different.
The film premiered in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. IFC Films released it in theaters on May 31, 2024, and it later arrived on the Shudder streaming service. Fittingly, Shudder premiered it on Friday, September 13.
It was Chris Nash's first feature as a director. Critics quickly dubbed it an "ambient slasher," and the label fits perfectly.
Meet Johnny
Ry Barrett plays Johnny, the movie's hulking undead killer.
Johnny is not interested in conversation.
He is not cracking jokes.
He is not running.
He gets up.
He starts walking.
And if you are somewhere ahead of him, that is probably not good news.
Early in the film, around a campfire, one of the young people tells the local legend of Johnny. It is a sad and ugly story about something that happened decades earlier. Like the best slasher legends, it explains just enough to make you uneasy without explaining everything.
Somebody Should Have Left That Locket Alone
Every slasher needs somebody to make a bad decision.
In In a Violent Nature, a group of young people discovers a locket hanging from the remains of an old fire tower in the woods.
One of them pockets it.
Taking it awakens something that should have remained underground.
That something is Johnny.
Now he wants his locket back.
It is a wonderfully simple motivation. Johnny is not seeking world domination or complicated revenge. He wants his property returned, and he will walk through anyone who stands in his way.
The Killer Is Basically the Main Character
This is where the movie separates itself from almost every traditional slasher.
Instead of spending most of our time with the potential victims while occasionally cutting to the killer, the camera frequently stays with Johnny.
We follow him.
We walk behind him.
We hear the forest around him.
Much of the film is shot a few paces behind Johnny's back, almost like a video game camera. We see what he sees, go where he goes, and arrive when he arrives.
Sometimes we know his intended victims are nearby before they know he exists.
For once, we are standing on the wrong side of the slasher movie.
You’re Going to Spend a Lot of Time Walking Through the Woods
And I mean a lot.
Johnny walks.
Then he walks some more.
That sounds like a criticism, but it is fundamental to what Chris Nash is attempting.
Nash drew inspiration from slow, methodical films like Gus Van Sant's Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days, which follow characters through long, uninterrupted scenes. He also cited Terrence Malick as an influence. Those are not names you usually hear in a slasher interview.
The movie deliberately uses long, quiet stretches where the sounds of the forest replace the musical cues and frantic editing we would normally expect from a slasher.
Whether that works for you may determine whether you love this movie or wonder when Johnny is finally going to get somewhere.
Where’s the Horror-Movie Music?
One of the strangest things about In a Violent Nature is what you do not hear.
There is no traditional musical score constantly telling you when to be nervous. Nash made that choice on purpose. He wanted the film to stay objective and avoid pushing the audience's emotions in one direction.
Instead, you hear footsteps.
Branches.
Birds.
Wind.
Leaves.
The environment becomes the soundtrack.
Nash has said he wanted to treat the film almost like a nature documentary. He compared it to tourists getting too close to a bear that seems calm, right up until it suddenly charges. That is exactly how the movie feels.
It gives the film an oddly peaceful quality right up until something extremely unpeaceful happens.
Johnny Looks Like He Walked Out of an Old Slasher VHS
Johnny's design understands exactly what makes a good slasher villain.
He is large.
He is quiet.
His face is hidden.
Early in the film, he takes an antique firefighter's mask from a ranger station. It gives him an eerie, old fashioned look that is instantly memorable.
He has the kind of recognizable appearance that would not have looked out of place on the horror shelf of a 1980s video store.
Even the shape of the picture is a nod to that era. Nash shot the film in the boxy Academy ratio, saying that was how he watched slashers on VHS as a kid. To him, that is the slasher aspect ratio.
There are obvious echoes of the great slashers that came before Johnny, but he has enough personality to stand on his own.
Yes, You’re Going to Think About Jason Voorhees
Let's not pretend otherwise.
An enormous silent killer wandering through the wilderness is inevitably going to remind horror fans of Jason Voorhees.
In a Violent Nature knows what kind of movies its audience has watched. The producers have even described it as a kind of meta sequel within a fictional slasher series.
There is a lovely connection for Friday the 13th fans, too. Lauren-Marie Taylor, who starred in Friday the 13th Part 2 in 1981, appears in the film, credited as Lauren Taylor.
The difference is not pretending those influences do not exist.
It is changing where the camera stands while familiar slasher events unfold.
Then the Movie Reminds You How Violent It Is
Do not let the peaceful forest fool you.
The title is In a Violent Nature for a reason.
When Johnny finally catches up with somebody, Chris Nash is not particularly interested in looking away.
The practical gore effects are a major attraction for viewers who came looking for an old fashioned splatter movie. The prosthetic effects were led by Steven Kostanski, known for his work on The Void and Psycho Goreman.
I am not going to describe the kills here.
Trust me.
You will know them when you see them.
One Kill Became the Movie’s Calling Card
If you have already seen In a Violent Nature, you know exactly which scene I am talking about.
If you have not:
I am not telling you.
It is considerably more fun to encounter it without somebody describing the entire thing beforehand.
Let's simply say that the filmmakers understood horror fans would be talking about it afterward. There were even reports of audience members fainting during early festival screenings.
They were right.
Practical Effects Make a Difference
One reason the violence works is its physical quality.
Bodies, wounds, blood, and Johnny himself exist in the same environment rather than feeling disconnected from it.
For a movie deliberately borrowing the atmosphere of older slashers, practical effects are exactly the right choice.
The long takes help too. Because the camera often does not cut away, the effects have to hold up under steady observation. They do.
The brutality feels tangible.
Sometimes much too tangible.
The Forest Is Almost Another Character
The Ontario wilderness is not simply a backdrop.
The film was shot in the Algoma District of northern Ontario, near Sault Ste. Marie. The production first tried filming in the Kawartha Lakes area, but Nash felt that location was not quite right.
Long stretches of the movie are devoted to Johnny moving through trees, trails, water, and abandoned structures.
During daylight, the setting can be beautiful.
At night, the same landscape becomes completely different.
Chris Nash uses that contrast to make the violence feel even more intrusive.
Nature continues being nature regardless of what Johnny is doing inside it.
This Is Slower Than You May Expect
This needs to be said because the title and reputation could give viewers the wrong idea.
Yes, In a Violent Nature contains extremely graphic violence.
No, it is not nonstop action.
The movie is deliberately slow and observational.
There are extended sequences where very little happens beyond Johnny moving toward his next destination.
Some horror fans will find that hypnotic.
Others may start yelling:
"Johnny, pick up the pace!"
Both reactions are understandable. Critics were split along similar lines. Some called it a fresh and distinctive spin on slasher conventions. Others found it more interesting in theory than in execution.
Ry Barrett Doesn’t Need Much Dialogue
Playing Johnny is primarily a physical performance.
Ry Barrett has to communicate through posture, movement, and presence.
That slow, deliberate walk matters.
Johnny never appears particularly concerned about whether someone gets a head start.
Why would he be?
He is still coming.
Barrett also manages to give Johnny small flashes of something almost human. A moment of hesitation or a reaction to a sound hints at the person he used to be. Those moments make him more than just a walking weapon.
Chris Nash Found a New Camera Angle for an Old Horror Story
Writer and director Chris Nash deserves credit for understanding that he did not need to reinvent the slasher villain.
He could reinvent how we watch one.
We already know what happens when teenagers encounter an unstoppable killer in the wilderness.
We have watched that movie for decades.
In a Violent Nature asks us to turn around and walk behind the monster instead.
That small change makes a surprisingly large difference. It also paid off at the box office. The film opened on 1,426 screens, the widest release in IFC Films history at the time, and earned around $4.6 million.
Is In a Violent Nature Scary?
Not necessarily in the traditional jump scare sense.
The movie is more interested in dread, inevitability, and sudden brutality.
Johnny is not frightening because you do not know where he is.
Frequently, you know exactly where he is.
The frightening part is knowing where he is going.
That shift turns suspense inside out. Instead of wondering when the killer will appear, you wonder how long the victims have before he arrives.
Don’t Look Up the Kills Before Watching It
This is another movie where online clips and lists can ruin half the fun.
Do not search for:
"Best kills in In a Violent Nature."
Do not watch compilation videos.
And do not read detailed descriptions of the movie's most notorious scene.
Watch the movie first.
Then go argue about the kills with everybody else.
Why In a Violent Nature Stands Out
There are thousands of slasher movies.
Most follow roughly the same visual language.
Victim.
Victim.
Victim.
Brief glimpse of killer.
Victim.
In a Violent Nature moves the camera behind the person we are normally waiting to see.
That is enough to make the movie memorable even before Johnny starts demonstrating why the title contains the word violent.
The film's ending also deserves a mention, without spoilers. It takes a very different approach from the usual slasher finale. Some viewers love it. Others find it frustrating. Either way, people keep talking about it.
Does In a Violent Nature Work?
Mostly, yes, provided you know what you are getting into.
If you want a fast moving slasher packed with dialogue, chases, and constant action, its deliberate pace may test your patience.
If you are willing to follow a silent killer through a beautiful forest while waiting for sudden eruptions of gruesome practical effects violence, there is not much else quite like it.
Its success also guaranteed more Johnny. A sequel, In a Violent Nature 2, was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024, and filming began in Canada in September 2025, with Ry Barrett returning as Johnny.
It is an experiment.
A very bloody experiment.
Who Should Watch In a Violent Nature?
Watch it if you love old school slashers, practical gore effects, and unusual filmmaking. It also suits fans of wilderness horror, slow burn suspense, Jason style killers, and movies willing to mess with familiar genre rules.
Be warned that the violence is extreme, even by slasher standards. The film carried an 18 certificate in the United Kingdom.
Anyone who needs their horror moving at full speed may have a harder time.
Johnny certainly is not going to hurry for you.
Final Thoughts 4.3/5
This one earns a 4.3 out of 5 from Kilroy. Wrapping up this In a Violent Nature review, the film is a bold, bloody experiment that gives an old formula a genuinely new point of view.
In a Violent Nature takes one of horror's oldest formulas and changes one important thing:
the person we are following.
Suddenly the mysterious killer is not appearing out of nowhere.
We are walking through the woods with him.
We watch him search.
We watch him approach.
And when he finally reaches somebody, well, the title warned you.
Chris Nash does not reinvent the slasher movie by abandoning what made old slashers fun. He takes the familiar ingredients, puts the camera somewhere different, and then lets Johnny go for a walk.
A very, very violent walk.
If you hear Johnny walking through the woods behind you, don't worry. He's not in a hurry. Unfortunately, he doesn't need to be.
