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Scarier than Fiction: A review of Lovecraft Country Episode 1

For the longest time, I’ve always found slasher, thrillers, horror, and paranormal movies to be the most fear-inducing thing ever. For weeks, I'd lie awake at night worrying I'd be finding Freddy Krueger or Chucky at the foot of my bed if I went to sleep. Ironically enough, though, these types of movies are what I found with the utmost fascination.

These days the anxieties that once were manifested through these fictional characters, manifest in a way that’s much more real. Monsters may seem like a thing of fiction, but learning that these fictional monsters may be a little more real than you think can be frightening and the series Lovecraft Country is a good example of that.

Let’s unpack what the first episode was about. In episode 1 titled “Sundown” audiences were introduced to Atticus Freeman, a young veteran returning from South Korea where he fought in the Korean war as an American soldier. After receiving a letter from his father who has gone missing, Atticus travels to his hometown to find his missing father with the help of his beloved uncle and neighborhood friend (perhaps potential love interest too? ). As they travel to find his father they encounter small towns where the streets and infrastructure are met with a calming yet ominous feel to it. Although it may seem like your average small town, the characters are met with one catch being there; they have to leave before dark. That's because after dark the streets are ruled by bands of predatory monsters that will threaten them with death. Sounds like your typical horror movie plot, right? Well, what if I told you some of these monsters are in fact very real. These monsters can be your neighbors, your local sheriff, and even your distinct relatives.

The first episode of Lovecraft Country is an example of the real-world anxieties and fears of being Black in the U.S. Although at certain points Lovecraft County isn’t a true alternative to reality, it extends beyond just the fictional aspect of things. It’s an all-out monster-fighting, thrill-seeking adventure story, but its setting in the Jim Crow-era US – and its invocation of the work of the white supremacist author, HP Lovecraft – means it can’t help but get deep in the weeds of racism, too. It’s really scary knowing that they reflect the power dynamics, prejudices, and fears of society, and the people in it. The real-life horrors that have terrorized Black people for centuries are truly scarier than any work of fiction and Lovecraft Country, sure enough, will reflect these realities throughout the series (that and the mystical creatures of course).

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