Parents' Guide to

Lovecraft Country

By Matt Cabral, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Mature horror series has both mythical and human monsters.

TV Max Drama 2020
Lovecraft Country Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

perseverance. Main characters believe and trust each other and risk their lives to protect one another. The Freeman family runs a business that provides Black Americans with information about how to travel safely. Many White characters, including law enforcement, are violent and threatening. Some characters betray allies and family members.</p> ">

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 6 parent reviews

AsshatJones1992
AsshatJones1992 Parent of 12-year-old
October 22, 2020
age 15+

Perfect but misunderstood

You’ll see a lot of negative reviews of this show, criticizing it for being disjointed, 2 dimensional, not having a plot that progresses, etc. These are valid criticisms if you’re ignoring the intent of the show, to mimic a pulp magazine. This show however has a plot the connects towards the end, and every character was compelling. This is one of my new favorite shows.
MimamsaMama
MimamsaMama Adult
September 9, 2020
age 17+

Outstanding!

Definitely not for kids - but still, incredible and diverse, black-joy representation in the sci-fi genre. Cinematography, music, costumes, CGI - wow! And WAY less cursing than GOT or Goonies even. And some critical US history (the real monsters) for all of us to grapple with. Well done. 5 stars so far. FYI - Gets extra-violent/gorey after Episode 4.
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What's the Story?

Based on the novel of the same name, LOVECRAFT COUNTRY begins with main character Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) searching for his missing father, Montrose (Michael K. Williams). Joined by his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), Atticus embarks on a quest that leads him and his family, including Aunt Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) and Cousin Dee (Jada Harris), to face ugly, mythical monsters, magic-wielding sorcerers, and evil spirits inspired by author H.P. Lovecraft's tales of tentacled terrors. But it's the era's rampant racism and racialized violence that often proves the most threatening.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (3 ):

While it certainly includes its fair share of macabre mysteries and things that go bump in the night, HBO's pulpy serial is so much more than a gore-soaked frightfest. Given its title, you could be excused for expecting Lovecraft Country to be a straight-up horror series inspired by author H.P. Lovecraft's macabre tales. For starters, the show subverts expectations at nearly every turn, frequently nudging you to the edge of your seat ... only to pull the rug out from beneath your chair. Most notably, it thoughtfully explores the hate in the notoriously racist author's heart as much as the monsters that spawned from his mind. Its 1950s setting pulls no punches in laying bare the bigotry that plagued the era, unflinchingly portraying the ugliness that Black people faced just for existing, including the Tulsa race massacre and the murder of Emmett Till.

Of course, it's the layered, nuanced performances delivered by Lovecraft Country's cast that make these injustices feel far scarier than any creatures or spirits their characters encounter. Atticus, Letitia, and Montrose are the main characters, but supporting characters like Ruby, Hippolyta, Ji-Ah, and Dee are fleshed out more in one episode than most characters are in some series' entire runs. Viewers spend so much time getting to know these core characters, cringing at every hate-filled human encounter they endure along their journey, that it's easy to forget about the slow-burn genre scares building in the background. By the time multi-eyed beasts or wronged spirits begin tearing limbs off the villains/racist cops, you might be questioning what you signed up for ... before eagerly queuing up the next episode.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about racism in the era that Lovecraft Country takes place in. How were Black people treated in the 1950s? What is segregation? What can be done today to continue to fight racism?

  • How does the series celebrate the work of H.P. Lovecraft while also addressing the author's racist views? Is it OK to enjoy and appreciate an artist's work even if you strongly object to their personal beliefs?

  • How does Lovecraft Country differ from more traditional horror series? How does it balance its horror genre elements with its depiction of real-life racial struggles and challenges? How are its monsters different from -- or similar to -- the humans who wish the main characters harm?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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