The Thing (1982)
Cosmic horror.
An alien creature / monstrosity completely unlike anything ever seen on Earth. Brought to life by some incredible practical effects. Excellent film.
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Lovecraftian Films and TV series
From Oxford Languages:
Lovecraftian /ˈləvˌkraftēən,ˌləvˈkraftēən/ adjective relating to or reminiscent of the work of the US fantasy and horror writer H. P. Lovecraft (Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1890–1937), especially in depicting monstrous, misshapen beings from another dimension or universe, often in sinister, antiquated New England settings.
Which popular film or TV series seemingly inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's work is your favorite?
Discuss here
Make Your Choice
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Alien (1979)
Cosmic horror.A nightmarish alien being beyond anything humanity has encountered before is discovered on a crashed, alien spaceship. A lot of Lovecraft in this film. Visually striking and very tense viewing.
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Annihilation (2018)
Cosmic horror.Very similar to the 'Colour out of Space' story - if Lovecraft were alive he would have sued! Stunning film though, really incredible.
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Evil Dead II (1987)
Inter-dimensional (fun) horror.A very tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Lovecraft! Very fun film with bucketful's of blood, demons from beyond, the Necronomicon and madness.
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The Lighthouse (2019)
Madness.Slow, psychological horror with some really heavy Lovecraftian overtones. Excellent.
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Dark City (1998)
Ancient beings, paranoia, alternate realities.More sci-fi and less horror-focussed than most films with Lovecraftian elements, it nonetheless deserves a place on any Lovecraft-themed list.
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Aliens (1986)
Comic horror.Nightmarish alien creatures and body horror. Epic!
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The Fly (1986)
Body-horror and mad science.Brutal sci-fi horror about a scientist experimenting on himself and things going very, very wrong.
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The Descent (2005)
Loose Lovecraft adaption - Erdrich underground creatures.Hideous, sub-human creatures that live beneath the earth. Based on a very early Lovecraft short story. Superb horror film!
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Stalker (1979)
Surreal sci-fiVery far-out film that is as much Phillip K Dick as Lovecraft. It's very slow moving, so be prepared.
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Twin Peaks (1990)
Strange goings on in a small townVery odd TV series that has that hallmark Lovecraft premise of 'an outsider encounters strange, dark secrets being harboured in a small town'
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Event Horizon (1997)
Inter dimensional horror, cosmic horror, mad science and people driven to madness by entities beyond human comprehension.Yep, this ticks every single Lovecraft box! 100% Lovecraft
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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Strange fantasy and Elder Gods.Family friendly Lovecraft.
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The Evil Dead (1981)
Inter-dimensional (fun) horror.A very tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Lovecraft! Very fun film with the Necronomicon, demons from beyond, and bucketful's of blood and madness.
I slightly prefer the sequel (Evil Dead II) but other folks prefer the original - you can't go wrong with either.
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True Detective (2014)
Lovecraftian themes - season one -
The Mist (2007)
Other worldly creatures.A thick mist descends on a small town in which strange, malevolent creatures reside.
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Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Strange fantasy, eldritch creatures, alternate reality.A few Lovecrafian nods here and there. Excellent film!
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Silent Hill (2006)
Eldritch monstrosities and alternate dimensions.It's not "pure" Lovecraft, especially plot-wise, but there's enough elements here to satisfy and it's a wonderfully creepy film. Loads of twisting reality and otherworldly, grotesque creatures.
Critics got this one wrong, it's a decent flick.
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Bird Box (2018)
Madness and other worldly creatures.Strange creatures overrun the world that, if seen, cause insanity. Very Lovecraft.
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Prometheus (2012)
Cosmic horror.Flawed but very interesting prequel to the 'Alien' films.
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The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Elder Gods.This just kinda pays lip service to Lovecraft, but it's a fun film so makes the list mainly for that reason.
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10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
...no spoilers!Good film. Not hugely Lovecraftian, but there's just enough here to make it on the list.
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Hellboy (2004)
Strange fantasy, hell portal, demons and monsters.Family friendly Lovecraft fantasy.
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Army of Darkness (1992)
Inter-dimensional (fun) horror.A very tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Lovecraft. Leans a bit too far into comedy for my taste, personally speaking, but it's still a fun watch.
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Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Cosmic horrorKinda disappointing instalment in the Alien franchise. It looks beautiful tho, and is far from the worst film ever made.
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Evil Dead (2013)
Necronomicon, demons from beyond.A decent enough reboot of the classic franchise.
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Cloverfield (2008)
Giant extra-terrestrial creatures.Pretty good film, not all that Lovecraftian aside from the main creatures tho.
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Alien: Covenant (2017)
Cosmic horrorPretty decent entry into the Alien franchise. Follows on from Prometheus.
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Alien 3 (1992)
Cosmic horror / body-horror.Not as good as the first two Alien films, but it's not as bad as people say, it's still a good horror movie.
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The Ninth Gate (1999)
A demon book, secret sects and unknown forces. -
The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
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Doom: Annihilation (2019)
