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Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 1 (2020) Sundown

Sci-fi September

#something new

Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 1 (2020)
Sundown
58 minutes

Director: Yann Demange

Writer: Misha Green (teleplay), Wes Taylor (executive story editor), Shannon Houston (executive story editor)

Stars: Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, Aunjanue Ellis

Streaming on: HBO

Keywords: Lovecraft, Segregation, Roadtrip



The plot: Atticus Freeman, a vet and pulp aficionado travels from the Jim Crow South to his hometown near Chicago in search of his missing father.

Random observations:
  • I know two things going into this show: 1) H.P. Lovecraft would be rolling in his grave if he knew about this show. 2) That makes me unquantifiably happy. He was a racist shithead. 
  • The name "Freeman" was often given to slaves after release. This is a topic covered frequently on the amazing PBS show "Finding Your Roots". Speaking of which, Lovecraft Country producer Jordan Peele is on a very insightful episode, so check your local listings.
  • The name Atticus was probably borrowed from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The character is often viewed as a pillar of moral strength. I'm interested to see how the "Atticus" ties to the "Freeman".
  • The graphics of the UFOs, in the beginning, were so astounding that my roommate actually paused his YouTube Minecraft videos to say, "What movie is this?" Pretty impressive.
  • Delightful song choices.
Today's "something new" is refreshing as fuck. H.P. Lovecraft wrote some of the most terrifying and haunting horror that focused on more on the fear of the unknown, rather than in-your-face gore or scares. 

I first was introduced to Lovecraft by a science fiction writer friend of mine. Without knowing any background of the writer, other than the facts that he was "American" and "weird" I began to seek out more of his work.

It wasn't until years when I attended the 1st annual H.P. Lovecraft Festival in Portland, Oregon at the Hollywood Theater that I started to learn he was a problematic fuck. If you want to test your gag reflex on what a d-bag this guy was, read more here: https://lithub.com/we-cant-ignore-h-p-lovecrafts-white-supremacy/

The festival left a sour taste in my mouth, but it wasn't due to any particular film shown or interaction. My own research had done me in. I didn't care to know about anything else he had to say.

Flash forward to today. HBO's Lovecraft Country illuminate's Lovecraft's racism. The unseen horrors from the texts are still there: tentacle monsters, New England mansions, and dark secrets. However, a layer of realistic, current "unseen" evils is also spread over the entire realm which includes racism, police violence, and white supremacy, among others.



.7/1 Directing
1/1 Cinematography
1/1 Visual design
1/1 Editing
.9/1 Plot 
1/1 Dialogue
.8/1 Acting
1/1 Soundtrack/Score/Sound
.8/1 Originality
.5/1 Rewatchability

Total: 8.7/10 Binge Bones


Verdict: Yes, you should watch this. Whether or not you know, love, or hate Lovecraft, this show is so much more than meets the eye. The pilot is crisp, fresh, and engrossing. I'm looking forward to watching more. Also, Jordan Peele needs to produce everything ever. 





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