“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” - H.P. Lovecraft
I absolutely love the works of H.P. Lovecraft, such a unique individual with a style all of his own and basically created the cosmic horror subgenre, to which many an author, including myself, have tread. But his works are often called unfilmable due to how they are written and the imagination it took to bring the stories to life. They just don't translate to the screen. But some managed to do it, whether taking liberties or just doing a straight adaptation. So today let's look at 16 of the best Lovecraft adaptations to date.
Dagon (2001)
Stuart Gordon
I don't think this movie gets enough credit. It's not actually an adaptation of Dagon, rather it is The Shadow Over Innsmouth and is most notable for perfectly capturing the chase scene from the story to perfection. It's well acted, has incredible practical FX and the direction is some of Gordon's finest. The overall locale is just put together so well and I felt like I was there. It's so very Lovecraft and fans of the master have to check this out.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
Andrew Leman
This one is genius in not only concept, but execution. The concept is, what if The Call of Cthulhu was released in Lovecraft's time? So this movie is a silent film in the 1920s style and it's just genius. The acting, the FX work, monumental for such a low budget. The story is told well, direction is excellent. Not only form, but function, this is probably the most unique adaptation and one that's also true to source material.
The Resurrected (1991)
Dan O’Bannon
This is an adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, which I believe is the longest Lovecraft work and holy hell, O'Bannon nailed it. The vibe, the style, all done to near perfection. All the more impressive by the fact that this isn't a high budget movie. But the FX work is exemplary, great acting and the direction is so smooth. And let's not forget the catacombs scenes, those are legendary.
From Beyond (1986)
Stuart Gordon
How does one take a short story that's only a few pages long and turn it into a feature film? Well, just hand it over to Gordon and he will definitely make it happen. What we get is a colorful, slimy, sexy and FX laden sci-fi/horror movie that really has no equal. There's just nothing else like this. Gordon took the bones of a fascinating concept and made absolute magic with it. Love this movie.
The Unnamable (1988)
John-Paul Ouellette
This adaptation takes The Unnamable and makes it more of a monster movie while still maintaining that Lovecraft core story and aesthetic. Another one that seem to run under the radar but man I love this movie. This was really a brilliant method to take an obscure and strange story by the master and making it have a more mainstream horror appeal, while still retaining all the elements that make it a Lovecraft work.
The Unnamable II – The Statement of Randolph Carter (1992)
John-Paul Ouellette
And here we have the sequel, which of course is a similarly styled adaptation of another work called The Statement of Randolph Carter. But it's once again a creature feature and arguably an even more effective one. I really had to include both of these because they're just so damn impressive. And while not among the more true adaptations per se, they both absolutely deserve their place here.
The Testimony of Randolph Carter (1987)
Andrew Leman
To piggyback off the last movie, this microbudget film is hands down the truest adaptation of a Lovecraft work, and holy hell is that impressive. With no money we get treated to a highly atmospheric little film that just feels like that 20s/30s era, is surprisingly well acted, very well directed and the story is just incredible and tense. I still can't believe how faithful this movie is to the source material and it's a must for die hard Lovecraft fans.
Dirt Dauber (2009)
Steve Daniels
Probably my favorite of all on this list. This tells the story of a man who wakes up naked in the mountains only to be befriended by an odd man who tells him the story of Shub-Niggurath and her Thousand Young. Basically this short film is what it would look like if David Lynch directed Lovecraft and yes, it's just as crazy as it sounds. Acting, cinematography and overall atmosphere is nothing short of absolute perfection.
Re-Animator (1985)
Stuart Gordon
Of course Re-Animator. While great liberties were taken with the source material to make this a campy but equally horrific zombie tale, it is incredibly notable for not only being entertaining but also kicking off that second Lovecraft renaissance. The first one in the 60s was mainly loose adaptations of varying quality, but the 80s saw some of the best adaptations and started a trend. Between the sexual depravity and intense violence, this is still one of the best.
Pickman's Muse (2010)
Robert Cappelletto
This adaptation of The Haunter of the Dark is pure mood and dark beauty. It really stands out for me because it's just so damn stylish and so much was accomplished on a practically nothing budget. Great acting and direction, wonderful storytelling, it honestly doesn't get much better than this if you're looking for a more arthouse rendition of Lovecraft. Just proving you can adapt him in multiple styles and if done right, they all just work.
The Whisperer in Darkness (2011)
Sean Branney
This one is kind of a spiritual successor to The Call of Cthulhu in that this one also is proposed as if it was released in Lovecraft's time, this time as a 30s talkie. I seriously love this movie so much and I think they absolutely nailed exactly what they were trying to accomplish. One of those movies that's just a truer adaptation than I ever though possible. The brilliance achieved on such a low budget is staggering.
The Color Out of Space (2010)
Huan Vu
Based on the story by the same name, this is first “real” adaptation of the story and takes a very interesting approach to translating such a strange tale on the screen. Shot in black and white, except for the Color itself, that lent such a remarkable style that really sells the movie. But it's not just pretty, it's seriously engrossing and this German movie came out of nowhere and left an indelible mark in my mind.
Castle Freak (1995)
Stuart Gordon
This is based on The Outsider and really leans heavy on horror to make this a great movie. Yeah, Gordon is all over this list and for good reason. He was really the most consistent Lovecraft adapter and even though he took many liberties, including with this movie, it's just so damn great. Bloody, twisted, perverted and high claustrophobic yet somehow grand at the same time. A very memorable one.
Cthulhu (2007)
Dan Gildark
This is strange but no less engrossing Innsmouth tale that really has a lot going for it. I feel this was unnecessarily panned just because Tori Spelling was in it, but she's honestly not bad and not even a big part of it. Everyone else is great though and the direction is superb. The story is different here in great ways and the lead being gay and rejected by this small town adds so much to the tale. Lush and moody, I honestly think this is a great movie.
Necronomicon (1993)
Christophe Gans, Shusuke Kaneko, Brian Yuzna
This anthology film features three adaptations including The Rats in the Walls, Cool Air and The Whisperer in Darkness. While they are all loose, they are all fantastic, especially the first segment, but each just drips with Lovecraft. And Jeffrey Combs actually playing Lovecraft in the wraparound is a nice touch. Just a hell of a lot of fun and a great way to get your cosmic/occult horror fix.
Color Out of Space (2019)
Richard Stanley
Had to throw this in because wow, what a movie. Definitely the best adaptation, running close with the German one, but both are so different while being great adaptations, they both need to be seen. This is pure madness, occult and cosmic horror on a scale that is just pure insanity. Beautifully shot, tremendously horrific with great acting, direction and wow, that FX work, all around brilliant.
I hope you enjoyed this and maybe found something new to watch. I am a Lovecraft fanatic and I track down every adaptation I can. Sadly, since his work is public domain, anyone can slap his name onto their turd and sell it. There are other worthy adaptations, these are just my favorites. Also, I recommend the documentary called Lovecraft – Fear of the Unknown. Easily the most comprehensive documentary on the man himself and it is absolute perfection.
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