The Top 10 Best Lovecraftian Horror Movies
5. The Cabin in the Woods
Who says that Lovecraftian horror movies all have to be straight-faced and serious? I was relieved to get a chance to include one of the best horror-comedies of all time on this list just to shake things up a bit. At first glance, The Cabin in the Woods might not seem like it deserves a spot on here, but I have to remind you all that H.P. Lovecraft was a big fan of the concept of elder gods. That right there proves that I’m not trying to pound a square peg into a round hole because the whole point of the film is that a secret society is trying to appease slumbering gods simply known as the ancient ones with sacrifices. The film also offers up plenty of other twists into the origin of horror in human society and the role it plays, making it a perfect light-hearted take on this sub-genre.
4. Color Out of Space
It doesn’t get much more Lovecraftian than an actual film adaptation of an H. P. Lovecraft story. Color Out of Space presents comic horror at its finest as a mysterious meteor crashes on a farm outside the fictional city of Arkham, Ma. At first, it just seems like a hunk of rock that caused a bit of property damage on Nicolas Cage’s alpaca farm, but soon creepy stuff begins happening. The rock houses a form of living energy that radiates forth to explore this unknown world that it landed on. Every organic thing it comes in contact or close proximity with is changed in strange ways from the mental to the physical. The horror aspect arises from the fact that this “color out of space” doesn’t seem to understand (or care) the effect it’s having on its environment as it radically alters its surroundings through its mere presence. A metaphor for man’s horrendous impact on nature or just another creepy Lovecraftian horror movie? You decide!
3. The Endless
Turns out that a lot of Lovecraftian horror movies feature cults at the center of them. That’s probably because a lot of cults believe in all kinds of crazy stuff and it would be terrifying if any of it turned out to be true. The Endless made an appearance on my list of the best cult movies of all time because it tackles that very idea. Two brothers return to the cult that they escaped from as children only to find that things are much different from how they remember it. The cultists worship an all-powerful extraterrestrial entity and believe that death at its hands is a sacred thing. Neither brother puts much stock in their believes in it, but soon they discover bizarre evidence that the cult’s beliefs might not be as crazy as they though. Their discoveries lead to a very dangerous question, “What could such an entity possibly want?”
2. Re-Animator
Yet another film based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft (that also stars Jeffrey Combs). This one is a cult classic beloved by horror fans. In the movie, Combs plays mad scientist Dr. Herbert West, a man who dreams of defeating death. His quest for forbidden knowledge at any cost has made him the poster boy for Lovecraftian horror movies as his experiments slowly strip him of his humanity. Combs narcissism fuels his drive, causing him to refuse to give up no matter how dire the consequences prove to be. In the end, his obsession leads to the creation of what are essentially pissed off zombies (though this movie didn’t earn a spot on my list of the Top 10 Zombie movies). The series spawned two sequels much to the delight of horror fans, making it perhaps the second-best trilogy of Lovecraftian horror movies.
1. The Evil Dead
While Re-Animator might be a cult classic, it’s got nothing on The Evil Dead. The film series was beloved by critics and fans alike and went on to spark, sequels, a tv series, comics, and even a remake. The reason it deserves a spot on this list of Lovecraftian horror movies is that it features demonic entities from another dimension brought to our realm through forbidden knowledge. Once summoned, the fate of civilization rests in the hands of S-Mart’s employee of the month, Ash Williams. Luckily, he takes his role of mankind’s savior pretty seriously and sets out to send every last deadite back to where it came from. In case you need any more proof that this is Lovecraftian horror at it’s finest, the book that summons the deadites is called the Necronomicon, which is a nod to a recurring grimoire in H.P.’s stories.
Honorable Mention: Ghostbusters
Sure, Ghostbusters is a movie about four men battling all sorts of scary ghosts (and some not so scary ones), but it’s also filled with elements of Lovecraftian horror. The film’s primary antagonist, Gozer the Gozerian, is an ancient God long since forgotten by civilization. It turns out this “elder god” can cross over to our word from another dimension because a crazed cult leader built an apartment complex that he designed to serve as a conduit for him. Once here, he uses the Ghostbusters very minds against them, allowing them to choose the form of the destructor (which turns out to be one of the coolest giant monsters in movie history). All of that just screams Lovecraftian horror, and the fact that it’s so well done earns Ghostbusters an honorable mention!
Shout-Out: Residue
Residue is a movie that I had never heard of until I accidentally stumbled upon it on Netflix. I was shocked to find that it was actually a pretty great Lovecraftian horror film, featuring a man investigating a book that drives its readers mad. He slowly loses his grip on reality as he’s shown visions of the past and future while being haunted by a mysterious entity. It might not have earned an official spot, but I’m happy to give this film a shout out.
There are tons of other Lovecraftian horror movies out there and I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have to add to this list. Please leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts on the films I choose as well as any I should definitely check out in the future. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new Lovecraftian horror movies hit theaters. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings change!