In A Violent Nature 2 doubles up on the blood and tensity (Fantastic Fest 2026)
This week Fantastic Fest unveiled a very special world premiere, the sequel to the 2024 horror film In a Violent Nature. The film was promoted as a secret screening, and audiences were not told what the film was until the doors shut. So, what does the hook-wielding maniac Johnny have in store for audiences on his second go around the summer camp? Read on to find out.
Before this review, I want to mention that according to the director's note before the movie began, In a Violent Nature 2 is a "picture locked work in progress." So, the film that gets released may be different than the one this review is based on.
To start, the film picks up right where the original left off, to almost a Halloween 2 -level degree with the first frame of the film featuring Johnny bashing in the brains of the final victim of the original, before he recovers his coveted golden locket. It isn't long after this that more backwoods butchering begins. In A Violent Nature 2 takes quite the departure from the original, the biggest standout difference being that in this film, we're hardly in Johnny's POV. The original marketed itself on the concept of being a slasher film from the slasher unbroken perspective, but almost immediately from the jump we find ourselves in the POV of a shy, bullied camper at a neighboring summer camp.
Our new protagonist is Alex (Lucas Nguyen), the aforementioned camper that finds himself in the crosshairs of the camp bullies, and not long after, Johnny. Nguyen plays a character of few words, keeping in pace with the original where most of the dialogue was short exchanges and off-handed conversations happening just barely off screen. While there is more side character involvement in the sequel, it still feels like an intimate following of a singular protagonist, except instead of being the hunter, we are now in the POV of the hunted.
I'm curious to see how audiences, and especially fans of the original, take this change. As I was a bit thrown off at first, since the POV of Johnny was what made the original so unique and set it apart from other meat and potatoes slasher flicks. Since that aspect changed, In A Violent Nature 2 feels like a Friday the 13th film tunnel visioned on one particular victim. However, I'm not entirely mad at that. Considering our last Friday the 13th movie was 17 years ago, if Jason isn't coming back to cinema screens anytime soon, I don't have a problem with Johnny filling the role.
The film is chalk full of brutal kills, with all the gore and viscera intact and thrown across the screen. I, like I assume many others, wondered how the Violent Nature team would top the yoga kill from the original. I'm happy to report that it gets topped and then some. In A Violent Nature 2 doubles the body count and triples the tensity. Now that we aren’t in Johnny's POV, you can feel the looming dread that he could be just out of frame, and there's moments where his presence hits like a freight train.
In A Violent Nature 2 isn't without its flaws. There's a handful of questionable character decisions, sometimes even more questionable than the average slasher cannon fodder, most of which are made by our main character. However, I feel like many horror fans will appreciate this return to form slasher flick, and all the gallons of blood that spill in it. It's a summer camp slasher that scratches the itch for those looking for simple, bloody fun.
Overall, In A Violent Nature 2 sheds what made the original so unique and plays more into the status quo of a slasher flick. While I was sad to see less of Johnny, his presence is still felt throughout the film, and I couldn't think of a better character to become this generations de facto Jason Voorhees.
In A Violent Nature 2 currently does not have a scheduled release date.
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