I have been stumbling across a lot of Shudder related films as of late. And this is a bit of an accidental stumble given I don't typically watch films from the horror genre, but somehow as I browse through films recently released on Letterboxd, a lot of the interesting posters tend to have a more dated, creative poster look. I'm certainly tired of the action genre, and the comedy genre seems dead and gone, much like science-fiction. I wrote recently that Hollywood is in a bit of a weird spot in which it struggles to adapt as people reject cinemas as the blockbuster releases, but one area of film seems to be doing relatively well: originals. Streaming services have absolutely dominated in the past few years, amplified by the comfort of viewing at home that came to be the norm with the pandemic which told everyone to stay in side, and essentially enjoy the comfort of their home. It comes as no surprise that these streaming services massively profited from the pandemic, to which they ramped up the production of their original series and films alongside increased demand. And the train doesn't seem to be stopping there. New productions are pretty much purely from the realm of streaming services. Shudder is a niche one, pertaining more to horrors, thrillers and suspense creations.
I have been pleasantly surprised with the productions I have been stumbling into as of late. They tend to have an unexpected quality to them, while often sticking to the tropes of certain genres, pulling inspiration from the lower budget horror titles of the past and still trying something new alongside today's preferences and expectations from a production. Many of these titles tend to look great, having a production quality that is surprising. All while being stories that don't entirely result in an experience that is unforgettable. But is that a problem? I tend to enjoy the productions that tell short stories and come and go, giving a refreshing experience that doesn't just resemble the endless attempts to produce franchises out of nothing and relying on the brand names of yesteryear. In A Violent Nature reminded me much of the past and the greats of the horror genre before paranormal films threw out the reliance on jump scares and screaming at all times. This is a film that takes great inspiration from films like Halloween, with a slow moving nightmare that just casually roams from one place to another in seek to dishing out horrific actions.
Though this isn't a film for everyone, and that tends to be the case with productions from Shudder. Naturally, pertaining to a niche demographic that actively looks for such stories. Great for the October atmosphere, however.
In A Violent Nature
Clocking in at just over 90 minutes in length, In A Violent Nature is a film that gives us the perspective of a strange being that is seemingly awoken to a group of unknown people that remove a necklace from a pole in the woods, surrounding is a strange abandoned shack that they express deep discomfort in being near. This character seems to pull itself out from the depths, to which it begins to roam the forest, slowly in search of that stolen item. There's a very atmospheric, slow notion to its movements. The main steps of it crushing leaves and grass in its pass is all that's heard. We see this character from behind only, which is an interesting choice as if we are following it around. Never really seeing its face, but instead the decayed back of a bald head. There's some visual storytelling to this in which it doesn't really tell us a whole lot about what's going on, but the dialogue here and there speak of a local story regarding some murders. A very typical style of storytelling in which the dialogue just gives us context through exposition, the idea of it being some mythical thing, sort of folklore that many aren't entirely sure what the truth is. I don't mind this, it's pretty standard and isn't trying to be more. Precisely what I mentioned before regarding the simple stories of yesteryear.
It's a film heavily reliant on the tropes and cliches of the horror slasher and thriller genres, but I kinda enjoy it. The typical young adults which sit around a spooky campfire in the forest, telling scary stories (mostly the exposition moments) to each other. Unbeknownst to them is our killer lurking around the camp. The characters themselves don't need to be engaging or all that interesting with backstories, after all this is the type of film that exists purely to setup a story and kill off a group of characters one by one with various gruesome creativity. Though this isn't too much of a copy of older films. One thing that really stood out was the aspect ratio and cinematography. I really liked the use of the camera which circled around characters as they talked. The moments in which we watch the killer walking around. Sometimes the perspective is fixed entirely on a specific subject which has no real connection to the story, just an object within the environment as we hear the sounds of dialogue and movement from people out of the scene. Shallow depth of field to hide the backgrounds a bit more, or darker scenes with slow panning through and environment. I liked that this was accompanied with a lack of music for the most part. Raw sounds of nature that made the whole film seem a bit darker and more gritty. Though this is also met with the typical setup of a cabin, the perspectives of the darkness of the night and the interior viewed from outside.
A lot of the time we get these views as if we are watching from afar, hiding with the darkness. This is where we see the typical obnoxious young adult humour coming out. The ways in which these characters hold the typical insufferable nature that actually results in us on the killer's side, looking forward to that inevitable moment of chaos in which the unexpected unfolds. I quite like films like this that don't just give us the perspective of the victims, it's a unique take that has us following in this odd dreamlike manner as if we have contributed to everything somehow, and this results in quite an unsettling feeling. Partially this feeling that we could stop it all but instead just walk around watching it all happen. And the violence comes quick, picking up without much setup. But we already know all we need to. Allowing it to not feel too rushed or too paced. Again, those slow movements throughout the darkness, as the crunching of the forest floor beneath the killer's feet. His lack of empathy in every kill he makes.
It's like a blend of Halloween, It Follows, Evil Dead, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. And it's surprisingly decent. Though this won't be for everyone. It's the sort of thing you wouldn't casually watch on a weekday like me. Perhaps keep it saved for that October month for a higher atmosphere, knowing you'll likely forget about the film a week or two later.
