PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Whether you’re aware of it or not, this legendary figure has arguably had a larger influence on all things horror than anyone. Ever. I “discovered” Lovecraft, personally, after seeing a number of the films I’m about to jaw on about, which led to a lot of “so that’s where they got this from” moments when I finally went down that rabbit hole of eldritch horror. Over my life, I’ve consumed literally everything ol’ HP ever wrote (that I could get my hands on), including crashingly boring compilations of his correspondence with his contemporaries. Lovecraft is a very dichotomous figure for me: on one hand, he was the most brilliant purveyor of cosmic horror in human history, on the other, he was a misogynistic, xenophobic, racist, antisemitic (although he famously married a Jewish woman so he wouldn’t have to really work for a living) embodiment of generational white privilege. Despite his incredibly meaningful body of work, one is almost glad that he toiled in relative obscurity during his lifetime, only receiving widespread recognition after his death in 1937. Who knows if he would have used his fame as a platform to spread his unsavory views?
At any rate, let’s separate the genius from the man, shall we? Let me preface this little compendium by stating, for the record, that these are my personal favorites. I’m sure you have your own, lists like these are very subjective, so please don’t roast me or burn me in effigy, online or in person. Also, Lovecraft, and his work, had an almost asexual bent so some of these films are a lot hornier than he would have been comfortable with. And, it goes without saying, that not all of these films are Lovecraft adaptations but they are all heavily influenced by his writings. So let’s dive in!
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott’s masterpiece! I know what you’re thinking, but the OG film in this franchise is literally dripping in Lovecraftian gunk! HG Giger’s self-professed love of HP’s imagery shines brightest in the design of the Xenomorph’s eggs, and despite Dan O’ Bannon’s claims to the contrary, the cosmic hopelessness and dread that permeates the film is pure Lovecraft.
The Thing (1982)
Until someone gives Guillermo Del Toro a budget equivalent to the GDP of a mid-sized country to adapt “At the Mountains of Madness,” John Carpenter’s unique take on the Howard Hawk’s original will have to do. The Antarctica setting, the ancient, extraterrestrial terror buried for centuries, the madness! One of JC’s finest!
Re-Animator (1985)
The first of many Lovecraft adaptations by the late, great, Stuart Gordon (with assists by Brian Yuzna, Charlie Band, and Dennis Paoli, among others), and the first to feature two thespians who, like it or not, will be forever linked to both Gordon and Lovecraft: Barbara Crampton (read our interview with her HERE) and Jeffrey Combs. This, loosely adapted, film injects all kinds of black comedy into what is pretty straightforward source material, but retains the “mad scientist” vibe of Dr. West. Totally 80s and damned near perfect, I can’t recommend this one enough!
From Beyond (1995)
Gordon’s next Lovecraft inspired flick, adapted from the like named short story, again features the brilliant duo of Crampton and Combs, but this time adding the genre cred of Dawn of the Dead vet Ken Foree. Intra-dimensional travel made possible through a resonator stimulating the pineal gland is heady stuff, but great effects, a campy script, perfect casting, and a sexed-up Crampton make this a perennial favorite.
Castle Freak (1995)
Gordon, Combs and Crampton again! This time very (very) loosely based on The Outsider, Castle Freak, filmed in Charlie Band’s Italian castle, puts a modern spin on the source material by dropping a troubled husband and wife, with their blind daughter, into the mix with the titular freak, and adding elements of a “beauty and the beast” plot. Violent and gory, it holds up surprisingly well 30-odd years later.
Dagon (2001)
This Gordon feature should have featured Combs and Crampton, but this mash up of Dagon and The Shadow Over Innsmouth succeeds nonetheless by ladling on heaps of creepy atmosphere and crazy, off-kilter performances. Fish men, fish sex, and strangely beautiful imagery abound in this sometimes-campy shocker. (Honorable mention to Gordon’s superior Masters of Horror entry Dreams in the Witch House)
The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
Almost universally considered “un-adaptable,” this brilliant featurette, distributed by the HP Lovecraft Historical Society, is presented in “Mythoscope” and imagines what a silent film produced in the same era as the titular story would look like to great effect, and presents the legendary tale perfectly! This one is definitely worth tracking down a copy of!
Cloverfield (2008)
Lovecraftian?? Yes! A mysterious, oddly shaped monstrosity from outer space with no regard for humanity is vintage Lovecraft! Mankind probably had it coming!
Event Horizon (1997)
This much maligned Paul Anderson sci-fi shocker has it all: a superb cast, lots of gore, inter-dimensional space travel, and oodles of jarring set pieces. Ninety-six minutes of existential dread with a Sam Neill kicker, this one flopped in cinemas, but is now, rightfully so, regarded as a demi-classic!
Necronomicon (1993)
Combs and Yuzna do Lovecraft yet again with this anthology of three stories loosely based on Rats in the Walls, Cool Air, and The Whisperer in The Darkness, with a wraparound segment that is, admittedly, goofy and schlocky, but adds a bit of fun for fans of HP’s catalog. BOLO for some familiar genre faces, and good luck hunting down a copy. I have a German DVD…
Color Out of Space (2019)
Say what you will (much like Lovecraft himself) about the man, but Richard Stanley’s return to genre filmmaking with this modern take on a different type of alien invasion is entertaining as hell! A fun cast and a gonzo approach to the visual style make this one essential viewing. With Nicolas Cage and Joely Richardson (also in the above-mentioned Event Horizon) in charge of the rapidly deteriorating family spread, this extremely well done and entertaining film is the first in a promised Lovecraft trilogy from Stanley.
The Dunwich Horror (1970)
Featuring a much suaver Wilbur (Dean Stockwell) than the source material, this one takes a lot of liberties but still comes off as a very engaging folk/cosmic horror hybrid that gets better with each viewing. An “American gothic” tale of occultism and a cursed family, the Necronomicon takes a central role in this yarn that also features former teen sweetheart Sandra Dee in the twilight of her film career.
In The Mouth of Madness (1994)
Notice how many names keep popping up? Sam Neill stars as John Trent, an insurance investigator who, while searching for a missing author, unwillingly toes the line between reality and fantasy and eventually is driven to brink of madness in this hallucinatory fever dream of a film. The third film in John Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy” (along with 1987’s Prince of Darkness, a personal favorite), this one features all kinds of Easter eggs in the form of Lovecraft inspired titles and characters. Not based on any of his works specifically, Carpenter drew a huge inspiration from HP, and this film fits nicely onto this list. Do YOU read Sutter Cane?
Call Girl of Cthulhu (2014)
I’ve intentionally left a lot of the goofy horror/comedy Lovecraft adjacent films off of this list because so many of them are ham-fisted and ineffective efforts. This film, however, from indie auteur Chris LaMartina, is pure eldritch comedy gold! A genius mishmash of perfect comedic timing, a smart script, and excellent casting make this (very) loosely Lovecraft inspired flick a wild, sexy romp of hilarious in-jokes, absurdist humor, and sardonic one-liners. Run, do not walk, to score a copy!
City of the Living Dead (1980)
Definitely Lovecraft adjacent, this Lucio Fulci gut buster heaps buckets of gore and intestines onto a very moody atmospheric setting in the very familiarly named town of Dunwich. More of a stylistic homage rather than a direct adaptation, this one deserves mention just because it takes everything associated with the author and then cranks it to an 11. Old HP would be rolling over in his grave if his name was attached to this, but hey, it’s classic Fulci sleaze! Not for the squeamish.
The Void (2016)
A low budget Canadian feature with a siege mentality, hooded cultists, flaying skin, copious amounts of blood, and tentacles (oh! The tentacles!) done with practical effects? YES please!!! Inspired by Del Toro’s above mentioned Lovecraftian aspirations, Astron-6 members Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanksi (read our interview with him HERE) decided to chuck the laughs for this full-on serious horror feature! Undeniably effective and perfectly paced, this one is a superior film in the Lovecraft cinema lexicon!
Colour From the Dark (2008)
This version of The Colour Out of Space, from Italian director Ivan Zuccon, varies wildly from Stanley’s later effort. It more effectively captures the grim, frightening, doom-laden feel of the source story. An isolated, sparse country farm setting, truly frightening visuals, and an absolutely perfect Debbie Rochon performance makes this one rank among my favorites. Zuccon has done a couple of other Lovecraft films since in the same close-to-literal translation style as this.
The Lurking Fear (1994)
A Romanian-lensed feature from Full Moon (again!) featuring Jeffrey Combs (again!) and joined by Hellraiser actress Ashley Laurence, this feature from Trancers 3 director C. Courtney Joyner is a study in what could have been. Frequently shat upon by critics for its cheap look, sleazy script, and disconnect from anything Lovecraft, it still holds a special place in my cold, black heart just because it tries so hard! Fun, but definitely not for everyone, stream it first, preferably for free somewhere.
Suitable Flesh (2023)
Definitely inspired by Stuart Gordon and Lovecraft, filmmaker Joe Lynch (read our interview with him HERE) even went so far to cast the ageless Barbara Crampton in this, yes I’m gonna say it, unsung modern masterpiece. Oozing that Lovecraft vibe and flaunting it’s VHS era influence, Suitable Flesh checks virtually every box for me! Based on the murderous body-hopping tale The Thing on the Doorstep, this film, also starring the still incredible Heather Graham and Bruce Davidson (in his best screen asshole performance), never takes itself too seriously, and that’s what makes it so effective. Great storytelling!
The Crimson Cult (1968)
Yeah, well it ain’t exactly Dreams in The Witch House, but it absolutely is in the ballpark! Featuring the last British film role of Boris Karloff, and the equally legendary Barbara Steel and Michael Gough alongside the master Christopher Lee, this creepy gothic AIP frightener has the prodigal son returning home to find his brother, only to be ensnared by an ancestral witchcraft cult, culminating in a Hammer inspired fiery finish! With a cast of iconic faces like this, how can you go wrong? Classic stuff!!
And there you have it. 20 of my favorites, in no particular order. There’s literally a ton of Lovecraft inspired cinema out there. The guy, like him or not, has touched virtually every subgenre in one way or another. And while I’m sure I missed a few of your favorites, take a look at a few of these, if there’s any you haven’t seen. And spread the word to others. I’m sure we’re going to see HP’s fingerprints on a lot more films, books, games, and art in the foreseeable future!
Now let’s bask in that gibbous moonlight…
