In a Violent Nature

Did Black Christmas walk so that In a Violent Nature could…walk as well?

The new POV-heavy Canadian horror is the subject of much discussion, particularly the perambulation situation… the film’s antagonist…basically walking, walking walking for what seems like half the film’s runtime, as the viewer gets a gander of the killer’s backside, as if it’s some kind of video game.

To the extent In a Violent Nature works, really depends on whether the viewer can summon stoicism and sit through stretches where effectively (or, un-effectively as is the case) nothing happens. Think Skinamarink. Or some of the driving in Manos: The Hands of Fate. Or some of the pointless driving around Los Angeles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for a non-horror example.

The first 2-3 stretches of the silent killer trudging through the dark forest are tone-setting and terrifying, the 4th and 5th questionable, and the 6th and 7th, well-nigh unbearable.

That makes In a Violent Nature a tough slog, especially given the absence of compelling characters. In fact, character development is a complete afterthought. It makes Demons look like 12 Angry Men.

What we get instead are rough sketches, barely functional NPCs.

There’s barely any dialogue/chatter here either, save for a Madman-like campfire tale, and some uninspired riffing about a character’s manhood and some half-baked cancel culture ruminations. Guess nobody’s read So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson.

It’s too bad, as In a Violent Nature has a great setting – with beautiful northern Ontario a character unto itself – and Canadian indie horror stalwart Ry Barrett (Save Yourself) bringing antagonist Johnny to life with a spirited performance. The killer’s forest fighting aesthetic and weaponry are sublime too, conjuring up another Canadian blue-collar killer, Harry Warden the miner from My Bloody Valentine.

At times tantalizing – and with one especially creative and gory set piece which will nama-ste with you for years – it’s nonetheless criminally overlong. Ergo, In a Violent Nature sits in a nether region of lost opportunity.

*** (out of 5)

Chinese Hercules

If you were a sleazy shipping magnate, who would you choose to strong-arm a bunch of obstinate dock workers?

If you said Bloodsport behemoth Bolo Yeung, that’d be a great choice, and here – the former Mr. Hong Kong reveals why he wasn’t leading man material but rather, looked the part of a guy who’d lay anybody out for looking at them wrong.

In Chinese Hercules, the opposition is lead by Shen Wei Ta a man who cannot escape his past, but who is very capable of escaping everything else – seriously, what a complete wimp. He’s a super-reluctant pugilist after killing his future brother-in-law years before, with nothing but “hands made of blood,” and who basically just wanted to live the life of a stevedore.

However, the pier boss Chan has other ideas.

Usually, heroes take a Network-style, “mad as hell and not taking it anymore” approach, but Shen Wei Ta is a baby. But in his defence, the dock workers aren’t much of a threat either, as Hercules beats down one by one (not that he’s particularly systematic in his approach, it’s just that the opponents haven’t’ strategized beyond attacking in single-file)

Finally, Shen Wei Ta grows a backbone after his ex-fiancée’s “You may die, but at least you’ll die a man!”

In the end, good (well, to some extent – cowardice and avoidance aside) prevails over evil.

And the dock workers are able return to their lives of quiet desperation loading bags of rice onto container ships.

This is hardly On the Waterfront, and when compared to other 70s action flicks, it’s barely a contend-ah.

**1/2 (out of 5)