I’m two episodes in, and I’m not entirely sure what’s going on yet with this nutty show, but I sure do like it.
From the creative minds of Misha Green and Jordan Peele comes this twisty, screwy and scary series that mixes 1950s racism in America with Lovecraftian horror. Atticus (Jonathan Majors), a Black veteran returning from war, goes on a search for his missing father with his uncle (Courtney B. Vance) and childhood friend (Jurnee Smollett, my new favorite actress).
Their search leads them to Lovecraft Country, a southern region rife with racism (like H.P. Lovecraft himself) and, as you find out in the end of episode one, crazy beasts right out of a Lovecraft story. It’s an insane mix; one moment people are dancing to the blues in a crowded southern street, and the next they are fighting crazed vampiric monsters in a secluded cabin.
Again, I’m only two episodes in (the series releases one show a week on HBO Max) so this could all go downhill from here, but I don’t think so. The show has that “message with the madness” vibe that Peele provided with Get Out. It looks terrific, from its period settings to its excellent monster effects.
And it is very well acted, with Majors, Smollett and Vance providing excellent leads, and some other stars who I won’t spoil.
HBO and HBO Max specifically are proving to be a sweet streaming venture. I’ll take this moment here to also endorse An American Pickle, starring two Seth Rogens. Very much worth your time, and HBO Max is proving to be worth the money.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2020.
Are you paying attention? Most of the first two episodes take place in Chicago and Massachusetts, neither of which qualify as “southern regions” in my mind. Or are you assuming that racism only happens in the south?
Yeah, I’m paying attention. Episodes I watched before this review had major action in the Jim Crow south. Obviously, racism is all over the world. In this TV show, the episodes I watched took place primarily in the south.
Bob, you are mistaken. In your review you state “Lovecraft Country, a southern region rife with racism”, which incorrectly implies that Lovecraft Country is in the South. Lovecraft Country is supposed to be New England, where Lovecraft is from and which served as the setting for much of his work. Specifically in the show they are seeking out the fictional town of Ardham, Massachusetts. The first commenter may have been overly antagonistic, but their criticism was correct.