10 Lovecraftian Horror Films To Prepare You For Lovecraft Country

With the recent trailer for HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which is based on the book by Matt Ruff, it is important to reflect on the path that led to this moment. After all, the book’s main influence came from H. P. Lovecraft who was incredibly racist despite creating the unique Cthulhu mythos.

But Ruff got around this by using the eldritch horrors as a metaphor for the bigotry that was present in 1950s America where Lovecraft Country takes place. While it’s unclear how well the television series will handle these subjects, here are Lovecraftian horror films to watch in the meantime.

10 Re-Animator

Considered to be one of the best film adaptations of Lovecraft, Re-Animator spawned two sequels and a musical comedy. It’s a tale of science gone awry in the same vein as Frankenstein as medical student Herbert West attempts to bring back the dead.

This was also the first time Miskatonic University was mentioned, which appears in Lovecraft’s other stories. While Lovecraft Country isn’t set at a university, the book’s antagonistic cult does use twisted science.

9 Hellraiser

Among the popular horror movies from the 1980s, Hellraiser is one of the most visually distinct. Based on a novella by Clive Barker, this Lovecraftian film involves a puzzle box that opens a gateway to another world full of sadomasochistic creatures.

Barker also directed Hellraiser, including severalsequels and the first Candyman movie. In Lovecraft Country, a character discovers a gateway to a planet with dangerous monsters and obtains a box with a sinister surprise.

8 The Beyond (1981)

Also known as 7 Doors of Death, The Beyond is part of the “Gates of Hell” film trilogy. Each film is standalone continuity-wise, but they all have zombies and the same leading actress.

Though The Beyond is arguably the most Lovecraftian, as it’s set in Louisiana where a woman purchases a hotel built over a gateway to Hell. A similar subplot appears in Lovecraft Country where a haunted house is converted into an apartment.

7 The Endless

Partially inspired by Heaven’s Gate, The Endless tells the story of two brothers who left a cult ten years prior that decide to visit it after receiving a video message. The film also has Lovecraftian elements, such as the nameless being the cult worships.

Now cults do play a significant role in Lovecraft’s stories, with Lovecraft Country even having its own. There’s also a time-related aspect in The Endless that appears in Lovecraft Country.

6 In The Mouth Of Madness

One of the interesting aspects of Lovecraft Country is how it blurs the line between fiction and reality. Because while the book takes place in the real world, the horrors the characters experience are similar to Lovecraft’s works which are referenced.

This concept is taken further in John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, where an insurance agent goes looking for a missing fictional author. However, the author’s works are known to drive people crazy.

5 The Evil Dead (1981)

Apart from the name Cthulhu, another thing that most people know from Lovecraft without necessarily having read his works is the Necronomicon. Also known as the Book of the Dead, it has appeared in various non-Lovecraft properties.

Most notably, The Evil Dead from 1981 which launched the careers of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell with its gory tale of college students suffering demonic possession. Even Lovecraft Country has its own Necronomicon-like book.

4 Necronomicon: Book Of The Dead

While Lovecraft Country has a continuing story, it’s presented as a series of short stories that revolve around the same group of characters. So it’s like an anthology, which works in books and television shows though not always in films.

Though that didn’t stop films like Necronomicon: Book of the Dead from being made that present several Lovecraft-inspired stories. Yet the framing device is H. P. Lovecraft himself seeking out the Necronomicon,which is real.

3 Dagon

Another movie that often appears in lists of best Lovecraft film adaptations is Dagon, which is based on “The Shadow over Innsmouth” and not “Dagon.” Made by Stuart Gordon who directed Re-Animator, it tells the story of tourists ending up in a costal Spanish town.

Unfortunately, the town is run by a sinister cult. Additionally, one of the main characters has unexpected familial ties to the town’s founders which is echoed in Lovecraft Country.

2 The Whisperer In Darkness (2011)

Promoted by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this independent film is based on Lovecraft’s titular short story. Though what makes the film unique is its aesthetic which pays homage to 1930s horror movies.

Now while Lovecraft Country takes place in the 1950s, there is a similar sense of trying to recapture that period in the show’s trailer. Particularly the trailer’s song “Land of 1000 Dances,” even though it was recorded in the early ‘60s.

1 The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Looking past the dated clothing and hairstyles, the 1970 film adaptation of Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror” is arguably underrated. It also has plot-related elements that appear in the story Lovecraft Country is named after.

Particularly, the fact that the movie features a warlock-type figure who lures an unsuspecting victim to a small isolated town to take part in a sacrificial ceremony. This was also one of the Lovecraft stories to feature the Necronomicon.