Lovecraft Country

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 16, 2020
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 161 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 161
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 161
  3. Negative: 60 out of 161
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User Reviews

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  1. Losewell
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Amazing start to finish. I assume the downvotes were folks that really wish all of the racism lovecraft had was still 100% instilled in this show.
  2. Landsharkfl
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    This episode was great best new start to a show I've seen all year. I hope it keeps this up through the season will update if my opinion changes.
  3. RubeRed
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Great first episode and great character building. It was a suspenseful first episode and I think it will get better from here!
  4. Joes
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Una excelente serie muy atrapante e interesante la recomiendo a todo público
  5. bbergs
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Great first episode. Love that the backdrop of 1950's America and racism playing a role in the supernatural horror that's present as well. Refreshing to see black characters that aren't in something with a white savior complex. Can't wait to see where this goes.
  6. Caspin
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    HBO succeeds in following Wesley Snipes famous sage advice: “Always bet on Black!”
  7. C_sun
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Off to a great start so far. Faithful to the book, great casting. Really looking forward to the rest of the season. Ignore the 0/10 ratings, they’re just NPCs sent by extremist YouTubers for political reasons.
  8. klebaobh
    Aug 16, 2020
    10
    Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, Amazing, Showstopping, Spectacular, Never The Same, Totally Unique, Completely Not Ever Been Done Before, Unafraid To Reference Or Not Reference, Put It In A Blender, **** On It, Vomit On It, Eat It, Give Birth To It.
  9. liedsoon
    Aug 17, 2020
    10
    Vão se fuderr seus racistas de merda que estão dando nota baixa **** your racists who are giving low rating
  10. mavinhakeem
    Aug 17, 2020
    10
    Great Premiere episode... Too many subject matter & genres packed in one!
    Just like "Watchmen" this is a masterpiece again (from HBO)
  11. FtheAltRight
    Aug 18, 2020
    10
    Great Show! The acting is great and the setup for the rest of the season is perfect. It’s like stranger things for adults.
  12. EyesBL7
    Aug 16, 2020
    8
    I wish I could’ve watched this first episode with people who assumed it was just a Green Book redux.....then that 3rd act hits, YIKES! Solid first episode and an interesting start to the series.
  13. imjuliocesar
    Aug 17, 2020
    10
    Muito bom o episódio de estreia, roteiro e efeitos especiais ótimos, além de retratar sutilmente o horror do racismo naquela época.
  14. bertobellamy
    Oct 18, 2020
    7
    The first episode was good but not great. It's hard to anticipate what path will the series follow, but the violence, monsters, and racial themes seem like a good starting point. Four episodes in, the series' adventure tone collides with the horror drama. The plot is confusing at times but still entertaining.
  15. RyTroup
    Aug 28, 2020
    10
    Don't pay attention to the Trump snowflakes who are offended by the reality of racism depicted in this show. Such a fantastic show that explores many different themes.
  16. Strendwolf
    Aug 17, 2020
    7
    Waited a long time for some H.p Lovecraft on the Tv screen, the first episodes looks promising from what you could expect for a H.p based show, but are a bit messy around some corners, that they may even out later in the season. im looking forward to this show and hope it hits the peak :D
  17. Kuggz
    Aug 27, 2020
    10
    This show is a trip! The acting is amazing and the production value is top notch. Excited to see where it goes every week HBO does it again
  18. Moizt
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    Probably an 8 but gotta offset the salty people who hate when black people are in their HBO shows
  19. Primbleshanks
    Aug 23, 2020
    10
    Very strong start, promising cast and world-building. Well crafted and poignant.
  20. asmanraj
    Aug 23, 2020
    10
    Wow, look at all these racist Lovecraft fans who are upset that a show with Lovecraft in its title is unflinching in its depiction of racism.
  21. roastbird
    Jan 12, 2021
    9
    Just watched first episode, felt great. I will come back when I finished the whole season.
  22. greenisgood
    Dec 15, 2020
    8
    TL;DR - Was very hesitant to watch the show after hearing that it would contain forced political agendas and also being completely blind to the book 'Lovecraft Country' written by Matt Ruff, I am still hoping for a complete Lovecraftian Lore based production but this show is definitely a step towards my hopes. Lovecraft Country is that perfect brew that you get once in a while where theTL;DR - Was very hesitant to watch the show after hearing that it would contain forced political agendas and also being completely blind to the book 'Lovecraft Country' written by Matt Ruff, I am still hoping for a complete Lovecraftian Lore based production but this show is definitely a step towards my hopes. Lovecraft Country is that perfect brew that you get once in a while where the sweetness, bitterness, acidity and temperature is in perfect balance only difference is this brew was Magic, Fantasy, Shoggoths, Science Fiction, Romance, Family and War.

    The Good
    This is a very satisfying experience, especially since it was my skepticism that kept me on edge going into the first episode. Showrunner Misha Green has done a wonderful job adding a drop of multiple genres into the show finishing up with an infusion of great casting, competent screenplay and great dialogue writing.
    Everytime an episode threw me for a loop I would readjust my expectation so that i would not get caught by another curve ball but every single time Misha Green along with the various names working the episode managed to catch me unawares. I absolutely love that I have no idea about the book and I never read it hence this was a much more enjoyable experience rather than me mentally comparing the show and the book.

    The casting was well done, clearly for acting prowess as even the smallest role had some very impactful moments to the show and the characters. Calling any single person for good acting is not fair to the rest of the cast since the main and supporting cast both had amazing screen presence.
    That being said Jurnee, Jonathan, Abbey Lee, Courtney Vance, Wunmi were the people we spent the most time with and they were all fascinating to watch in their portrayals.
    The acting chops of the whole cast is supported by believable dialogue and character interactions between everyone, and even though some character motivations were a bit odd it still does well to show why the characters make the choices they do.

    This brings us to the 'Agenda' of the show, I get very disappointed when Any agenda overshadows character motivations in a story, Lovecraft Country and by extension Misha Green manage to keep the message Strong and Clear without eclipsing the story and the characters in it.
    The VFX is pretty decent for a TV show, and in 2020 this is expected but nevertheless was very well done. Cinematography was excellent with shot framing and art direction making staunch allies for the visual aesthetic.

    The Bad
    Most of the show manages to keep away from the cliches of dumb decisions but still there are certain character actions and motivations that are contrived and need to happen just so that the plot can move forward, it does not break the narrative but sticks out in the sea of all the good.
    The music was also one of my issues, for the most part being a period piece the music is well done with a mix of songs from the era as well as modern music. But there are some scattered tracks here and there like Rihanna and a few others which are just so illusion breaking that I needed to actively try and get back in the show because 'Bitc* Better Have my money' will boot you right out of the immersion the show does so well.

    Lovecraft Country written by Matt Ruff is wonderfully and satisfyingly adapted by Misha Green into one of the most off the rails amalgamations of powerful performances, multiple genres and great storytelling.    … Expand
  23. Psychodan29
    Sep 7, 2020
    10
    Loving this show so far! Every episode draws me in. It’s got everything from horror, drama, adventure, romance. It has an awesome soundtrack from modern hits to classic. Every episode I root for the characters and truly feel their struggles for equality and the struggle against evil.
  24. Yellowdog13
    Aug 23, 2020
    10
    Great mixed metaphor. The 50s era racists amd Lovecrafts eldritch horrors... which are worse? It will be interesting to watch this develop, an living a half hour from the openers first monster encounter, I can't wait to see if Purgatory Chasm makes it in ... yes thats a a real place, gorgeous hiking trails. But also made for horror, and just north of Uxbridge and Millville.

    Here's to    Great mixed metaphor. The 50s era racists amd Lovecrafts eldritch horrors... which are worse? It will be interesting to watch this develop, an living a half hour from the openers first monster encounter, I can't wait to see if Purgatory Chasm makes it in ... yes thats a a real place, gorgeous hiking trails. But also made for horror, and just north of Uxbridge and Millville.

    Here's to hoping this one can go the distance in MAGA America. The cast is wonderful, and its topic matter which is so important.    … Expand
  25. Jagen
    May 28, 2023
    8
    A worthy effort to try and do something interesting and different with horror, and it mostly succeeds. A bit disjointed, but tbf an improvement in this regard over the book.

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best TV Season of 2020
6
#6 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
4
#4 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Robert Daniels
    Oct 5, 2020
    83
    The pacing of the near-hour long installments feature spasms of crawling. Nevertheless, the flirting beauty of the most powerful scenes, the fleeting profoundness of when poetic prose are strewn across lyrical montages, and the authentic, psychological performances by the cast, make Green’s “Lovecraft Country” a woozy, intoxicating genre odyssey.
    Read full review
  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Lauren Michele Jackson
    Aug 24, 2020
    50
    The show’s script is weighed down by historical annotations; characters refer to themselves and others using the nomenclature of the time (Negro, white) instead of the unqualified pronouns—“we,” “us,” “them”—of actual talk. Innuendo, a staple of melodrama, and a mode in which racialized language thrives, is missing. Neither this nor the show’s cartoonish whites—as viral videos have shown, racists turn cartoonish in the light—would be so distracting if they didn’t deprive mesmerizing talents of their room to work. ... In “Lovecraft Country,” there are revelations but seldom awe.
    Read full review
  3. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Aja Romano
    Aug 18, 2020
    70
    The show finds its strongest moments when it layers realism atop metaphorical racism to induce a mounting, increasingly surreal two-fold horror. It’s weaker in terms of connecting those moments back to its overarching plot. But that weakness also feels intentional and refreshing — as if the show is also repudiating the pompous dramatics of its silly cult full of white people trying to something something pure bloodlines, something something sorcery, something something existential cosmic terror.
    Read full review
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