In a Violent Nature has finally arrived in UK and Irish cinemas, following reports that the acclaimed slasher movie made people vomit at screenings in the US.
Director Chris Nash doesn't quite believe that really happened, telling Dexerto that he has "no idea whether or not this is true". It could well just be a clever marketing stunt and it's not the first horror movie to employ the tactic.
Whether or not the vomiting did happen though, if you've read anything about In a Violent Nature, it'll be that it's a gruesome watch. That's perhaps not a surprise due to its unique concept as the movie unfolds almost entirely from the killer's POV.
But is it really that gory and extreme? Digital Spy braved the experience and survived to report back on just how bloody things get during In a Violent Nature.
Warning: Graphic descriptions – but no images – follow, so don't read on if you're squeamish.
How gory is In a Violent Nature?
For the first 30 minutes of In a Violent Nature, you'll be wondering what all the fuss is about. There's one kill, but it's done off-screen and all you see is the bloody hand of mute killer Johnny (Ry Barrett).
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But much like the languid nature of Johnny as he strolls through the forest, it's all a misdirect to lull you into thinking proceedings won't get too bloody. Because, believe us, things get nasty and gory.
Johnny's targets are an unfortunate group of teens who happen to remove a locket from a fire tower that A) was keeping Johnny dead and B) is very precious to him. As a result, Johnny will stop at nothing to get it back.
We won't spoil exactly who dies, but the slaughter kicks off with a gruesome decapitation – if that's even still the right word when the head is severed through the mouth. This is no swift decapitation either; like so much of the movie, Nash shows that even when you're a powerful undead killer, you've really got to put the effort in.
To our surprise, another death takes place under water so you're spared any gory details. Nash does no such thing with the movie's stand-out kill, sure to end up in the pantheon of best-ever horror movie deaths.
Using two dragging hooks, Johnny punches through his victim's gut with one hook which he then stabs into their head. The killer then proceeds to pull the victim's head through the hole in their own stomach, turning them into basically a human pretzel. It plays out in excruciating detail and if any death made viewers puke, it's this one.
The kills that follow are certainly bloody, but not as immensely disgusting as this one. There is, somehow, still worse to come though.
Perhaps the hardest death to watch, even for gorehounds, will be when Johnny paralyses one of his victims. He then drags them to a log splitter where, after cutting their hand off to make sure it works, Johnny places their neck on the machine and lets it do its thing.
It all plays out in real time with the sequence lasting nearly three minutes. The camera never moves, almost making you implicit in watching this horrific death, one which the victim knows is coming and can't do anything about it.
It's not even the goriest death in the movie, but it certainly ranks as In a Violent Nature's worst death. The human pretzel is nothing compared to that.
How to watch In a Violent Nature
We had to wait for In a Violent Nature in the UK, but the movie is finally out in UK and Irish cinemas following its release on July 12.
It's not yet available to watch at home in the UK, and is only available to watch exclusively at cinemas.
However, due to its earlier release in the US, you can rent or buy In a Violent Nature from Prime Video, iTunes and more if you live in the US.
Its streaming release date hasn't been confirmed yet, but In a Violent Nature will eventually be able to watch on Shudder. The streaming service picked up rights to the movie ahead of its Sundance premiere earlier this year.
In a Violent Nature is out now in UK cinemas.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
