There’s a reason why fans call Stephen King the “King of Horror.” The award-winning novelist’s best movies based on his best-selling novels deliver shocking material logged into our memories. King decided to grace his fans with the recommended viewing of the new slasher movie In a Violent Nature and the Chinese sci-fi series 3 Body.
In a Violent Nature isn’t your typical slasher movie. While we see a silent killer targeting a group of teenagers, the Canadian horror film is told from the perspective of the killer. Leave it to Stephen King to take to X to tweet a rave review about it:
“In a Violent Nature: If you need a slasher movie, this one will do the job. It’s leisurely, almost languorous, but when the blood flows, it flows in buckets. The killer in his mask looks like the world’s most terrifying Minion.”
Before Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, a Chinese sci-fi series came first last year called 3 Body about humans dealing with an incoming alien invasion. Stephen King couldn’t help but send his praises in an enthusiastic tweet for the Amazon Prime-released series:
“3 Body (Amazon Prime) is the original Chinese version of The 3-Body Problem (Netflix). Both are good. The Chinese version is harder SF, but the implications of its later episodes are terrifying, Lovecraftian: ‘The lifeless noise of the universe.'”
What Have Critics and Audiences Said About In a Violent Nature and 3 Body?
In a Violent Nature’s Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score is currently at 86%. Variety’s Dennis Harvey felt like the slasher movie didn’t deliver humor or complexity, but appreciated its originality in the genre:
“[In a Violent Nature]’s stripped-down approach to a familiar gist has a distinctiveness that is impressive, and is sure to please fans who are always up for a new slasher film — but wish most of them weren’t so interchangeable.”
Richard Whittaker of the Austin Chronicle admitted the new horror film is particularly slow, but is all worth it by the film’s conclusion:
“To paraphrase Paul Schrader on [“slow cinema”], you can take forever as long as the payoff is worth the wait. That’s where Nash diverges from the other “slow” filmmakers: Put simply, Kore-eda doesn’t do this many decapitations.”
Audiences, on the other hand, didn’t give In a Violent Nature such rave reviews. It currently holds an audience score of 44%. While many pointed out the Canadian flick’s scare factor, a lot of viewers called its slow pacing “boring.”
As for 3 Body, the sci-fi series has received critical praise in China. According to the China Youth Network, the book adaptation was complimented for being faithful to Liu Cixin’s source material, its special effects, and its incorporation of Chinese spirit.
In the United States, Mike Hale of The New York Times gave a more mixed review. He also commended 3 Body on its faithfulness to the book and clarifying complex scientific concepts. However, Hale criticized it for its average 3D animation scenes and how the book’s video-game scenes were portrayed.
Stephen King clearly found terrifying elements in 3 Body as well as In a Violent Nature. With such rave reviews from both, it’s worth giving a chance.
