Lovercraft Country, the new HBO show from Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, looks fantastic. I am just going to say that right now before you even watch the trailer. The series looks like something you would expect from Peele: socially-aware horror that doesn’t skimp on the terror. The man is interested in telling stories that heavily comment on class and realism and society but he isn’t willing to sacrifice tension and dread and horror. He finds the right balance between all of those things and that is what leads to his success.
Lovecraft Country is based on the book by Matt Ruff and follows a young man (Jonathan Majors) trying to find his father in 1950s Jim Crow America. But, as the trailer shows, he goes down some dark, twisted paths to find him and things get…weird. Let’s just say the show is definitely going to live up to its title.
It’s a terrific trailer, one that feels a lot like the previews for Peele’s films. In fact, between Us and Candyman (Peele-produced) and now Lovecraft Country, Peele is becoming known for taking pop and hip-hop songs and slowing them down to a very creepy effect. I wouldn’t say the approach has gotten silly yet but it is definitely running the risk of becoming the new Inception BRAAAAAAAAAAHM noise for trailers. Careful, Jordan.
Yann Demange directed the first episode of Lovecraft Country, which is due to start airing in August. Let us hope and pray to the horror gods that the show is half as good as this trailer.