The following contains spoilers for In A Violent Nature, now playing in theaters

In A Violent Nature is a critcally adored horror film that could also function as an ideal guideline for how to fix the Friday the 13th franchise. The latter is one of the most important horror series in modern film, with Jason Vorhees becoming one of the most prolific killers in cinematic history. However, there hasn’t been a new movie with the character in fifteen years, with many of his previous movies often decried by critics. By contrast, In A Violent Nature plays with the archetypes of the slasher sub-genre, delivering a quiet and grisly horror film that critics adore.

In A Violent Nature is inherently indebted to films like Friday the 13th, with the film featuring several clear allusions to Jason with their own masked silent killer, Johnny. However, Johnny is constructed slightly different to Jason and used in a very unique context, with the film’s more artistic approach to grisly horror amid the beauty of nature highlighting the adaptability of the horror genre. It’s such a success that Friday the 13th should look to Johnny’s rampage from In A Violent Nature for inspiration going forward, taking cues from the modern approach to slashers for its own cinematic future.

What In A Violent Nature’s Johnny Does Better Than Jason Vorhees Ever Could

Small Hints About Johnny’s Perosnality Add A Tragic Layer To In A Violent Nature

In A Violent Nature‘s Johnny is a compelling riff on the horror archetype codified by Jason Vorhees, and highlights the ways Jason could be improved upon in future entries of the Friday the 13th series. In A Violent Nature introduces Johnny as an unstoppable undead killer, brought back to the land of the living by a unwitting teenager descrating his grave. In many ways, Johnny is a modern anwser to Jason. Both share physical qualities and a non-verbal murderous intent. Both are driven by the memories of their respective mothers, with both figures being the result of a tragic childhood.

However, while Jason remains something of a cipher through most of his appearances, Johnny is shown to retain some aspects of his original personality. A brief moment in the film reveals Johnny hiding behind a tree and playing with a toy car, highlighting his childish personality before he shifts back into a murderous state. This is the kind of personality beat that’s absent from most of Jason’s film appearances, which instead refined him into a cold-blooded and unfeeling killer. That flash of personality adds a tragic layer In A Violent Nature that Friday the 13th never really nailed with Jason.

How Friday The 13th Can Learn From In A Violent Nature’s Johnny

Jason Should Take Cues From Johnny Going Forward

That isn’t to say Johnny is a three-dimensional figure in In A Violent Nature. The ambiguity of his origins and the seemingly random but consistently brutal nature of his actions allow him to remain a fearsome force throughout the film, even while being tragic. He carries out plenty of horrifying kills, and works well as a horror movie monster. The film’s consistent focus on Johnny as a solitary figure haunting the woods gives him a tragic edge that could benefit Friday the 13th, which often relies entirely on shock and horror without giving Jason much personality — save one notable exception.

Freddy vs. Jason approached a similar concept and did it surprisingly well, with Freddy’s decision to target Jason psychologically revealing more about the character’s innate personality and fears. The other films in the series have failed to match that, and In A Violent Nature proves how that was wasted potential. Making Jason a tragic monster adds layers to the series. In A Violent Nature‘s meditative approach to horror could also be a compelling way to reinvent Jason Vorhees, bringing a bit more style and artistic flourish to a series that has often been criticized for a lack of introspective ambition.

In A Violent Nature Shows Why Friday The 13th Needs To Evolve

The Modern Day Friday The 13th Needs To Reimagine Jason’s Future

In A Violent Nature is a compelling recontexualization of slasher film tropes. It proves that there’s still room for the kind of gory kills that have always driven the horror sub-genre, but approaches it from a fresh perspective. The film’s novel approach to remain almost entirely with the killer and only fleetingly cut away to the teenagers he’s stalking underscores a commitment to showcasing the horror first-hand. It’s an artistic film that proves Friday the 13th and other slashers need to embrace a new approach. In doing so, the franchise opens artistic opportunities that may have seemed impossible years ago.

In A Violent Nature ends without revealing Johnny’s final fate or what became of him, outside an implication that he returned to his grave after locating his mother’s locket. Instead, the final moments are spent reflecting on how some creatures can be monstrous, implicitly comparing Johnny to a randomly vicious animal. Friday the 13th never fully delved into those themes or any deeper meaning. Instead, Jason has largely been another surface-level horror villain. Evolving the series to adjust to the more introspective approach filmmakers take with modern horror could be the best way to revitalize Jason for a new generation.

What Is Known About Friday The 13th’s Franchise Future

Friday the 13th Is Stuck In A Creative Limbo

The lack of a clear future for Jason Vorhees is surprising, given the character’s enduring place in pop culture. Horror Inc. is set to expand Friday the 13th into a wide-ranging and connected universe of fresh entries. The A24 produced Jason series Crystal Lake is currently on hold after Showrunner Bryan Fuller left the production. Looking to In A Violent Nature and its critical success could be the ideal way for the series to move forward. It would also make a lot of sense, given the typically artistic intentions behind A24’s other horror films like I Saw The TV Glow.

Friday the 13th could become a lot of things in the future, especially if Horror Inc.’s wide-ranging plans reach fruition. Taking cues from the artistic approach of In A Violent Nature could be the best way to critically rehabilitate the series and move it beyond the surface level horror that it’s typically seen as. This could be the key to bringing Jason back to the spotlight, retaining the iconic elements of the character while allowing new creatives to reinvent the wheel. In A Violent Nature is a great horror movie that reminds audiences how good Friday the 13th could be.