At present, Lovecraftian or eldritch horror has become increasingly popular, with a growing number of films representing this particular genre of horror film. Named after the works of HP Lovecraft, Lovecraftian horror refers to stories that rely on certain characteristics characteristic of the author's work, including forbidden knowledge, universal fear, the insignificance of humanity, and beings or entities that exist outside the limits of human perception. Also called eldritch horror, this type of horror film has become very popular in recent years.
The best Lovecraftian horror films fall heavily into the themes of Lovecraft's original works, or at least have a high degree of relationship to them for reasons of Cthulu-like imagery, a cephalopod-like entity and a monstrous epic antagonist. Some eldritch horror movies are directly related to Lovecraft's stories, while others take heavy inspiration from the genre while ultimately creating something new. Either way, many of the best Lovecraftian horror films are recent films.
10
Dagon
Released in 2001
Except for the dreaming titan Cthulu resting beneath the wavesone of the most famous names in eldritch horror is none other than Dagon of the same fish. The 2001 animated film combines Lovecraft's short story of the same name alongside one of his most famous novels, Shadow Over Innsmouth. The plot focuses on a group of vacationing friends who are attacked by a sea monster, forcing them to take refuge in the mysterious town of Imboca, the Spanish equivalent of Innsmouth.
Imboca soon reveals itself to be heavily infested by the presence of the vengeful sea god Dagon, populated by strange mixed-race inhabitants that evoke a true Lovecraftian image. It's hard to deny the author's overt presence in the film, overseeing not one, but two of his most terrifying stories. But even without this influence, the elements of sanity, nightmares in the water, and a sinister ending that sets up a shocking revelation all scream eldritch horror.
9
The Void
Released in 2016
While adapting an original Lovecraft story may be a surefire way to a successful eldritch horror, similar films The Void prove that originality can be just as fun. This film is shocking from its opening, describing a man who seems to kill a woman with blood, and ended up in the hospital before the body was found because of his exhaustion. Before he can be properly investigated for his alleged crime, an insidious army of hulking cultists and strange creatures begin to invade the infirmary.
Acting in low-budget horror films in the 80s, The Void manages to go a long way with a low production value, teasing the look of its artificially created monsters with clever lighting and camera tricks. One of the most defining features of Lovecraftian horror is the consistent way the author's dangerous creatures and situations defy all description, again The Void manages to capture this feeling incredibly well in a visual way. Add some generous body horror and mystery, too The Void it is an excellent example of a small type.
8
In the Mouth of Madness
Released in 1994
In fact, many of John Carpenter's horror films owe some degree of inspiration to Lovecraft, with iconic images such as Something it is completely filled with eldritch imagery. However, Carpenter's original adaptation of a Lovecraft story is his most important example of true Lovecraftian terror.r, not to disappoint with In the Mouth of Madness. Loosely based on the HP Lovecraft novel In the Mad Mountains, In the Mouth of Madness casts Sam Niel as an insurance investor with a loose sense of reality.
The movie perfectly understands Lovecraft's terrifying sense of horror that he was able to encapsulate in his first story, confounding and bewildering the audience with questions about what is real and what isn't. In the Mouth of Madness even leaning on the fourth wall at times, with the last act in particular risking being too stupid when you can walk straight to that line and stop before crossing it. Lovecraft is not just tents and fishing people, but existential fear and betrayal of the senses, and Carpenter's description captures these elements well.
7
The Haunted Palace
Released in 1963
Perhaps the oldest film to faithfully portray the true eldritch horror, The Haunted Palace planted the first seeds of Lovecraftian horror cinema's popularity with the first adaptation of one of HP Lovecraft's books. Inspired by a novella The case of Charles Dexter Wardthe film describes a manor overlooking the famous town of Arkham, Massachusetts (a recurring location in Lovecraft's work) that is inherited by an outsider, Dexter Ward. Ward quickly discovers the city of Arkham and its citizens are not what they seem, and his legacy has a high price tag.
Despite being based on a Lovecraft story, the film takes its title from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, always avoiding lines written by the ubiquitous horror poet. This is an indication of Lovecraft's inspiration for Poe's work, playing in two generations of horror storytelling. Vincent Price knocks it out of the park as Ward, and the stunning art design of the sets and the mysterious mutant Arkham citizens still hold up today.
6
The Dunwich Horror
Released in 1970
Directed by art director at The Haunted Palace, The Dunwich Horror is a clever translation of Lovecraft's short story of the same name. The film centers on a graduate student, Nancy, who discovers the infamous Necronomicon, the same book of the dead that the Necronomicon is responsible for. Evil Dead series. Soon, Nancy is followed by a disturbed man who hopes to use the book to call out the bad guys, doing everything she can to prevent the property from falling into the wrong hands.
Admittedly, compared to most recent eldritch horror movie creations, The Dunwich Horror it reads like a classic today, with cheesy B-movie acting and special effects that can distract from the scares. However, the film deserves to go on as one of the classic pop influences for its representation of Lovecraftian horror, increasing its popularity by a wide margin. Even if it wasn't, the tense atmosphere and pervasive sense of dread anxiety that the film manages to muster deserves a lot of praise.
5
Event Horizon
Released in 1997
Even though many eldritch horror films are directly inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft, if not a direct adaptation of his work, a rare few are able to move the stage in a unique way. This is certainly the case with Paul WS Anderson's Event Horizon, which takes the horror of spacefaring to a whole new level. The film revolves around an astronaut sent on a rescue mission to Neptune in hopes of retrieving another spacecraft. The crew soon discovered that the cause of the disaster was much worse than they thought.
Event Horizon thrives on the ambiguity of its unknown threat, a strange entity that seems capable of driving even the bravest of spaceship captains mad while dragging others into some of the scariest movie depictions of hell ever imagined. Eldritch horror thrives on the most powerful horror of human conception, too Event Horizon it certainly qualifies under this, which means that its darkest atmosphere has only been giving the audience a glimpse. From grim spectacles to exquisite designs, Event Horizon eldritch horror journey straight to hell.
4
Under the water
Released in 2020
Not all films wear their eldritch horror inspiration with pride in their premise or marketing. At the most, in 2020 Under the water it seems like nothing more than Ridley Scott's Alien in slightly different outfits, taking place on an underwater research station rather than a spaceship. However, Under the water it has a Lovecraftian secret ending that enhances the already intense sci-fi horror it manages to create, sprinkling its third act with plenty of cosmic horror.
Kristen Stewart stars as the main character among a team of research missions, which are simultaneously captured by a terrifying unknown creature lurking in the depths of the ocean. It wasn't long before Cthulu appeared, threatening to overshadow the entire world with his influence. Combining Lovecraftian inspiration with climate change metaphors and thalassaphobic imagery, Under the water deserves more credit as a true piece of eldritch horror fiction.
3
Annihilation
Released in 2018
After the Academy Award nominated screenplay Ex Machina, writer and director Alex Garland decided to deviate from the cosmic side of horror with Annihilation. Based on the novel of the same name, the movie stars Natalie Portman as a scientist, Lena, who is tasked with leading an expedition to the mysterious “Shimmer”, a bubble of shiny energy that several other groups had previously lost, including Lena's husband. . Within the Shimmer, the very laws of physics and biology seem to play a role in the aura's influence.
Annihilation it's filled with eerie images of eldritch horror, from the embalmed corpses of former scientists growing into slime-mold-like organisms to a shapeshifting bear that mimics the cries of its victims. This place also has a noticeable effect on the psyche of those who enter, an essential ingredient of any Lovecraftian horror story, and Lena's group quickly gets into conflict and conflict. Finally, Annihilation imbibes on some heady, almost philosophical horror beats with eldritch themes.
2
The Lighthouse
Released in 2019
After making a name for himself with the dark, Brothers Grimm style fairy tale that is A witch, a healthy dose of Lovecraftian terror was injected into Robert Egger's film with The Lighthouse. Like many Lovecraftian horror stories, The Lighthouse it takes place in front of the sea, with the two minor characters of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe playing the characters of the lighthouse. In their estrangement, the two descend into a bit of insanity as Pattinson's Winslow encounters a terrible past he's trying to escape.
Of course, there are plenty of high-quality visuals such as Lovecraftian monsters, tentacles and fossils. However, it's cards The Lighthouse plays close to its chest making it an amazing eldritch horror cinema show, never let the audience in on the full depth of depravity it goes through by reinforcing their perception with oddly purposeful continuity errors and timeline twists. Indeed, it's the remarkable chemistry between Pattinson and Dafoe that sells the story above all else, highlighting the importance of acting in a Lovecraftian story.
1
Color the Space
Released in 2019
A great return to form by director Richard Stanely, Color Out of Space is a stunning interpretation of what was long considered one of Lovecraft's most difficult works to adapt. Following the passage of the story in which it is named, Color the Space sees Nicolas Cage take on the role of a farmer whose property is hit by a strange meteor. It wasn't long before the influence of influence began to seep into his realm in more ways than one, changing people and the world itself.
A horror story about a new color you can't take might seem like a bad idea for a film adaptation, but Color the Space manages to make it work, with psychedelic visuals that sell the asteroid's incredible alien power. Cage does some of his best work grappling with the mind-altering effects of a meteorite, and the film manages to balance his slow burn into madness with stunning special effects. A complete summary of Lovecraftian elements, Color the Space a wonderful piece of eldritch horror.