Thehorror genrehas entertained film fanatics for decades with classic slasher films, chilling psychological thrillers, and terrifying paranormal tales that both shock and spook audiences. While a majority of movie buffs enjoy the basic horror subgenres, others choose to venture into more complex ones, notably Lovecraftian horror, which was coined after the infamous author,H.P. Lovecraft.
Lovecraftian horror,also known as cosmic horrorand eldritch horror, focuses on the terror of the unknown and incomprehensible rather than gore and violence for shock value. Countless films feature many qualities of Lovecraftian horror, but there is a selection that are full-blown homages to Lovecraft’s epic style. From the cult classic,Event Horizon, toJohn Carpenter’sThe Thing, these are the 10 best Lovecraftian horror movies, ranked.
10’Event Horizon' (1997)
Cast: Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, and Jason Isaacs
After mysteriously disappearing years ago, the spacecraft, Event Horizon reappears and the team of the Lewis and Clark spaceship are sent to investigate the vessel, finding it abandoned with no sign of the crew on board. As the team searches the ship for any clues to what may have happened, they soon discover that whatever unexplainable force befell the previous crew is still aboard the Event Horizon.
While the sci-fi horror film,Event Horizon, isn’t based on any particular Lovecraft story, it is anunderrated 90s horror filmthat still has the makings of a Lovecraftian film. Despite an all-star cast and an opening that assured audiences a thrilling sci-fi experience,Event Horizoninitially received negative reviews, but in recent years, it has gained more support and become an essential cult classic of the science-fiction genre.
Event Horizon
Event Horizoncan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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9’The Haunted Palace' (1963)
Cast: Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr., and Debra Paget
In 1765, a warlock, Joseph Curwen (Vincent Price), curses a village in New England before being burned alive by the townspeople. Centuries later, Curwen’s great-great-grandson, Charles Ward (Price) arrives and moves into his ancestor’s former mansion with his wife, Anne (Debra Paget). There, they are greeted by the caretaker (Lon Chaney Jr.) who helps the couple adjust to their new home, but shortly after their arrival, the town’s curse awakens Curwen who seeks his revenge.
The Haunted Palacewas marketed as a work byEdgar Allan Poe, but according toComedy-Horror Films: A Chronological HistorybyBruce G. Hallenbeck, the film’s plot is actually based on Lovecraft’s novella,The Curious Case of Charles Dexter Ward.The film’s title was derived from one of Poe’s poems, which was later included in the author’s famous short story,The Fall of the House of Usher.The film is one of the first major motion pictures to incorporate Lovecraft’s work and is an essential choice for any die-hard Lovecraft fan.
The Hunted Palace
The Hunted Palaceis available for purchase on Amazon in the U.S.
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8’Color Out of Space' (2019)
Cast: Madeleine Arthur, Nicolas Cage, and Joely Richardson
When Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) decides to move him and his family out to his father’s old farm, they begin to experience strange occurrences after a meteorite lands on their front lawn. The family is soon faced with battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism, which invades their once peaceful existence and turns their lives into an inescapable nightmare.
Cage stars in the science-fiction horror film,Color Out of Space, which is based on Lovecraft’s 1927 short story,The Color Out of Space.Director, Richard Stanleybrilliantly captures the essence of Lovecraft’s work in a marvelous modern adaption of Lovecraft’s personal favorite of his short stories.Color Out of Spaceearned overall positive reviews and, according toThe Hollywood Reporter, it is one of few adaptations that hits all the major plot points of Lovecraft’s frightening tale.
Color Out of Space
Color Out of Spacecan be streamed on AMC+ in the U.S.
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7’Annihilation' (2018)
Cast: Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Biologist and former soldier, Lena Double (Natalie Portman) joins a mission to investigate the Shimmer, a mysterious phenomenon that is rapidly expanding across the American coastline. Once Double and her team enter the Shimmer, they discover a mutant place that is just as beautiful as it is dangerous, which soon threatens their sanity as well as their chances of survival.
Portman stars in the science-fiction thriller,Annihilation, which is loosely based on the 2014 novel by the same name written byJeff VanderMeerand afitting introduction to Lovecraftian horror. The film consists of traditional Lovecraftian elements, specifically the emphasis on the horrors of the unknown and unexplainable that are difficult to comprehend in our reality.Annihilationwas praised by critics for its stunning visuals and ambitious, challenging themes, which resonate with audiences long after the credits have finished rolling.
Annihilation
Annihilationcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
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6’The Mist' (2007)
Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden, and Marcia Gay Harden
After a severe storm hits a town in Maine, David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son drive into town to get food, and shortly after, a thick fog rolls in and traps Drayton, his son, and others inside a grocery store. While everyone tries to think of a way out, bloodthirsty extraterrestrial creatures soon reveal themselves and begin picking off those who risk venturing into the mysterious haze.
The Mistis one of the best adaptations of the 1980 novella written by horror legend,Stephen King, who is known for incorporating Lovecraftian horror elements into his work. The film received mixed reviews but, all in all,The Mistis a classic horror film riddled with dark intensity and nail-biting suspense. According toEmpire,The Mistis “criminally overlooked” and noted as one of the best horror movies of the last few years at the time.
The Mistcan be streamed on Hulu in the U.S.
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5’In the Mouth of Madness' (1994)
Cast: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, and Jürgen Prochnow
When horror novelist, Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow) goes missing, an insurance investigator, John Trent (Sam Neill) is skeptical of the claim made by Cane’s publisher (Charlton Heston) and looks at an unpublished manuscript by Cane, hoping it will give him an idea about the author’s whereabouts. Trent becomes haunted by the manuscript and plagued by nightmares, which eventually lead him to a supernatural town in New Hampshire.
The final installment in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy,In the Mouth of Madness,is an insane love letter to Lovecraft’s workwith a title derived from the author’s novella,At the Mountains of Madness. Even thoughIn the Mouth of Madnessearned mixed reviews and was a box office flop, several critics, including theLos Angeles Times, still praised Carpenter’s direction as well as the special effects and intriguing premise.
In the Mouth of Madness
In the Mouth of Madnesscan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
4’Re-Animator' (1985)
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, and Barbara Crampton
After a medical student, Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), invents a substance that can reanimate the deceased, he travels to the United States to further his studies. There, he and his classmate, Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) try to convince the dean, Dr. Halsey (Robert Sampson) of the discovery but, instead, Halsey believes they have lost their minds and bans them from school. Unwilling to give up on their medical careers, they sneak into the school’s morgue, but when Halsey discovers them, he’s accidentally killed and miraculously brought back to life by West’s invention.
The horror comedy,Re-Animator, is loosely based on Lovecraft’s 1921 short story,Herbert West - Reanimator, and earned three out of four stars from famous film critic,Roger Ebert.Re-Animatoris essentially a modernizedFrankensteinthat has the perfect balance of terror and laughsand is topped off with a spectacular performance by West.The Washington Timespraised West’s performance, stating he didn’t “spoof” the character, delivering a comical mold ofPsycho’s Anthony Perkins.
Re-Animator
In a darkly comedic horror, a brilliant but eccentric medical student believes he has discovered a way to bring the dead back to life. His pursuit of this macabre scientific breakthrough spirals out of control, resulting in a series of gruesome and unintended consequences at a sleepy university town.
Re-Animatorcan be streamed on AMC+ in the U.S.
3’The Lighthouse' (2019)
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, and Valeriia Karaman
Set in the 1890s, Ephriam Winslow (Robert Pattinson) starts his new job as a lighthouse keeper on an isolated island off the coast of New England under the supervision of a former sailor, Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). A few days before their scheduled departure, a severe storm rolls in, leaving them marooned at the lighthouse until it passes, but during their unplanned stay, they begin to hallucinate and struggle to maintain their sanity.
Director,Robert Eggers, has a knack for locking audiences into his visions of fever dreams, and his Oscar-nominated film,The Lighthouse, is no exception. TheA24 horror filmcenters aroundthe subject of madness, which is one of the main traditional elements of Lovecraftian horror, and consists of creepy, but captivating performances by both Pattinson and Dafoe.The Lighthousereceived rave reviews from critics, includingVariety, calling it a “darkly exciting” film made with “extraordinary skill.”
The Lighthouse
The Lighthousecan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker
Ashley “Ash” Williams (Bruce Campbell) is a college student who, along with several of his friends, takes a break from their studies and stay at a cabin in the woods. While there, they discover a book one night and make the mistake of reading aloud from it and unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil and demonic spirit. As Ash watches his friends become possessed one by one, he’s faced with the difficult decision of saving his friends or fighting for his own life.
The first installment of director Sam Raimi’s horror trilogy,The Evil Dead,is considered to be a key supernatural thriller as well as a classic example of Lovecraftian horror. The low-budget film earned positive reviews from critics and, per theLos Angeles Times, is “probably the grisliest well-made movie ever.” After the impressive reception and a rave review from author, Stephen King, the film was eventually acquired and distributed by New Line Cinema.
The Evil Dead
The Evil Deadcan be streamed on AMC+ in the U.S.
1’The Thing' (1982)
Cast: Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Wilford Brimley
When a group of American scientists in Antarctica witness a helicopter aggressively shooting a husky, they save the dog and bring it into their camp. Shortly after, the dog brutally attacks two of the scientists, and the others eventually realize that they’ve taken in a supernatural creature that can shapeshift into anything and anyone. As the group tries to survive, they begin to question each other’s true identity and slowly descend into madness.
The second installment in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy,The Thing, is an ultimate cult classic and epic Lovecraftian horror film that marks off every element of the subgenre. Initially, the movie earned negative reviews and was criticized for its gruesome special effects, which many critics felt overshadowed the characters and their purpose. In recent years,The Thinghas been re-examined and considered to beone of the most rewatchable 80s sci-fi horror films, making it a staple of the genre.
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
