From “Hellboy” – the portal opens!

Are you in the mood for a Lovecraftian movie? Look no further!

What follows is a list of Lovecraftian-themed films on Netflix (streaming) as of today, June 22, 2015. (I update this list every couple of months, so be sure to follow Lovecraft eZine via email — you can do that on the top right side of this page.)

(For a complete list of Lovecraftian movies that I recommend, click here, and for a list of Lovecraftian films currently free to watch on Youtube, click here.)

To watch the films, simply search for them on Netflix.  Here’s the list (my personal comments are in blue):

ABSENTIA: Highly recommended.  Tricia’s husband has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him ‘dead in absentia.’ As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house. As she begins to link it to other mysterious disappearances, she comes to the realization that his presumed death might be anything but ‘natural.’ Soon it becomes clear that the ghostly force at work in the tunnel might have set its sights on Callie and Tricia too.

BANSHEE CHAPTER: Definitely worth watching; reminds me of From Beyond (the story, not the movie).  On the trail of a missing friend who had been experimenting with mind-altering drugs, a young journalist  – aided by a rogue counter-culture writer — finds herself drawn into the dangerous world of top-secret government chemical research and the mystery of a disturbing radio signal of unknown origin. A fast-paced thriller blending fact and fiction, Banshee Chapter is based on real documents, actual test subject testimony, and uncovered secrets about covert programs run by the CIA.

THE DUNWICH HORROR: Not my cup of tea, but I know many like this campy older film.  A disturbed young man who hopes to open a demonic portal steals a book about black magic and attempts to sacrifice a trusting college student.

EUROPA REPORT: Highly recommended.  A unique blend of documentary, alternative history and science fiction thriller, EUROPA REPORT follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. When unmanned probes suggest that a hidden ocean could exist underneath Europa’s icy surface and may contain single-celled life, Europa Ventures, a privately funded space exploration company, sends six of the best astronauts from around the world to confirm the data and explore the revolutionary discoveries that may lie in the Europan ocean.

GRABBERS: Funny and very enjoyable.  Residents of an Irish island must get very drunk to survive attacks by alien monsters who can’t tolerate a high blood alcohol level in their victims.

HELLBOY: One of my favorite movies.  This fast-paced action flick tells the dark story of Hellboy, a charismatic demon who’s put on Earth by the Nazis to terrorize the rest of the world.

HONEYMOON: Suggested by Lovecraft eZine readers.  Newlywed bliss turns to paranoia after bride Bea sleepwalks outside a remote honeymoon cabin and scares groom Paul with her increasingly odd behavior.

JOHN DIES AT THE END: Definitely some Lovecraftian themes in this movie.  Promising a trip that transcends time and space, a drug called Soy Sauce is sweeping the landscape — and quietly robbing users of their humanity.

JUG FACE: Suggested by Lovecraft eZine readers.  A pregnant teen tries to flee her backwoods community when she learns she’s to be sacrificed to a monstrous beast that lives in a pit near her town.

MR. JONES: Suggested by Lovecraft eZine readers.  A filmmaker and his girlfriend find creative inspiration in a mysterious neighbor’s disturbing sculptures, but they may hide a terrifying secret.

OCULUS: Suggested by Lovecraft eZine readers.  Young adults, sibs Tim and Kaylie are still trying to recover from — and get to the bottom of — their parents’ deaths more than a decade ago.

PONTYPOOL: Highly recommended.  Some might see this as a zombie movie, but I see it as an example of an entity from another dimension manifesting in ours.  How would we perceive it?  In the small town of Pontypool, Ontario, former shock jock turned radio announcer Grant Mazzy drives through a blizzard on his way to work. When poor visibility forces him to stop his car, an underdressed woman appears on the road, startling him. Grant calls out to her, but she disappears into the storm, ominously repeating his words and visibly disturbing him. Grant eventually arrives at the radio station, where he works with technical assistant Laurel-Ann Drummond and station manager Sydney Briar.  As the morning proceeds, they get a report from their weather and traffic helicopter reporter Ken Loney about a possible riot at the office of Doctor Mendez in Pontypool. He describes a scene of chaos and carnage that results in numerous deaths, immediately grabbing Grant’s attention. After Ken is unexpectedly cut off, the group tries to confirm his report, but their witnesses are disconnected before they can get them on the airwaves. Ken calls back and reports that he has found the “infected” son of a well-known Pontypool citizen nearby, mumbling to himself…

RE-ANIMATOR: Again, not my cup of tea, but I know many Lovecraft fans love this movie.  Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, this campy send-up follows an egotistical medical student who develops a serum that miraculously revives the dead.

THE SHRINE: Highly recommended.  A blood-curdling tale of sacrificial cults, demonic possession and ancient evil. After a young American backpacker vanishes in Europe, three journalists trace his disappearance to a mysterious Polish village. They travel there hoping to get the story, but instead find a grotesque, fog-shrouded shrine and hostile locals hell-bent on serving up for their next ritualistic human sacrifice.

Enjoy! And if I missed any movies, let me know by commenting below.

Looking for a Lovecraftian book to read instead?