With Halloween creeping up around the corner, many streaming services have been adding thrilling throwback films and supernatural shows with chilling cliff hangers. A perfect mix of the two has been released on HBO, and it’s called “Lovecraft Country.” The show is executive produced by Jordan Peele and many others, guaranteeing a chilling, suspenseful story. “Lovecraft Country” takes place in the Jim Crow era of America, and intertwines themes of racial injustice, the consequences of witchcraft and a troubled love story. Given the timeframe of the series, it arguably has several parallelisms to current events happening now in society. Some examples include complex sexual stereotypes and an emphasis on racial inequality experiences in the mid-1900s.
The show also tackles racial injustice by including real events such as the Tulsa Riots and the death of Emmett Till. By adding these tragedies to the show, it adds a sense of irony because it reminds viewers of these national events through present time actors and actresses.
My roommates and I simply fell in love with the series simply because we have never seen a series like it before. It became such an addictive watch that I have rewatched every episode twice after it came out. The best part for my friends and I was the fact that we were forced to wait an entire week to see the next episode since it aired at 9 p.m. every Sunday. It combined genres of sci-fi, horror and romance, which is a mix that I was not familiar with until “Lovecraft Country.” Aliens, magic, monsters, time travel and real-life horror events is what really caught my attention throughout the series. It always kept me at the edge of my seat, especially since the possibility of all five is something I never imagined.
The show surrounds a character by the name of Atticus Freeman, a Korean war vet. He returns home to Chicago after receiving a letter from his father, Montrose, stating he has traveled to Ardham to explore more about Atticus’ mother. Letitia, a childhood friend of Atticus, joins the adventure to find his dad, along with his uncle, George. The three companions encounter racist cops, monsters and sundown towns along the way, adding thrill and suspense throughout their journey. Upon arriving at Ardham, they discover magic exists, and Atticus is needed for a ritual for a powerful white family to become immortal.
If you enjoy TV shows that keep you on your toes and anticipating the next episode, “Lovecraft Country” is for you. The series includes a perfect mix of tear-jerking scenes, heartwarming ones and selfish characters for you to question. Spooky season would not have been the same without this show, and I can’t lie; there are a few jumpy scares to really keep you on edge about what is real and what isn’t within the show. So grab your favorite snack and your sci-fi/horror-loving friends and start HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” right now!