While no TV show or film is made in a cultural vacuum, Lovecraft Country, the new HBO horror that's being shown on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV, is tragically prescient.
For the last few weeks, we've been quietly confident about the show and after seeing the first episode, our faith has definitely been justified.
In terms of the story, the horror series is based on Matt Ruff ’s novel of the same name. The drama follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), a Korean War veteran who is joined by his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams).
While travelling through America, George is putting together a new edition of his Safe Negro Travel Guide (a fictional version of the very real Green Book) but what unfolds is a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of America and the terrifying ancient monsters ripped from the twisted mind of H.P Lovecraft - an author that was notoriously racist in real life.
Simply put, by the end of the show, you'll be rooting for the horrific creatures to kill some of the racist characters that exist in the show.
In terms of memorable scenes, those few minutes when the heroes try to leave a sundown county before sundown, with a murderously racist sheriff in pursuit, is as tense as anything you'll see.
Aside from this, Jurnee Smollett's delivery of the line "My name’s not girl. My name is Letitia Fucking Lewis," is one hell of an early introduction.
All in all, it's fair to say that viewers will definitely be watching the next episode.
Lovecraft Country airs at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and it's also available to watch on NOW TV.
You know it's bad when you hope to see the giant blob monster instead of the racist cop.#LovecraftCountry pic.twitter.com/VgSGx8CSoD
— Alaa (@Alaa_lu_) August 17, 2020
My fave part of #LovecraftCountry premiere pic.twitter.com/A0WhATqgAt
— #1 angel (@yalldontfeelme) August 17, 2020
My name’s not girl. My name is Letitia Fucking Lewis.
— HBO (@HBO) August 17, 2020
.@jurneesmollett is the MVP of this episode. She not only refused to be called by anything but her name, but she will go down in history as the Usain Bolt of horror scenes. THIS is how you do get away. #LovecraftCountry #OneLoveCraft pic.twitter.com/cDnVxQSrNQ
— Karama Horne (@theblerdgurl) August 17, 2020
The travel montage that recreated this shot with James Baldwin's oration was sensory overload. I had to rewind 4 times.#LovecraftCountry.
Came for horror and found art. pic.twitter.com/YGCTmvrf3L— Stephen Charles 🇻🇮 🤙🏿💻 (@stephenvcharles) August 18, 2020
If you’re a white person watching Lovecraft Country, there’s something important I need you to know:
Sundown towns still exist. Today. They’re not just a horrifying relic of our troubled past, but part of who we still are today.
Sundown towns exist.— the apocalypse, but make it fashion. ✨ (@ElleArmageddon) August 17, 2020
Y’all weren’t ready. And just so you know...THAT’S EPISODE ONE. You’re in for a wild adventure this season. #LovecraftCountryHBO #lovecraft #letiLewis @LovecraftHBO pic.twitter.com/7NT1gaIcUw
— jurnee smollett (@jurneesmollett) August 17, 2020
Me every time a monster killed a racist cop #LovecraftCountry pic.twitter.com/w1W3geWTc9
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) August 17, 2020
If Lovecraft Country has racists being eaten by monsters in every episode it will be the greatest show of all time.
— Steve Zaragoza (@stevezaragoza) August 17, 2020
The really sad thing about Lovecraft Country is that if you live in certain parts of the south you know that sundown towns still exist TODAY.
— Ski Mask Shawty (@haveyouheardofg) August 17, 2020
