Shannon Lewis is a features and news writer on Screen Rant.
Next: Every Horror Movie Confirmed For 2020 Release Date Underwateris underway to follow in its footsteps, opening cinema up to a new wave of Lovecraftian horror. “The Call of Cthulhu” was the first story to formally introduce the literary world to the Great Old Ones. Robert Eggers’ The Witch brought on a new wave of folk horror that inspired movies like Hereditary, Midsommar, and the upcoming Gretel & Hansel. The contemporary horror movie scene is constantly evolving, building on precedents set by genre disruptors. Although the monster is, seemingly, vanquished, in the original short story Cthulhu is also ripped to pieces only to reform. If Cthulhu represented the ocean rising against humanity in Underwater, there is plenty of potential symbolism in Gods like the Twice-Invoked, who when summoned from the depths of the Earth collapses whole continents. Certain Lovecraftian horrors even slot well into contemporary worries about climate change and existential annihilation. The tools are there to next present audiences with the serpentine features of Yig, Father of Serpents, the warty, planet-sized entrails that make up Lu-Kthu, the scorpion-ant hybrid that is Baoht Z-ugga-Mogg, Bringer of Pestilence. Underwater is effective in its presentation of Cthulhu, sparking hope for future adaptations, and the world of special effects, both practical and CGI, is continually improving. A decent special effects budget would be key to translating Eldritch horrors to the big screen. Instead, it borrows elements, particularly, its monster. However, Underwater is not a direct adaptation of “The Call of Cthulhu”. Both the 1990 miniseries and the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It eliminate the sex scene between Beverly and the Losers’ Club. However, there is a precedent to horror movie adaptations removing problematic elements present in the source material. Lovecraft himself is not without his flaws, and many of his stories include what some might construe as racist and xenophobic undertones. The stories combine creeping horror with bombastic monsters, making them difficult to translate onscreen without a measured hand and decent budget. The Great Old Ones and other Lovecraftian horrors have been adapted to the silver screen a handful of times, never to any extensive success. Lovecraftian horror is defined by stirring gods, cosmic horror, and existential dread.
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