Lovecraft Country (2020) Review

 

Lovecraft Country (2020)

Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman, a Korean War vet whose life is turned upside down when he discovers a magical lineage and the existence of monsters and the supernatural, while battling staunch racism in 1950s Chicago. 

Fresh off the heals of the HBO’s Watchmen series, which tackled racial issues and brought civil issues to our forefront, Lovecraft Country continues the trend, now in the fantastical horror style of H.P. Lovecraft. The racial inequality of 1950s America is just as important to the story of Lovecraft Country as the magical elements that the show hinges itself on. For Tic and the rest of the crew, being black is just as dangerous (and proves itself to be) as the crazy white folk wielding magic. Anchoring the show to this concept (or history more like) is important because amidst all of the fantasy, it still feels grounded. You still feel the weight of every action, incident, and choice this show presents us with (particularly the Tulsa Massacre). Its grasp on this lets the rest of the show blossom and create an incredibly powerful atmosphere that is littered with old recordings, poems, and music that beautifully fleshes out the tone of each episode and gives a fascinating perspective into the backstories and futures of black people as a whole. 

I will admit though, the show is quite messy. It introduces a lot of elements but doesn’t quite know how to handle them, and only really introduces them for the sake of creating tension among the characters (i.e. homosexuality, Ji-Ah’s entire character, Tic’s parentage), reducing what could be many important elements down to throwaway tension. The overall lack of Lovecraft material, sub the opening scene of the show, was also a bit of a letdown in a show literally called Lovecraft Country. 

The cast however is phenomenal, starring Jada Harris, Jordan Patrick Smith, Jamie Chung, Aunjanue Harris, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Wunmi Mosaku, Michael K. Williams, Jurnee Smollett, and Jonathan Majors. Majors is nothing short of brilliant in this and it’s so easy to get caught up in his development from a nerdy bookworm to the determinate savior of the world. Smollett’s pairing with Majors is also lovely and it was evident they challenged each other to bring it every single scene. I also really loved Vance in his brief occurrence on the show and wish we had gotten more of his wisdom and veteran leadership. 

Based on the novel by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Country, directed by Misha Green, is an excellent piece of revisionist history that takes us through some of the worst periods in American history, empowering the people it represents and feels like a respectful fuck you to H.P. Lovecraft, one of the most racist of the early 20th century’s authors. 

8.4/10