by Conan Simmons – August 17, 2020 – 4:05 am
The new series developed by Misha Green and executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams seeks to balance the fantasy horror of pulp novels with real life terror of American racism.
Opening with a wild sequence framed as a 1940’s action war movie invaded by UFO’s, a beautiful alien succubus and flying Cthulhu monsters the impression is given that this will be more of a surreal raypunk type of show. It turns out to be an introduction to the main character by way of his dreams as he leaves Kentucky to find his missing father.
Teaming up with his uncle and a childhood friend, the pulp fiction loving Korean War veteran embarks on a cross country trip through Jim Crow America in search of an unknown residence in Ardham, Massachusetts. Before they reach their destination they will have to run for their lives from gangs of racist white people who pursue them with gun toting zeal.
Jonathan Majors stars as Atticus Freeman, the pulp loving veteran in search of a secret birthright. Courtney B. Vance is his uncle George, owner of a bookshop and publisher of green books. Jurnee Smollett is Atticus’ friend Letitia, a down on her luck singer. The charismatic leads are the best part of this pilot episode with added addition of Abbey Lee as a femme fatale with an otherworldly vibe.
The production design is very well done and it’s good to see that it includes all the ironic ugliness of signs that promote ideals from the American Dream to anti-Black Jim Crow threats. It shows that ‘Lovecraft Country’ isn’t about bringing a naive, idealized, Norman Rockwell-esque America to the screen. The series strives to balance the Lovecraftian horrors of grotesque monsters with the real life terrors of grotesque racism.
In this first episode that striving for balance feels a little off kilter. From the fun, surreal excitement of the opening the tone shifts into one of tension as the bus Atticus Freeman is traveling on breaks down. This scene works well as does the suspenseful car chase from the diner midway through the episode. By the time we get to the Sheriff and his deputies tormenting the traveling trio the suspense feels upsettingly real, so much so that the introduction of shoggoths seems an out of place relief from the tension by veering the storyline into splatter horror entertainment.
The shoggoths are cool as is the transformation of one of their victims. The effects are noticeably cgi though but it doesn’t detract from the fun of the show, even if that fun is awkwardly placed in the story.