The theatrical feature length directorial debut of special effects great Chris Nash has a very simple one line premise about how the film is made and what it consists of – not exactly the plot of the film or the characters, but how it is made and what it presents to the viewer; which is simply a slasher film where we follow for all but 10% of the running time the slasher killer rather than the victims. Now firstly I know everybody has different tastes and the like, however this film has largely been dubbed as verging into the world of ‘slow cinema’ and I would like to just clarify that this film is desperately far from that – yes it is perhaps slower than some horror films, but this is an interesting, thrilling at points and intriguing horror film that works more so as “notes on a theme” on the slasher genre, rather than a full dissection. Not for everybody I can understand that. Either way, whatever it can be classed as, it was very successful for my money and the largely divisive and derisive reaction this film has received is not what I would have expected for the most part at all.
There are many
things on the surface that make Chris Nash’s In a Violent Nature very
easy to recommend, such as the incredible practical gore of the kills, many of
the winking elements of the script and knowing performances, the intricate interspersion
of lore and winking nods to an entire franchise that only exists in Nash’s mind
– however it is for the most part only the kills that can be admired and viewed
on a base level. Many other elements of the film require a focus and require an
ear for the background dialogue that pervades the film. On a practical level
the film is stunning, with truly sublime cinematography by Pierce Derks that makes
a beauty of the horror that lends to the contemplative and subtle elements of how
the film is mostly built up. The editing too of Alex Jacobs works with the
direction of Nash to keep this films pace firm and never feeling for me at
least as slow as everybody is outwardly claiming it to be. There is a very
specific nature to this beast that everybody involved understands and brings to
the fore. This is a splendidly made film with an intriguing core at it, that
needs to wash over a viewer and in regards to its conclusion leaves one with
food for thought as opposed to standard slasher fare. It’s unsettling and tense
more than frightening one can admit, but its’ lasting and lingering effect by
design is the final nail in the coffin, rather than some immediate scare that
fades instantly into memory. Nash’s film stays with the viewer in the same way
the best art films do, but on the other hand does never take the pedal away
from being an incredibly satisfying slasher in its own right.
A contemplative 8/10 that for me was as entertaining as it was intriguing. Nash has created a whole world of lore and landed us neatly within the 5th or 6th movie in a franchise from an angle we have not received with this much specificity – now of course this is not the first film to adopt a killers point of view, but it is the first that manages to offer equal parts entertainment and thought provocation. Whilst never failing to pull the stops out for another sensational kill either. The practical effects in this film are certainly the best of the year I have seen and some of the most inventive and overwhelming kills in the genre entire. Perhaps indeed Nash’s film is not for everyone, but for those who are on its level – I can’t see how you can’t get invested in this brilliant and peculiar film.
P.S. As a slasher fan and specifically a Friday fan, obviously this ticked boxes for me that perhaps for others it would not. However, it is for my money the exact sort of bizarre and off-kilter remake or new entry into a classic franchise that I know we will certainly never receive. I know full heartedly that the closest we will get is something like this, so the level of quality it is and how very much Nash managed to work in elements of Friday lore makes me a satisfied fan – it’s a shame not all fans (or studios for that matter) feel the same way and can find the worth in a piece of work like this as opposed to the typically safe tripe we receive instead.
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Thomas Carruthers
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