A scene in the first “Halloween” movie, of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends walking down a neighborhood street makes us shudder. They see Michael Myers in his mask about a half a block away. He slowly disappears behind a nearby fence. One of the friends runs up to call him out. By the time they get there, Myers is gone. Now imagine the scene from Michael’s perspective. The camera is now positioned behind Michael as he sees the girls walking down the street. We see the path he takes behind the fence. His friend arrives. This gives us a very interesting perspective. The killer is the main character. All the victims are in supporting roles. That is why Ry Barrett, who plays Johnny (“In a Violent Nature”) gets top billing.

“In a Violent Nature” is being released unrated. A common issue faced by horror movies is they are asked to cut down their kill scenes in order to get an R-rating. A movie studio needs an R-rating because if they get an X rating or other rating that affects their ticket buyers, they cannot advertise their movies on television. Also, many theaters will not show them. One element slasher movie horror fans yearn for is gore and violence. They don’t often get that with an R-rating. Be prepared because Johnny dispatches his victims in an extremely gory fashion, in bold new ways!!

Chris Nash takes another risk in this movie. He gets a little “artsy.” He sometimes shoots in long shots during long takes. Everything is from a distance, but it helps build the tension as we watch Johnny approach his next victim. Interesting high angles are used too. Sometimes it feels as if we are watching too much walking. The ending doesn’t follow the usual horror movie tropes, which may feel strange for some fans.

Overall, “In a Violent Nature” is a great break from the norm. While I hope it’s successful, I don’t want a sequel. This is something that should stand-alone and not get cheapened by having a part 2, a part 3 and so on.

3 Swords