List of Lovecraftian Horror Movies Part 3

films and television shows with Lovecraftian references and themes

This list of Lovecraftian movies is so exhaustive I've had to split it into four parts as follows:

1 - those that are direct adaptations of H. P. Lovecraft's fictional works ... HERE.

2 - those that are inspired by the fiction of Lovecraft, incorporating elements of his Cthulhu Mythos or other aspects of his fiction, and that could feasibly be set within the same fictional world or universe ... HERE.

3 - those that are influenced by the fiction of Lovecraft, making reference to Lovecraft or his Yog-Sothothery, but that aren't feasibly set directly within his fictional universe ... these are HERE on this page below.

4 - and finaly a list of documentaries about either the man himself or his wider legacy ... HERE.

The term Lovecraftian Horror is often used when describing a wider sub-genre of horror better termed Cosmic Horror, that emphasizes puny humanity's helplessness in the face of an unknown (or unknowable) malevolence (or indifference) at a cosmic (or universal) level. Much of Lovecraft's fiction falls into this wider sub-genre and he was very much among it's pioneers. This sub-genre will be explored in our Cosmic Horror section HERE soon. Some of Lovecraft's fiction also falls under the umbrella of the wider Body Horror sub-genre which can soon be explored HERE.

Read our summaries and reviews with confidence - this is a NO SPLOILER zone!

3: Movies & TV influenced by Lovecraft & the Cthulhu Mythos

A chronological list of film and television shows that depict or reference H. P. Lovecraft and/or his creations, but aren't feasibly set within his fictional universe.

Dark Shadows, Episodes 886-990 (???, USA. 1969/70)
This long-running day-time TV Gothic horror soap-opera, largely about vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), incorporated a storyline commonly known as "The Leviathans" which was inspired by various elements of the Cthulhu Mythos.

Equinox (Dennis Muren & Jack Woods, USA. 1970)
A (supposedly) Lovecraft influenced schlock-fest about four teens getting more than they bargained for while going for a picnic in the woods. They encounter in turn; a gibbering old man in a cave who gives them an ancient tome full of evil knowledge only ever referred to as The Book, a professor driven mad by his occult dabbling carried out after reading The Book, and a demonic ranger called Asmodeus (Jack Woods) who's determined to get possession of The Book with the aid of a succession of hideous monsters he's either conjured into being or transformed himself into.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 1/10 (Extremely Bad) - inept story, awful acting and terrible dialogue - but it does have some surprisingly sophisticated stop-motion creature effects considering how bad everything else was.

Night of the Seagulls (Amando de Ossorio, Spain. 1975)
In this final installment of the director's Blind Dead series, a doctor and his wife move to a small inhospitable coastal village where he plans to start a practice only to discover that undead demon-worshiping Templar Knights haunt the place. The plot and general ambiance, if not the antagonists, are heavily inspired by The Shadow over Innsmouth.

The Island of the Fishmen (Sergio Martino, Italy. 1979)
AKA: L'isola degli uomini pesce (Italy) | Island of Mutations (UK) | Screamers
Apparently inspired by The Shadow Over Innsmouth among others this ropey exploitation genre flick has an heroic doctor shipwrecked on a volcanic island with escaped convicts, a mad scientist, a despicable English bad-guy, voodoo practising natives, a beautiful damsel in distress and (of course) a bunch of mutated fish-men... add to that a hoard of sunken treasure and the lost city of Atlantis - and you pretty much have a genre fan's very guilty pleasure.
Content Warning: as well as general violence there is some animal abuse depicted... and I don't mean just against the fishmen.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 6/10 (Pretty Good) - its not a good movie by any stretch but it is an enjoyable one and Richard Johnson's unabashed relish at playing the villain of the piece alone raises it above and beyond its ropey B-movie standards.

Humanoids From the Deep (Barbara Peeters, USA. 1980)
A small coastal town is terrorised by humanoid fish creatures not unlike Lovecraft's Deep Ones. Can Doug McClure save the day? Of course he can!
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 6/10 (Pretty Good) - Schlocky gore-fest that manages some atmosphere and is suitably entertaining as well as massively exploitative.

City of the Living Dead (Lucio Fulci, Italy. 1980)
A reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell in the town of Dunwich after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from their graves. Taking only a vague inspiration from Lovecraft. The Lovecraftian's Rating: 3/10 (Bad) - A weakly plotted and directed gore-fest that at least manages some atmosphere.

The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, Italy. 1981)
A young woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana where, following a series of supernatural "accidents", she learns that the building was built over one of the entrances to Hell. Although uncredited, the IMDB claims the film is inspired by Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. The Lovecraftian's Rating: 4/10 (Pretty Bad) - probably the best of Fulci's three supposedly Lovecraftian inspired movies.

The House by the Cemetery (Lucio Fulci, Italy. 1981)
A New England home is the focus for a series of murders. Unbeknownst to the latest occupants, there's a gruesome secret hiding in the basement. Another Fulci movie alleged to be influenced by Lovecraft's fiction. The Lovecraftian's Rating: 3/10 (Bad) - eventually delivers plenty of gore but is lacking everywhere else.

The Collect Call of Cthulhu (Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis, USA. 1987)
Episode 32, Season 2 of the animated TV series The Real Ghost Busters. It references the Necronomicon and features an attempt to revive the so-called "Cathulhu," described as one of the "Great Old Ones". Lovecraft is also mentioned by name.

Cast a Deadly Spell (Martin Campbell, USA. 1991)
A TV Movie set in Los Angeles 1948 this film-noir style detective story takes place in an alternate reality where magic is real and it's practise is becoming commonplace. H Philip Lovecraft (Fred Ward) is a private investigator who refuses to use magic in a world increasingly over run with it. He's hired by the rich and powerful Amos Hackshaw (David Warren) to track down the Necronomicon that was stolen from him by a young chauffeur he fired for having carnal desires for his virginal 16 year-old daughter - or so he feared. Content Warning: has some sexual references and a few bloody scenes.
Runtime: 96 min - Colour - English
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 5/10 (Mediocre) - nice idea that's quite fun but has too little meat on its bones to raise it above the pedestrian. Could be made a lot more fun with the use of a drinking game while watching - down a shot (of your choice) with every Lovecraft reference made (warning - there are quite a few so you should be pretty merry by the end).
Buy Cast a Deadly Spell on DVD or VHS at Amazon.com
Buy Cast a Deadly Spell on DVD or VHS at Amazon.co.uk

Cthulhu Mansion (Juan Piquer Simón, Spain/UK. 1992)
AKA: La mansión de los Cthulhu (SPA). A group of drug dealing petty criminals fleeing from the police take a magician and his daughter hostage; but once they reach his mansion, all hell breaks loose. Supposedly inspired by the works of Lovecraft, but any link to his work is tenuous at best.

Dark Waters (Mariano Baino, Russia/Italy/UK. 1993)
AKA: Dead Waters (USA) | Temnye vody/Темные воды (Russia)

Witch Hunt (Paul Schrader, USA. 1994)
Tagline: It's a new kind of evil, as old as time.
TV movie follow-up to Cast a Deadly Spell (see above) with a bigger budget and a bigger star - Dennis Hopper takes over the reins as a magic averse Private Detective, H Philip Lovecraft, in a world where magic has become commonplace. Set in 1950s Hollywood this murder mystery tale is lost among a load of heavy handed substituting of the McCarthy era anti-communism scare with an anti-magic-user scare leading to a more literal kind of witch-hunt... hence the title.
Content Warning: has a nude scene... and a particularly bad attempt at an Irish (we're guessing - it could be Jamaican!?) accent by Julian Sands that just might make your ears bleed.
Runtime: 100 min - Colour - English
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 3/10 (Bad) - even Dennis Hopper and Julian Sands can't save this lame sequel. It has even less meat on the bone than (and is no where near as fun as) the first one. The bigger budget must have been spent on the stars for it certainly wasn't spent on the script or the special effects. Employing the drinking game suggested for Cast a Deadly Spell might make this one a bit more palatable... but not sure even that would save it.
Buy Witch Hunt on VHS at Amazon.com
Buy Witch Hunt on VHS at Amazon.co.uk

In the Mouth of Madness (John Carpenter, USA. 1995)
Content Warning: watching this movie may remove your grasp on reality and blow your mind entirely... oh, and there's quite a lot of bloody and gruesome violence too.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 9/10 (Extremely Good) - as close to a Lovecraftian's wet dream as you're probably going to get.

Calls for Cthulhu (Brand Gamblin, USA. 1996)
Ten minute video short. While awaiting the time when the stars are right, Cthulhu takes your calls. Features Tori Spelling, of all people.

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (Maxwell Atoms, USA. 2003-2007)
An animated TY series from the Cartoon Network. The season 1 episode Big Trouble in Billy's Basement featured Yog-Sothoth and the season 5 episode Prank Call of Cthulhu featured, you guessed it Cthulhu.

Shadows in the Garden (Wayne Spitzer, USA. 2002)

Justice League (Butch Lukic & Dan Riba, USA. 2001-2004)
An animated TY series in which Cthulhu/Old Ones are referenced in 2 episodes from Season 2 in 2003.

The Halfway House (Kenneth J. Hall, USA. 2004)

Hellboy (Guillermo del Toro, USA. 2004)
As with Mike Mignola's comic books from which the movie was adapted, this big-budget special-effects extravaganza was (in part) inspired by the writings of Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. It features a version of the Great Old Ones - many eyed and tentacled demonic cyclopean entities - called the "Ogdru Jahad" which slumber in a trans-dimensional cosmic hell/prison waiting to return and claim dominion of the Earth. There is a reference to the Cthulhu Mythos grimoire De Vermis Mysteriis that describes the Ogdru Jahad in a quote supposedly from the 87th page; "In the coldest regions of space, the monstrous entities Ogdru Jahad - the Seven Gods of Chaos - slumber in their crystal prison, waiting to reclaim Earth... and burn the heavens." In its trivia section for this movie the IMDB reports that the Sammael creatures have characteristics reminiscent of both Nyarlathotep and Cthulhu but does not elaborate.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 9/10 (Extremely Good) -

The Strange Case of H.P. Lovecraft (Mad Martian, USA. 2004)

Late Bloomer (Craig William Macneill, USA. 2004)

The Mountains of Madness (Danielle de Picciotto & Alexander Hacke, USA. 2006)

Lovecraft's Pillow (Mark Steensland, USA. 2006)

Beyond Lovesauce (Colin Burrowes & Heidi Burrowes, Canada. 2007)

The Tomb (Ulli Lommel, USA. 2007)

Casting Call of Cthulhu (Joseph Nanni, Canada. 2008)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Guillermo del Toro, USA. 2008)
Not nearly as Lovecraftian as the first Hellboy movie but it does have cameo appearances by some Elder Things in the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense Headquarters and in the Troll Market.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 9/10 (Extremely Good) -

The Sea Beast (Paul Ziller, USA. 2008)
AKA: Troglodyte (original title)
The Sea Beasts in this TV-Movie are based on the Deep Ones created by Lovecraft.

Eye See Food (Mars Homeworld, USA. 2009)

The Lovecraft Chronicles Volume 1 (John Johnson, USA. 2010)

South Park: Season 14 (Trey Parker, USA. 2010)
Episodes 11, 12 and 13 feature Cthulhu as a character and along with the sunken city of R'lyeh many references to the Cthulhu Mythos are made.

Living with Lovecraft (Todd Doldersum, Canada. 2011)

Let it Bleed (John F. Showalter, USA. 2011)
This Episode (#21 in Season 6) of the TV series Supernatural posits that H. P. Lovecraft (Peter Ciuffa) and six others performed a ritual to pierce the veil between worlds, opening a door into "Purgatory" on March 10, 1937, causing a creature to come through which would go on to kill Lovecraft five days later. In season 7, it becomes clear that the "Old Ones" of the Cthulhu Mythos are in fact Leviathans - the first beings created by God - which He locked into Purgatory so that they would not be a threat to his later creations.

Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard, USA. 2011)
In amongst the countless horror and wierd fiction cliches, tropes and rip-offs present in this derivative post-modern meta-fest there are numerous Lovecraft inspired references. Written by Joss Whedon, this movie is no where near as clever as he thinks it is. I can't really recommend it.

An Evil Within (John F. Showalter, USA. 2012)
This Episode (#2 in Season 4) of the TV series Warehouse 13 involves the hunt for the artefact H. P. Lovecraft's Silver Key - Anyone who touches the key will be seen as a horrific, Lovecraftian monster by anyone who looks upon them within the next few moments.

Dirigible Days (James Bragado, USA. 2012)
A TV mini-series depicting a steampunk adventure involving the Cult of Cthulhu and set in an alternate reality nearly 1,000 years after a catastrophe transformed the surface of Earth and raised floating sky lands.

Nyaruko: Crawling with Love (????, Japan. 2012-2013)
Comedy anime television series based on the light novels by Manta Aisora.

True Detective - Season One (Cary Joji Fukunaga, USA. 2014)
The TV series makes various references to The Yellow King, the cult of Hastur, the mysterious city of Carcosa and has (debatable) manifestations of The Yellow Sign - especially early on, when the promise of Lovecraftian shenanigans was high, but this promise soon dissipated as the over long tale disappointingly descended into a rather typical TV-detectives-hunting-a-serial-killer affair.
The Lovecraftian's Rating: 6/10 (Pretty Good) -

The Untamed (Amat Escalante, Mexico. 2016)
This is a film that features an explicit tentacle sex monster, so be warned. It wears its various Lovecraftian influences on its stylish and well filmed sleeve.

Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (Sean Patrick O'Reilly, USA. 2016)
Children's animated feature about the young Lovecraft being transported into an unspeakable other-realm full of unpronouncable terrors.

Lovecraft Country (Misha Green, USA. 2020)
Dissapointing HBO TV series based on Matt Ruff's excelent book of the same name. Full of references to Lovecraft and his fiction, aswell as alluding to the idea that some of his literary creations might have their origins in fact.

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