Johnny in In a Violent Nature
By
Bill Dubiel
Published Feb 28, 2026, 9:25 PM EST
Bill Dubiel is a veteran writer, editor, and college professor based in Buffalo, NY. He has been a Senior Writer with Screen Rant since 2023. You can usually find him at a late-night double feature including the newest horror movie and latest Oscar bait.
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IFC Films and Shudder's 2024 Canadian slasher In a Violent Nature did something that many thought impossible at this point in film history: it brought something new to the slasher subgenre. The well-received gorefest spends a majority of its runtime in the perspective of the undead killer at its center, the hulking, firefighter's mask-wearing Johnny. It gave us an all-time horror movie kill with the infamous "yoga scene", and intrigued audiences with its mysterious central character.
While In a Violent Nature currently holds a 78% Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, audiences have been far more divided; the movie's Popcornmeter score is a disappointing 44%. While many found the slow, ambling nature of the movie to be refreshing and interesting, others found the pace completely tedious, and with a mute protagonist and anticlimactic ending there was little in the way of story-telling. However, the teaser for In a Violent Nature 2 proves the right lessons were learned from the original.
In A Violent Nature 2 Changes Perspectives And Ups The Action
Two characters talk closely in In a Violent Nature 2
An entire movie shot in the woods of Ontario from the perspective of a mute, undead slasher could really only work once, as a follow-up under the same premise would bore even those who loved the original. Fortunately, the first look at In a Violent Nature 2 shows scenes that don't include Johnny at all, and includes quite a few more characters, undoubtedly leaving more potential kills on the table.
The movie seems to be setting up an entire camp staff's worth of people, at least one of whom summons a vengeful Johnny for maximum mayhem. The teaser certainly still promises plenty of shots from Johnny's perspective, but it looks like we'll get to spend some time with other characters too. I'd wager there isn't much in the way of character building given that almost all of them will meet a grisly end, but that's still a step up from the original.
With so many characters to kill, there simply won't be as much runtime dedicated to Johnny's slow walking. We'll get to kills quicker, and it seems like there is no shortage of inventive methods of murder with the instruments of summer camp shenanigans. In a Violent Nature 2 looks like it escalates the action from the original in every way that's important for an effective sequel.
In A Violent Nature 2 Leans Into Its Friday The 13th Inspiration In The Sequel
In a Violent Nature 2 also looks like it will lean hard into the very clear and obvious homages to Friday the 13th. As was so often the case in movies featuring Jason Voorhees, Johnny will get to slice and dice his way through a camp full of horny teens/young adults. It almost seems inevitable that the Canadian slasher will bust out one of Jason's classic kills with a spin (personally I'm hoping for the sleeping bag-against-a-tree kill).
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Dig deeper: subscribing to the newsletter gives focused coverage on slasher sequels, trailer teardowns, homage spotting, and what a follow-up means for the genre. Join for clear, thoughtful analysis of horror film developments. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.That homage adds another entertaining element that sets the sequel apart. It won't quite act as a satire of the Friday the 13th movies and of Jason Voorhees, but it'll be fun to keep an eye out for tributes and thematic references as the movie unfolds. In a Violent Nature was clearly inspired by the iconic camp slasher series, but the sequel looks like it's going straight for the jugular with the comparison, acting as the next-best-thing until we get a new Friday the 13th movie.
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In a Violent Nature
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Drama Horror Thriller Release Date January 22, 2024 Runtime 94 Minutes Director Chris Nash Writers Chris NashCast
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Lauren-Marie Taylor
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Andrea Pavlovic
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In a Violent Nature
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