Shudderis the go-to streaming platform for modern horror, and having already hosted some of the best movies of the last year with films such asLate Night with the Devil,the platform is expanding its catalog again. On September 13,In a Violent Naturewill premiere on the platform, bringing home one of the most unique horror films of the last several years. The film, by writer/director Chris Nash, offers a unique spin on the slasher subgenre, and earned a strong 78% critics rating onRotten Tomatoes. Along withLonglegs, whichrecently announced its PVOD and physical media release date, it was hailed as one of the most terrifying movies of the year by audiences.
The film tells the story of a group of teenagers who find a locket in the charred remains of an old fire tower in the Ontario wilderness, unaware the rubble also entombs a corpse.When they take the locket with them, the corpse within is revived as Johnny, a mute killer intent on retrieving the locket and seeking vengeance for a horrific crime from the past.
In a Violent Nature
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.
The murder spree that follows is intense and stomach-churning, as Johnny hunts down the teenagers who took the locket.What begins as a slasher-in-the-woods tale takes a different turn, however, when the film takes the perspective of the killer, rather than the victims.The film stars Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, and Lauren-Marie Taylor.
In a Violent Naturepremiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and opened in over 1,400 theaters in late May. Despite strong competition from the year’s biggest blockbusters, the film pulled in a respectable $2.1 million in ticket sales in its opening weekend, and nearly $5 million throughout its theatrical run, despite a miniscule budget.
In a Violent Nature Is an Honorary Friday the 13th Movie
The buzzy new slasher from IFC Films is perfect for fans who have been missing Jason Voorhees on the big screen.
In his review for MovieWeb, Will Sayre praised the film’s “brilliant” cinematography, particularly the use of long tracking shots from the killer’s perspective.“It’s more like someone attached a camera to Jason Voorhees to film a documentary.“He also noted that"There are two kill scenes in the film that instantly rank among the greatest deaths in horror history.”
Praise from Stephen King and a Sequel
The film’s gruesome content turned off some film viewers, but strong word-of-mouth from horror fans gave the film plenty of buzz. Its strongest endorsement, however,came from horror icon Stephen King, who took to X/Twitter to proclaim"It’s leisurely, almost languorous, but when the blood flows, it flows in buckets.“He also used a strange analogy to describe Johnny, the film’s relentless killer:
The killer in his mask looks like the world’s most terrifying Minion.
The film’s strong reception moved IFC Films and Shudder to announce at this year’s San Diego Comic Con that asequel to the filmis coming. Production details were not announced, but Nash will be returning as writer and director, as will the film’s killer, Johnny. Producer Peter Kuplowsky said"We now have the opportunity to continue following Johnny on his restless walk,“and thanked IFC Films and Shudder for supporting Nash’s vision for the film.
