Reviews
‘In a Violent Nature’ Sundance Review – Arthouse Slasher Frames Gory Carnage From Killer’s Perspective
Writer/Director Chris Nash’s feature debut, In a Violent Nature, upends a straightforward Friday the 13th-inspired slasher concept by reframing the events almost entirely from the perspective of the undead killer. That’s not the only massive shift that sets Nash’s slasher apart from conventional fare. In a Violent Nature may offer slasher thrills and a delightfully gory rampage across the wilderness, but Nash’s approach captures the carnage through ambient realism. It results in a fascinating arthouse horror experiment that plays more like a minimalist slice-of-life feature with a grim twist.
The opening frame signals a vastly different type of slasher as unseen voices recount the local legend of the White Pines slaughter as the camera fixates on the remnants of a dilapidated fire tower. Once those voices retreat back to their friend group for a weekend of fun in the woods, undead Johnny (Ry Barrett) awakens and rises from the damp soil. The camera then shifts to observe Johnny’s methodical quest to punish those who unwittingly summoned him, watching from a safe distance behind or over his shoulder. Johnny bides his time, demonstrating unaffable and unwavering patience like his Jason Voorhees counterpart, as he embarks on a new wave of slaughter.
Nash’s feature debut fills in the blanks of the killer’s whereabouts when not on the immediate attack. That leads to long stretches of Johnny lumbering through pristine woods, with cinematographer Pierce Derks capturing the inherent beauty of the forest through wide shots enhanced by diegetic, ambient sound. The matter-of-fact approach that favors realism and emphasis on nature draws easy comparisons to minimalist filmmakers like Gus Van Sant or Kelly Reichardt. This methodical tromping through the woods gets punctuated by bursts of slasher familiarity as Johnny occasionally comes across new weaponry and victims to rip apart.
In lesser hands, the disparate tone toggling between conventional slasher and arthouse experiment would clash to an off-putting degree. But Nash makes smart choices to ensure these warring tones somehow mesh into a cohesive effort. That’s largely thanks to the distance created not just between the silent supernatural killer and his victims, whose dialogue is often muted compared to the loud diegetic sounds, but also between the killer and the audience. Johnny’s backstory gets relayed piecemeal, signaling a far more energetic slasher happening offscreen, rendering the slasher villain a fascinating curiosity. It’s those distant, quiet stretches that often intrigue most, with Nash raising questions for his audience to sit with, like how much humanity possibly remains within this hulking undead mass.
Nash further demonstrates a keen reverence for slashers, beyond its orderly deconstruction of the formula, by not withholding at all when it comes to the kills. The arthouse sensibilities get paused throughout by a firm commitment to a true slasher staple: inventive and gnarly as hell kills. Of course, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Nash hails from a special effects background, having previously worked as the on-set creature effects supervisor on Psycho Goreman. Nash also enlisted Psycho Goreman writer/director and SFX wizard Steven Kostanski for the film’s prosthetic effects. All of this to say that, while Johnny may play it simple upon first emerging from his grave, the killer gets downright ruthless in finding the most imaginative and deranged ways to destroy a human body. In a Violent Nature features at least one extremely gory, wild death that’s sure to get horror fans talking for a while to come.
For all that In a Violent Nature does well, it eventually fizzles out with a focus Johnny’s final girl, Kris (Andrea Pavlovic). While the unhurried, minimalist approach works well for an undead killer who has no concept of urgency, it fails when applying that same philosophical meditation to Kris and her newfound brush with trauma. Instead of some definitive conclusion, In a Violent Nature just slowly drifts into subdued tedium.
Nash’s debut offers a stylized high-concept slasher whose arthouse leanings are sure to polarize. The stripped-down approach fascinates, and the commitment to practical gore is commendable, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
In a Violent Nature made its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The release date for the Shudder slasher is TBA.
Reviews
‘Clue: A New Comedy’ Stage Play Is a Slapstick Slasher That Lovingly Adapts Hasbro’s Board Game
The national tour of ‘Clue: A New Comedy’ remixes the classic murder mystery with farcical physical comedy and impassioned old-fashioned sensibilities.
“It’s all part of the game.”
There’s a strong relationship between mischievous murder mysteries and the horror genre. Murder mysteries inherently hinge upon death – it’s baked into the name – so it’s not surprising that horror has embraced this secretive subgenre and really emphasized the murder in murder mysteries. Murder mysteries have been popular in pop culture for nearly a century. However, there’s been a recent renaissance on this front with playful films like Knives Out, A Haunting in Venice, Bodies Bodies Bodies, the Scream franchise, and the prominence of the true-crime genre and armchair detectives. That being said, an underrated and evergreen source of murder mystery hijinks that’s entertained audiences for 75 years is Hasbro and Parker Brothers’ Clue.
Clue has experienced many permutations over the years, including Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 cult classic film and several stage adaptations. In a new dawn where board game and toy IP are at an all-time high, a new stage adaptation of Clue has been put together by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, and directed by Casey Hushion. Hushion’s Clue: A New Comedy, which is in the middle of a national tour, effortlessly harkens back to vaudevillian silliness and broad laughs, while it simultaneously explores darker genre impulses and intrigue. It’s the perfect way to nostalgically celebrate the ’80s movie, but also remind audiences why Hasbro’s upcoming cinematic remake is long overdue.
Hushion’s Clue is an adaptation of Lynn’s ‘85 film, but it still brings many original ideas and revisions to the table so that this doesn’t just feel like a stripped down version of the movie. Clue: A New Comedy finds immense pleasure in how it translates the game’s rules so that it functions as a faithful adaptation of the game and the feature film, while it also becomes a fun, fresh entity that’s a living hybrid of both. In Clue: A New Comedy, blackmail functions as the story’s central mystery, just as it does in the board game and cinematic adaptation. Each color-coded houseguest has terrible secrets that they don’t want getting out, which becomes the impetus for the growing body count.
Clue is a comedic character study and this stage play presents well-defined individuals who are easy to identify and connect with, despite their one-dimensional nature. Mr. Green (John Shartzer) is the cast’s real standout, but there’s not a single weak link among Clue’s eight central players. Clue’s best moments are the ones when the whole cast gets to bounce off of each other and revel in the group’s chaotic energy. The play’s ‘50s McCarthyism setting also adds an extra layer of mistrust, paranoia, and subterfuge to the equation that still feels timely in its own way. Farcical, broad wordplay – especially from John Treacy Egan’s Colonel Mustard – are a delight and reminiscent of an old-fashioned radio play when it comes to Clue’s jokes, timing, and dialogue.
Beyond Clue’s script lies some exceptional physical comedy, particularly from Shartzer’s Mr. Green. There are broad group reactions that play out in unison for mass comic effect, as well as lighting cues that brilliantly accentuate punchlines and become a solid running gag throughout the 90-minute show. There are playful movement exercises that are expertly choreographed and verge on interpretative dance. Clue adopts a real Scooby-Doo energy to the production, especially when it comes to its scene transitions. Clue even indulges in a “multiple door chase sequence” that taps into the right energy for this degree of slapstick. To this point, there’s an absolutely brilliant slow motion sequence that’s a highlight of the show and adeptly incorporated.
Clue’s characters are its secret weapon, but stellar production elements help elevate the stage play to something truly special. There’s really powerful set design by Lee Savage that evokes a creepy, cozy Haunted Mansion aesthetic that’s the right atmosphere for this murder mystery tale. Clever design decisions result in rotating walls and rooms that economically get the most out of the stage’s environment. Clumsy execution of these elements would quickly sink Clue and ruin its crescendoing quality. They’re seamlessly handled, as are Ryan O’Gara’s evocative lighting design and Michael Holland’s jauntily creepy musical cues. All these elements work together to make sure that Clue is as visually entertaining as it is well-acted and written.
Clue: A New Comedy goes all-in on its laughs. That being said, the play’s death scenes are actually creepy and immaculately orchestrated with all the finesse of peak genre cinema. There are genuine slasher vibes present that pulse through the show’s pervasive slapstick silliness. It’s a testament to the sheer artistry of craft in Clue that both of these extremes work as well as they do. Clue also shrewdly embraces the infamous multiple ending angle that helped give Lynn’s feature film a smart extra meta layer to its storytelling. It’s fun, different, and takes advantage of the medium of theater to great effect. It’s also the satisfying culmination of a story that gets progressively manic, unhinged, and verges on collapsing in on itself by the end – but in the best way possible. Clue pushes boundaries with tone and control like an expert puppet master.
Clue: A New Comedy hits all the right notes and succeeds as a breezy piece of theater that celebrates whodunit hijinks, broad buffoonery, and wicked wit. It’s Agatha Christie meets Frasier. Clue is a show that definitely prioritizes comedy over horror and suspense, but there’s enough style in this production to properly sell the production’s more evil impulses. It’s unlikely that anyone will be genuinely frightened, yet the play will still keep audiences on the edge of their seats and eagerly anticipate who’s responsible for Boddy Mansion’s copious corpses. Clue: A New Comedy is the best way to experience the Hasbro and Parker Brothers classic before its next cinematic adaptation proves that murder and mayhem aren’t just a game anymore.
Go to Broadway.org to see if ‘Clue: A New Comedy’ will be coming to your area.
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
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