Nature of the Beast is a 1995 horror thriller written and directed by Victor Salva, who is also the writer/director of Jeepers Creepers and the director of Powder.
The film stars Lance Henriksen as an uptight, alcoholic businessman and Eric Roberts as a charismatic drifter. One man has stolen a million dollars from a Vegas casino, and the other is a hatchet-wielding serial killer. The film aims to keep the audience guessing as to which man is which while the pair play a deadly game of cat and mouse across deserted desert highways.
Even astute viewers who figure out the ending halfway through the film should have fun watching this one. The suspense builds and doesn’t let up after a leisurely start. The script is sharp and intelligent. But the best thing about the movie is the acting: Henriksen is great as always (though his prosthetic beer gut looks a bit silly) and Roberts proves that he can actually act, and extremely well. Both their performances are riveting.
Nature of the Beast spent about five minutes in movie theaters before it went to video. It’s a worthy addition to any thriller fan’s Halloween movie marathon.
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