Horror Movie Review: Cthulhu (2007)

It is very hard to get excited about a film based on any of Lovecraft’s work as 9 times out of 10, the end result is poor. Either badly told, poorly cast and acted, cheap and ugly, abandoning the source material, or sometimes sticking too close to it. If you’ve seen your fair share of Lovecraft adaptions, you know I’m right.

However, every so often, a good one comes along. One that takes a looser look at a Lovecraft story and commits to being its own thing, while staying true to the themes and, importantly, the feeling that comes from the horror master’s work. It’s rare, but when it happens, it’s joyful.

Cthulhu isn’t one of them, but it’s also not one of the many others. Sitting squarely in the middle as a decent loose adaption of the novella ‘The Shadow over Innsmouth’, with moments of brilliance, wrapped around a lethargic plot. Which comes from writer Grant Cogswell and Daniel Gildark, the latter of whom directed it also.

Russ (Jason Cottle) is returning home to the small-town where he grew up, having been called upon by his sister to execute their late mother’s estate. He’d rather not come back, having built a life for himself elsewhere and found comfort in his sexuality. He is gay and expecting to be judged by the small-town folk. However, the biggest reason he doesn’t want to come back is that he would like to never see his father again, who just happens to be the leader of a cult.

Get in, sort the estate out, and get out. That’s the plan, but no matter what he does, it always seems like there’s a reason to stay just a little longer. Even when madness seem to surround him. This is not a healthy town, and it is in the grip of the cult, but what do they want? Can Russ escape their grasp and find love with his childhood friend, Mike (Scott Green)?

To be honest, the latter doesn’t feel that important at first but has more relevancy as the film goes on. Not only that, but it’s also important to the film’s metaphor about an openly gay man returning to face the horrors of small-town life. An angle that helps elevate this film and make it feel like its own thing, while paying respect to Lovecraft. Not only by using elements from his story, but by using them in interesting ways. While the film does have an inherent cheapness, effort was made to make it look and feel as authentic as possible.

Alas, while the story is commendable, the effects are solid, and the characters are written well enough, a lot of the acting leaves much to be desired. What’s odd is that many of the actors will have good scenes, but then say or do something so awkward, that it’s hard to take them seriously again. The way it ranges and how many suffer from it seems to suggest a directing issue more than anything else. It’s a shame too, as it does detract from the overall experience. One that is compelling enough to enjoy, regardless of your love or hate of Lovecraft.