The following contains spoilers for In A Violent Nature, now streaming on Shudder
In A Violent Natureis getting a sequel, and these elements of the original film could easily become the focus of the second movie.In A Violent Naturewas an exciting addition to the horror genre, featuring a unique spin on some of the genre’s most pervasive tropes and archetypes. On the surface, the film is very familiar to audiences of the genre, with the narrative following a group of teenagers stalked through the woods by an undead killer. Even with plenty ofgruesome kills inIn A Violent Nature, the movie became a surprisingly quiet rumination on the genre.
Theending ofIn A Violent Natureleft the future open, with only one member of the teens escaping and Johnny seemingly disappearing back into the forest. The confirmation that a sequel is currently in development is exciting for horror fans. There are plenty of places the next film in the series could go with the concept, shifting focus to different time periods or bringing back characters fromIn A Violent Natureto expose more about the world surrounding Johnny. Here are all the waysIn A Violent Natureset up a sequel.
2024 Is One Of The Best Years For Horror In My Lifetime
The horror genre has been having one of the best years it’s ever had, with over a dozen critically-acclaimed scary films coming out in 2024.
8Johnny’s Fate Is Unresolved
Johnny Could Stilll Be Out In The Woods InIn A Violent Nature2
In A Violent Nature 2could build on the open-ended nature ofIn A Violent Nature’s ending, bringing the undead killer into a new setting and story. Almost every character who interacts with Johnny in the film is butchered by the killer, save for Kris. Taking back the locket that had seemingly soothed him into an unnatural slumber, Johnny could have gone back to his grave and fallen back into a passive state. However, it’s also possible that Johnny might now just be free.
This couldallow Johnny to more effectively become a modern-day take on Jason Vorhees, similarly building up his series in the same way that Jason became the face of a massive franchise. He could encounter completely unconnected characters, slaughtering his way through new collections of teenagers in every appearance. It lends the character an important versatility going forward, as his disappearance at the end ofIn A Violent Naturecould easily allow for all sorts of different directions for the character.
7Johnny’s Locket Is Missing
Johnny’s Only Potential Weakness Is Missing By The End Of The First Film
Johnny’s locket is one of the most important elements ofIn A Violent Nature’s mysterious lore, and may be the only truly effective way to stop him. Johnny’s undead status makes him nigh-impossible to put down, with gunshots only slowing him down at best. However, the rangers discovered a way to use the locket as a means of keeping the killer asleep in his grave, preventing his rampages. The final shot of the film reveals the locket missing from where Kris left it, implying that Johnny reclaimed it.
The best-case scenario is that Johnny took the locket and returns to his slumber, but such an ending would likely prevent a sequel likeIn A Violent Nature 2.This would mean the only way to stop Johnny is in his hands, preventing someone from easily stopping his next slaughter. Alternatively, the locket may have been lost in the woods, requiring a search for it if anyone wants a chance of stopping Johnny once and for all.
6Johnny’s Existence Teases More Supernatural Elements
The Resurrection Of Johnny Implies A Greater World Of Dangers
One of the unspoken truths ofIn A Violent Natureis the way Johnny’s existence hints at a much larger world of supernatural elements. Johnny is a lumbering, undead killer who is brought back to life by someone unwittingly disturbing his grave. Even if the specific rules of the resurrection aren’t revealed or teased, this does suggest thatIn A Violent Naturedoes exist in a world where some supernatural elements exist.In A Violent Nature 2could build on that unspoken revelation, expanding on the mystical elements of the world and building the lore that surrounds Johnny.
Chuck
Timothy Paul McCarthy
This could help expand his originsand explain how the character reached his lethal status, justifying his apparent ability to brush off injuries with ease. It could also introduce new threats or overarching villains beyond the more straightforward actions of Johnny. The existence of Johnny sets up all sorts of potential new directions for the sequel to go into, especially if it feels more interested into diving the reality around Johnny and how he came to be.
5The Ranger Story Teases A Possible Sequel Storyline
How The Rangers Could Set Up A Flashback Sequel
One of the more exciting teases withinIn A Violent Nature’s narrative is the confirmation that this isn’t the first time Johnny has been awoken. According to the Park Ranger, he and his friends had to deal with Johnny years prior, resulting in several deaths. Johnny’s father, a ranger,was able to figure out how to defeat Johnnyand constrain him long enough to put him back in his grave. Despite the Ranger’s failure to replicate that in the present day, it’s an interesting concept that could be well worth diving into.
The upcomingIn A Violent Nature 2could shift back into the story of the previous Ranger, highlighting how someone was able to figure out how to defeat Johnny. It’s an interesting concept that could be used to expand the lore of the universe, revealing how the ranger was able to figure it out. Similar toIn A Violent Nature, the flashback nature of the concept could allow for a tribute to a specific era of horror movies, continuing the open tribute to the genre that’s found elsewhere inIn A Violent Nature.
15 Extremely Brutal Slasher Horror Movies To Watch After In A Violent Nature
After watching the new horror movie In a Violent Nature, there are 10 older slashers that are perfect to screen that match its intense brutality.
4The Rangers Know How To Stop Johnny
Johnny’s Actions InIn A Violent NatureCould Have Serious Consequences
Even beyond shifting back to that previous story and focusing on the previous rangers, there’s a chance more characters now retain the knowledge on how to counter Johnny’s rampages. It’s an interesting concept, andcould easily be the source of plenty of new action and drama inIn A Violent Nature 2. The death of the Ranger and the teens in the surrounding area could easily draw attention to Johnny’s revival, and set up other people within the Ranger’s orbit to try and figure out how to counter the killer.
This could set up a unique reversal of the typical horror slasher archetype, with a group of experienced rangers going into the woods to hunt down the slasher killer. Given the first film’s unique focus on remaining with the slasher villain throughout, it would be a compelling way to keep that concept but tweak it enough so that the sequel feels like a different beast.It could be a creative way to escalate the tension of the first filmby having Johnny go up against something more dangerous than a group of unprepared teenagers.
3The Original Massacre Can Be Further Explored
A Full Period Piece Slasher Film Could Be A GreatIn A Violent Nature 2
At an early point duringIn A Violent Nature, the backstory of Johnny is teased out through an extended campfire story. As the unsuspecting teens hang out, Ehren tells the story of Johnny as a little boy who had been killed decades prior by a logger who was frustrated with Johnny’s father. Johnny then rose up and took his revenge, similar to Jason Vorhees. While the story is told in the film, it would be an exciting way to do a period-piece slasher filmby shifting back to those events.
Similar to a sequel that pits Johnny against rangers, it would be a chance to see the slasher villain go up against a group of people whoare inherently more capable of fighting back against the killerthan a bunch of unsuspecting teenagers. It would be a cool way to build on Johnny’s backstory, fully introducing his parents and setting up their relationship. It’d also be a fun way to shift the story to a different era, giving the filmmakers plenty of aspects of the era to play with thematically.
2Kris' Survival Sets Up Another Confrontation With Johnny
The only one of the film’s central teenagers to survive her encounter with Johnny,Kris isIn A Violent Nature’s version of the “final girl"archetype. Kris escaping the woods is a victory for the character, albeit one that seemingly leaves her mentally scarred by her experience. A sequel toIn A Violent Naturecould easily bring Kris back and delve further into how she responds to be the only survivor of Johnny’s latest rampage, giving the film a chance to further explore and subvert expectations about the genre.
A sequel toIn A Violent Naturecould bring Kris backas another target of Johnny or even as an expert on him, given her newfound knowledge on the killer’s tactics and appearance. Kris could even expand on the themes of the film’s ending and reflect on her own violent nature if she decides to go and attempt to get revenge for her fallen friends. Kris has the makings of a great “final girl,” and a prospective sequel could build on that potential.
1The Bear Story Sets Up A Different Sequel
The story of a wild and murderous bear in the woods may seem disconnected from the rest ofIn A Violent Nature, but the story told to Kris by her rescuer is a great rumination about the seemingly endless capacity for violence that exists within living beings. In a sense, the story of the bear could be setting upIn A Violent Nature 2to focus on different kinds of “monsters"that exist in the world, shifting the story away from Johnny and into a different direction.
This could be a great way to continuesubverting expectations withIn A Violent Nature,transforming the series into more of an anthology horror series instead of one focused on just Johnny. This could allow the filmmakers to pay homage and play with other kinds of notable horror movie monsters or threats. This could remain in the vast slasher genre and shift to different characters or settings, or even embrace more mystical threats. It could be an ideal way to expand the series without becoming too dependent on Johnny, helpingIn A Violent Naturestand out from other slasher films.
In a Violent Nature
Cast
In a Violent Nature is a 2024 horror-slasher film written and directed by Chris Nash that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. A group of campers in the middle of the wilderness stumble across a fire watchtower and discover a locket buried beneath its charred ruins. However, by unearthing the locket, they’ve invited the wrath of its prior owner and now must survive the rampage of a supernatural killer looking to retrieve his possession.
