10/18: Lovecraft Country

10/18

For today's horror I'm being an overachiever and going with a whole season of a series. I know; bow before my awesomeness. When I heard of Lovecraft Country for the first time a few months ago I was stoked. I've made no secret of my love of all things Lovecraft, so a show based on things from his universe seemed like a dream come true. Set in Jim Crow-era America, Lovecraft Country follows a Black family and those in their orbit as they navigate a world of magic, cults, and monsters of both the Lovecraftian and human variety. It's in this way that Lovecraft Country addresses the worst parts of Lovecraft and even takes them back for the Black community: he was racist as shit, you guys. But is the show good? This is a more difficult question to answer. 

Lovecraft Country deals with some incredibly deep themes and ideas around race, family, generational suffering, sexuality, womanhood, motherhood, and so much more. This is where the show truly shines. There are some scenes and episodes that will stick with me for the rest of my life, in horrifying and beautiful ways in equal measure. Lovecraft Country weaves a powerful tapestry that beats you over the head while making you think. As a white male, I was exposed to some incredibly ugly truths that I needed to be exposed to. In this way this show is so much a show for this moment, dealing with themes of the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that is visceral and unapologetic. It's at these times that the show is truly a masterpiece,

The other essential part of the show that creates a structure for all these important issues to exist in is the horror, Lovecraftian world that is created. This the box in which all the aforementioned power exists. Unfortunately, this is where the show falls most short. The world is more often than not frustratingly under explained to the point of confusion, undermining the beautiful narrative and characters that are being created within it. It's a pet peeve for me too as a fan of Lovecraft's stories, but, other than a few select moments, it never feels particularly Lovecraftian either.

Throughout the show I've been listening to the companion podcast Lovecraft Country Radio. I've often found as I listen to the hosts, one a film critic and the other a writer on the show, that they are explaining things in a way that makes me say, "Wow, that's awesome. I just wish I would have seen it on screen." It's never good when you need a supplement for your main content to make sense and this is what Lovecraft Country falls into. Too little is explained, too much is happening too fast (seriously, I think there's about 5 seasons or more worth of plot in this one season), and it ends up muddying the beautiful moments the show excels at. 

It's a damn shame, too. There is so much to truly love here and it makes one feel that had the show been tightened up that this truly would have been am instant television classic. As it stands there seems to be a bit of American Horror Story-esque syndrome going on here: the kitchen sink will not serve you. Ultimately this season ends up being a bit of a frustrating look at what could have been. It feels like a ton of good ideas that were undermined by some fresh filmmakers who, excited by a massive budget and open book to tell a story, let things get out of hand. 

All that said, I am massively excited for what next season will bring. The brightest moments of Lovecraft Country are truly groundbreaking and perhaps with a season under their belt the creators can polish what they've done, learn, and produce something next time around that lives up to the incredible highs of this season. 

8/10