New Lovecraftian Horror Can Solve A Major Problem That Hurts Most Other Lovecraft Movies

Summary Lovecraftian horror is a challenging subgenre due to its cosmic themes, but a new film adaptation may overcome these difficulties.

The simplicity of the video game Dredge's storytelling makes it an ideal blueprint for a successful Lovecraftian movie translation.

Filmmakers Richard Stanley, M. Night Shyamalan, and Robert Eggers are top contenders to direct the upcoming Dredge adaptation.

Cosmic horror movies are often held back by one major issue, but a new Lovecraftian film might finally resolve these prevalent problems. Although horror is a vast genre, some of its subgenres are adopted in nearly every other film. For instance, typical supernatural horror that revolves around demons, witches, and spirits is a staple in most horror films and has been extensively explored by several movies and shows. Similarly, slashers featuring masked killers and creature features focusing on vicious monsters and animals keep emerging year after year.

However, one subgenre that remains grossly unexplored is Lovecraftian horror, primarily because it comes with its own set of complex challenges. This is unfortunate because HP Lovecraft's stories delve into some of the most terrifying aspects of horror fiction, often highlighting the insignificance of humanity against the vast cosmos. Fortunately, a Lovecraftian adaptation will likely pave the way for a new era of cosmic horror, where movies inspired by the classic horror author's works will become relatively easier to execute.

Related 10 Best H.P. Lovecraft Movie Adaptations The work of legendary horror writer H.P. Lovecraft is notoriously difficult to translate to the big screen, here are the best adaptations.

A Dredge Live-Action Movie Can Solve A Major Lovecraftian Adaptation Issue

Dredge Benefits From Its Simple Storytelling

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Black Salt Games and production company Story Kitchen will be teaming up to create a live-action adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game Dredge. On the surface, Dredge is a simple single-player fishing game in which a player sells their catch to a local vendor to earn monetary rewards. However, the game brings a cosmic horror spin to this setup by allowing players to also dredge into the mysterious depths of isolated isles, uncovering cosmic secrets that were better left undiscovered. The Lovecraftian element is further intensified by the chilling stories locals share when the player sells their catch.

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Considering how it is often challenging to cinematically capture "the fear of the unknown" H.P. Lovecraft portrays in his stories, Dredge's linear but effectively scary cosmic horror narrative may traverse well to the audiovisual medium. This would solve a major Lovecraftian adaptation issue because most direct book-to-screen portrayals of the author's stories struggle to convey the inexplicable terrors and eldritch horror that permeate his works. While some movies like Annihilation, Color Out of Space, and The Endless have encapsulated the Lovecraftian essence, many others have fallen short. Dredge has the potential to solve this and rank among the successful ones.

Related 10 Cosmic Horror Movies That Left Fans and Critics Divided, From Best to Worst Cosmic horror movies like Underwater and Banshee Chapter have divided people over the years, and can be considered some of the best and worst.

Adapting Dredge May Be Way Easier Than Classic HP Lovecraft Stories

Dredge Has The Perfect Blueprint For a Live-Action Lovecraftian Film

To instill a sense of existential dread and cosmic insignificance in readers, HP Lovecraft's tales often provide intentionally ambiguous descriptions. For instance, in The Color Out of Space, the author describes the central color as something previously unseen with "shining bands unlike any known colors of the normal spectrum." Even though the author does not attach a specific color to the central color out of space, a reader's mind is capable of filling in the blanks with imagination. In the audiovisual medium, however, movies and TV shows can only leave so much to a viewer's imagination.

While the video game keeps players hooked with its everyday mini-quests and missions, it gradually introduces the cosmic horror elements through character testimonials and creepy visuals of the unchartered domains of the great oceans.

Owing to this, it becomes incredibly hard for films to accurately portray the beings and horrors described in HP Lovecraft's stories. Dredge, however, ingeniously captures Lovecraftian themes by presenting them in a more tangible form. While the video game keeps players hooked with its everyday mini-quests and missions, it gradually introduces cosmic horror elements through character testimonials and creepy visuals of the unchartered domains of the great oceans. Since the game has already set up a solid blueprint for the movie to follow, the live-action adaptation should be able to faithfully translate its brooding atmosphere and immersive storytelling.

The Dredge movie is being marketed as "A grounded atmospheric cosmic horror blend of HP Lovecraft and Ernest Hemingway.” (via Variety)

Three Filmmakers Would Be Perfect For The Dredge Live-Action Adaptation

Richard Stanley almost achieved the impossible by delivering a disturbing and captivating adaptation of HP Lovecraft's The Color Out of Space. He should have no trouble traversing Dredge to the live-action medium after his success with one of the most visually complex Lovecraftian stories. Since Dredge's official logline reads, “Think ‘The Sixth Sense’ on the water," it is also hard not to imagine M. Night Shyamalan as its director. Shyamalan has previously worked on acclaimed horror flicks like Signs, which might help him capture the eerie and otherworldly atmosphere of Dredge.

Robert Eggers would also be an intriguing choice to direct Dredge because he has previously dabbled with Lovecraftian themes in films like The Lighthouse.

M. Night Shyamalan is also gradually returning to form, proving that he deserves bigger and more exciting horror projects like Dredge. Robert Eggers would also be an intriguing choice to direct Dredge because he has previously dabbled with Lovecraftian themes in films like The Lighthouse. The Lighthouse's bleak island setting was also similar to Dredge's, allowing Eggers to bring his experience with filming The Lighthouse to Dredge. Regardless of who helms the Lovecraftian horror video game adaptation, the live-action Dregde already sounds incredibly exciting.