10 Movies Inspired By The Works Of H.P. Lovecraft, Ranked (According To IMDb)

H.P. Lovecraft is one of the most unique writers to ever put pen to paper. The influence of his work is far-reaching and has seeped into the worlds of television, games, art, and movies, with the word Lovecraftian becoming a badge of honor. Filmmaker Stuart Gordon became a Horror icon with his Lovecraft adaptations, most famously with his 1985 genre classic, Re-Animator.

While filmmakers from Roger Corman to Richard Stanley found success with their adaptations of the author’s work, there have been many movies that are not direct adaptations of Lovecraft’s yet are directly influenced by the author’s unique worlds. Movies with a Lovecraftian aura are the best way to pay homage to the writer without directly adapting his works. Here is a ranking of the 10 best, according to their IMDb scores.

10 The Dunwich Horror (5.5)

While “adapted” from Lovecraft’s short story it truly cannot be considered a full adaptation of his work. 1971’s The Dunwich Horror took a lot of flack for completely changing almost every plot point to where the author’s story barely remained.

When looking at the movie, where a man messes with the Necronomicon and unleashes a monster within, as its own entity it becomes an effective horror tale. Purists were angered at how the filmmakers changed almost everything except for the main plot, but critics well respect the movie.

9 Die, Monster, Die! A.K.A. Monster Of Terror (5.6)

Boris Karloff plays a scientist who discovers a glowing meteorite that emits radiation rays that hold a dangerous and deadly power.

Die, Monster, Die! is completely Lovecraftian in its plot. The dangerous plant that emits evil power is an unmistakable draw from Lovecraft’s novel The Colour Out of Space but this is no direct adaptation, as the movie only takes that aspect of the author’s story. Boris Karloff is very good in the role of the scientist, which would be one of his last. The movie received mixed notices but time has been kind to it, as it has become a cult curio.

8 The Void (5.8)

A small, sleepy, little town is invaded by a group of cloaked cultists who bring with them a pure evil that may be otherworldly and causes much bloodshed and death.

The movie becomes a claustrophobic example of pure terror that becomes more and more bizarre with each scene. The Void introduces death and body horror gruesomeness by way of the occult that bathes the movie in an unmistakable Lovecraftian homage.

7 Event Horizon (6.7)

Paul W.S. Anderson’s 1997 cult classic Event Horizon is a Science Fiction nightmare that exudes pure horror in every frame. A ship that was lost inside of a Black Hole has returned with something evil inside the minds and souls of the surviving crew members.

This movie makes sure it has Lovecraftian touches in its scenes of horror. While the style and story pay homage to Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece Solaris, the body-horror effects and otherworldly terrors are pure H.P. Lovecraft. The movie has a small cult following but was savaged by critics and all but ignored by audiences in 1997. Anderson’s movie is considered an underseen treasure.

6 The Beyond (6.8)

A hotel in Louisiana is found to have been built over one of the gateways to Hell. Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond (L’Adila) is one of the more bizarre yet well-loved Italian horror movies of them all.

Fulci’s movie is a bit all-over-the-place in its plot and editing but horror fans find it to be unique and entertaining enough to find it an Italian horror classic. Its strength lies in its ability to use its extreme gore effects to bring forth the Lovecraft-inspired demons that wreak havoc on the unsuspecting victims who reside in the hotel.

5 The Cabin In The Woods (7.0)

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s 2011 horror/sci-fi buffet The Cabin in the Woods was the tale of five college friends who go to a cabin deep in the woods and come face to face with unspeakable evils of many different kinds.

There are many monsters in this movie that have a Lovecraftian design but it is the deep woods setting and the otherworldly and unstoppable menace that pays the deepest homage to the author.

4 Hellraiser (7.0)

From the creatures and situations held within his novels and their cinematic representations, Clive Barker’s work is highly influenced by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. None more than his classic and respected novel, and especially its popular and groundbreaking movie version, Hellraiser.

Barker’s tale of demonic beings from a dark underworld who take willing victims to their sadistic otherworld is pure Lovecraft. The existence and design of the cenobites, with their sadomasochistic presentation of pain and pleasure, are monstrous creations straight from a Lovecraftian world.

3 The Mist (7.1)

Frank Darabont’s popular adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist presents its H.P. Lovecraft influences boldly but doesn’t lose the essence of King’s story of a Maine town that is under attack from monsters that have been unleashed by a dangerous storm.

The influence of Lovecraft comes in the form of the monsters and their otherworldly origins. The monsters are never fully explained but exist as a gruesome warning of man’s inhumanity and the violent underbelly of society. Critics and audiences appreciated the Lovecraft treatment and the movie has gone down as one of the best and most respected of all Stephen King adaptations with one of the most divisive endings in movie history.

2 In The Mouth Of Madness (7.2)

Always a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, John Carpenter designed 1995’s In the Mouth of Madness as a direct homage to the author’s unique world. Sam Neil plays an investigator who tracks down a reclusive horror author whose books are causing fans to commit unspeakable acts. What follows becomes a twisted and monster-filled Hell on Earth. Jurgen Prochnow plays the author, Sutter Cane, and has gone down as one of the creepiest and most popular killers in Carpenter’s movies.

The movie is considered to be one of John Carpenter’s best movies. His complete control in balancing the Lovecraftian aspects of the story with the bizarre visual style stands as proof of the filmmaker’s skills.

1 The Thing (8.1)

John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing wasn’t created as an ode to H.P. Lovecraft but exists as one just the same. The pure creations of the monster itself, by FX genius Rob Bottin, are steeped in the twisted descriptions of Lovecraft’s creatures.

Carpenter and Bottin’s monster is all melting and molding flesh dripping with copious amounts of blood to the point where viewers could imagine these designs were crafted by Lovecraft himself.  The special effects turned off moviegoers at the time, but Carpenter’s movie has grown into one of the most respected Horror movies ever made with many fans and critics considering this to be his finest.