"A man's journey in search of his missing father becomes a struggle to survive racist terrors and terrifying monsters."
I Say...
And that's only the beginning...
Horror Type...
Supernatural Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Main Players...
Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman (Soldier)
Jurnee Smollett as Letitia 'Leti' Lewis (Fighter)Aunjanue Ellis as Hippolyta Freeman (Queen)
I liked...
- how I was completely engrossed, caught up, swept away, and wrung tf out by this epic tale
- the strength, energy, imagination, fortitude, and just all-around BAMF-ness of all the women: Letitia-Fucking-Lewis, Hippolyta Freeman, Ruby Baptiste, Ji-Ah, Diana Freeman--WHOO! So much to admire and emulate in all of them...
- the acting, across the board, amazing work by all
- the intricate storylines and details--it's got a kind of "monster-of-the-week" feel, in that there are episodes that seem distinctly unrelated to one another, or the story arc, but then it all comes together and your mind is blown by the creativity of the writers (I mean, DANG!)
- the way the fantastical elements are seamlessly woven into "the real world" of the story
- how, in my mind, this story is fundamentally about the love of, and love for, family
The Meh...
The most horrifying aspects of this are the violence dealt out in the name of white supremacy and racism. It's brutal, sickening. It's real. And it's still happening--there's nothing more terrifying than this.
Would I recommend it...?
YES. It's a wonderful work of art, a fine drama, an engrossing tribute to those who've gone before and fought the hard fight, and a guiding light for all who still fight. Amplify black voices and show Hollywood that WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!
NB: Lovecraft Country isn't a walk in the park, barefoot. There's a lot of suffering here. Some laughs, yes, and a few lighter moments, as well as some soaring triumphs. But there's savagery in it, make no mistake. Trigger warnings for: gore (and some of the most inventive gore I've ever seen in my life--hooo, boy!), extreme violence, rape (I hate to say that this was also inventive, given what it is, but it was...different in a way I'd never have expected), and children in peril.
Miscellany...
Lovecraft Country is based on the book by the same title, written by Matt Ruff (and which I have just ordered).
Ratings...
My Grade: A+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=87%, Audience Score=71%
Details, Schmeetails...
Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)
This concludes Day 23 of
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...
IF YOU DARE
I've heard a lot about this, and all of it good. That said, I think I'll read the book first. I'm not sure I'm ready for the parts of this that are still happening now.
ReplyDeleteSomeone I knew ages ago said she liked to watch the movie or TV show first, then read the book--that way, she could enjoy the adaptation without unfavorable comparisons to the book marring her experience, and then further enjoy the richness of the book. That struck me as such a sound approach that I adopted it and find it really works for me!
DeleteTrue. I watched the TV series Bones before I read the first book. They diverged dramatically, but I didn't mind it. I think of them as two different things with a nominal character (Brennan) the same but pretty much different people. Did that make any sense? Hahahahaha.
DeleteOh, hey, didn't know Bones was based on a book! Have watched it off and on, though I generally don't follow police-procedural-type-shows faithfully (unless there's either a supernatural element or it's really gorgeous and compelling--like, Hannibal, for instance).
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