If you've been watching horror movies all month, as many people do around Halloween, you may be desensitized to cinematic violence by the end of October. You may also be tired of the same old stereotypes – bumbling psychopathic killers and their teenage victims. 2024s In cruel natureone of the most original horror films of recent years, solves both of these problems at the same time.
Plus two words: human pretzel.
Written and directed by Chris Nash. In cruel nature it's a micro-budget slasher film with a clever idea: it's told from the point of view of an undead villain. Awakened by unwary teenagers, local urban legend Johnny (Ry Barrett) chases and kills them across wooded America. That's pretty much the entire plot, and it rules.
Johnny never speaks, and large stretches of the film simply track him slowly moving through the forest, creating the feeling of a mixture between watching someone play a video game and listening to ASMR. It's strangely relaxing.
When Johnny encounters his victims, he kills them in the most gruesome ways possible, often using his signature weapon: a rusty metal hook attached to a large chain. At one point, he encounters a young woman doing yoga alone by the river and uses his grappling hook to turn her into… well, you know.
In cruel nature does offer some semblance of plot and backstory at times, mostly through exposition given by the various characters as Johnny prepares to kill them. None of this description makes much difference to the overall cinematic experience (in fact, I think we get too much lore, which makes the killer less scary), but it paints a picture of a killer in the same league as Jason or Michael Myers: emotionally stunted, unstoppable, and evil.
The film's clever conceit is enough to keep the action moving for about 90 minutes, gradually revealing more details about Johnny as his actions become increasingly horrific. Cruel nature in the final act it takes an unexpected left turn, which can leave the audience confused or even irritated. But this journey is still worth taking, if only for the sake of a fresh look at a very tired genre.
Where to watch: Cruel nature is streaming on Hulu or Disney Plus and can be rented online from all the usual places.
Polygon's annual Halloween Countdown is a 31-day series of short recommendations for the best horror movies, shows, TV series and online streams for the Halloween season. You can find the entire calendar here.
