By Kitoko Chargois
PearlArts Studios
If you’re looking for something spooky to watch as we delve deeper into October, look no further than Lovecraft Country! While incredibly terrifying at parts, Lovecraft Country is much more than a horror show. It is an examination on Race in America. This month in In Re: our team weighs in on Lovecraft Country. Many of us are still making our way through the series, but the good news is that the entire season is now out! Have you seen Lovecraft Country? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Lovecraft Country Description (Source: HBO) Based on Matt Ruff's novel of the same name, Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he meets up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.
Lovecraft Country is executive produced by showrunner Misha Green along with J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, Bill Carraro, Yann Demange, Daniel Sackheim, and David Knoller.
LaTrea Derome (Company Dancer)
This show is great in the way in which it portrays history and fantasy. The reality of what was taking place during the 50's mixed with the sci-fi fantasy of today plays a special mind game that, for me, keeps the show exciting. It also evokes some emotions in me that I did not realize were as prevalent as they were. An interesting way of affirming some personal feelings, Lovecraft Country paints beautiful, thrilling, and exciting pictures/scenes that I look forward to seeing weekly.
Chandler Bingham (Company Dancer)
Love Craft Country is unlike no other with the fusion of horror, fiction and racism. Each episode sparks emotions in me, as it uses intense horror to depict the struggles of the Jim Crow era. The very first episode set the tone of the series as I watched Atticus Freeman ( Jonathon Majors), Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), and Uncle George ( Courtney B. Vance) travel through what’s known as a "Sundown town". The show exposes the harsh realities black people faced traveling through the south. The bold characterization of racism rides the lines of our modern reality.
Kitoko Chargois (Program Coordinator/Communications Director)
I agree with Trea in how the show brings up certain emotions. Each week, I go into Lovecraft Country with a mixture of dread and excitement. While there's plenty of disturbing imagery and storylines that keep me up at night, I find myself wayyyy more disturbed by the violence of racism from that time period that quite honestly don't feel like such a leap from today. I LOVE that the show however doesn't shy away from giving Black people the satisfaction of not just fighting, but prevailing against the white supremacy in ways that feel both visceral and cathartic. I don’t really know where the rest of the show is going, but eager to find out! Shout out to the show's creator, Misha Green! Read an interview with her here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/07/arts/television/living-while-black-in-lovecraft-country.html
Staycee Pearl (Co-executive/Artistic Director)
It's captivating and triggering. Honestly, I could go without seeing another Black person die in a movie or tv show for the rest of my life. All that being said, I always like seeing well-made stories on screen created by Black artists.
Ally Ricarte (Production Manager | Marketing Associate | Director of Education)
SPOILER ALERT: What I like about this show is how it allows American pop culture, pioneered by Black Americans, in the 1950s and in the 21st century coexist in the same world. This show also utilizes the fear and terror of white America in a way that immersed audiences who watched works by Spike Lee and Jordan Peele. What I found intriguing was the strongly suspenseful atmosphere these directors/producers including Misha Green created simply through the portrayal of white people in the perspective of black characters, in this case the protagonist Tic Freeman. It's crystal clear that the 1950s and the horrors Black people faced happened not a long time ago. I haven't finished the entire season but I'm curious what is next for Christina Braithewait, the white female lead who at first rescues the trio, and how her character develops in the eyes of the trio. Typically and very unfortunately, the depictions of black characters in cinema history/the lens of white men are lackluster, one-dimensional, and subhuman. Excited for the next episode.
Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl (Co-executive/Artistic Director | Sound Engineer)
I think the show is interesting, well executed and challenging. A bit all over the place between acts, and I do think they go a bit overboard on the gross out effects like all the skin falling off in episode 5. It is great to see a mostly black cast kicking ass and overcoming some of the awful racism they encounter. It has a really high production value all around. Great acting, wardrobe, set design and some damn good looking people!
Kaitlin Kulasa (Company Dancer)
I completely agree with all of SPdp&SS. Lovecraft Country created an atmosphere that perfectly intertwined horror in both its fictional and nonfictional forms. I felt completely invested in this series as the main actors authentically fought the terrors of both real man-eating monsters and racial injustices of white America. Personally I found myself empowered by the bravery and drive behind the main characters of this show. They are invested to live and will continue to fight for the life they know they deserve, which is something I believe almost anyone can relate to.