The Top 7 Greatest Screen Representations of H.P. Lovecraft's Horror (24 photos + 1 video)
Delving into the worlds of H. P. Lovecraft requires a special flair. His archaic style and concept of cosmic horror, where man is insignificant, have created a cult following in literary and film circles. Why are there so few worthy adaptations? 
Bringing to life on screen a faceless, otherworldly horror that defies reason is a task for the truly daring. Major studios rarely take risks, fearing failure. However, for genre connoisseurs willing to embrace convention and generous doses of makeup, there are films that have managed to capture the spirit of Lovecraft's nightmares. Here are 7 of the best attempts.
1. "The Haunted Castle" (1963) 
This film was the first adaptation of Lovecraft's work, although it was initially mistakenly associated with Edgar Allan Poe. The film is part of Roger Corman's famous series of eight Poe-inspired films, and its title refers to the latter's poem. 
However, the plot is entirely based on Lovecraft's novel "The History of Charles Dexter Ward." Charles Ward (Vincent Price) and his wife (Debra Paget) settle in the estate of his ancestor, Joseph Carvin (also a Price), who was burned for witchcraft and placed a curse on the town. A century later, the townspeople, still suffering from the curse, are terrified of the new owner, suspecting him of being a black magician. 
Gradually, the old house begins to exert an ominous influence on Charles, and the residents' fears may be well-founded.
2. "Re-Animator" (1985)
While this film doesn't strive for literal accuracy, many fans consider it the most faithful to the spirit of Lovecraft. A loose adaptation of the short story "Herbert West: Reanimator," the film is a bloody black comedy.
The action is set in modern times: medical student Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) has invented a serum for reviving dead tissue. His neighbor, Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), helps retrieve bodies from the morgue, but each reanimated creature proves more aggressive than the last.
With delusions of grandeur that would eclipse Frankenstein himself, Herbert unleashes a horde of zombies on the city, unable to stop there.
3. Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993)
This anthology horror film is known worldwide under various titles. In it, H.P. Lovecraft himself (Jeffrey Combs) discovers the sinister grimoire "Necronomicon" in a monastery library and begins reading it.
The next three novellas are stories that consumed the writer. "The Drowned Man" is based on "The Rats in the Walls," "Cold" on "Cold Air," and "Whisper" on "The Whisperer in Darkness."
For those looking to experience several adaptations at once, Necronomicon is an ideal choice.
4. Dagon (2001)
This Spanish film is based on two works by Lovecraft: the short story "Dagon" and the novella "The Shadow over Innsmouth."
After a shipwreck, Paul (Ezra Godden) and his friends find themselves in the coastal town of Imboka, whose inhabitants worship the fish-shaped deity Dagon and seek human sacrifices.
Will the heroes survive in this terrifying place and avoid becoming food for the creatures of the deep?
5. "The Call of Cthulhu" (2005)
The short story "The Call of Cthulhu" was long considered unfilmable. Then Sean Branney, Andrew Lehman, and the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society created a black-and-white silent film, stylized as a 1920s film.
The forty-seven-minute film follows a man (Matt Foer) who inherits his great-uncle's research into the monstrous deity Cthulhu and his cult.
As the heir explores the archive, he begins to share his ancestor's obsession, trying to uncover chilling secrets, but is it too late?
6. "The Whisperer in Darkness" (2011)
Another work from the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this time stylized as a 1930s horror novel and based on the short story of the same name.
The writers took the liberty of changing the ending for a more cinematic feel.
Folklore professor Albert Wilmarth (Matt Feuer) of Miskatonic University is skeptical of rumors of monsters in Vermont until he enters into correspondence with a local farmer (Paul Ita), who begs him to come and see for himself the existence of extraterrestrial beings.
7. "The Color Out of Space" (2019)
Perhaps the most high-budget and star-studded adaptation, it adheres fairly closely to the source material. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Jolie Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, and Tommy Chong.
Nathan Gardner (Cage) moves his family to his ancestral home in the woods in search of a new life. A meteorite strike on their land triggers a series of anomalies. Ignoring warnings about poisoned well water, the family becomes infected with "The Color"—an alien entity that arrived with the meteorite.
The family and their neighbors face horrific metamorphoses, death, and mutation as The Color gains power.
Will the time ever come when Lovecraftian horror will triumphantly conquer mainstream cinema? For now, the answer remains as veiled in darkness as Cthulhu himself, and fans might want to revisit the timeless source material.
