• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 2 Review – ‘Whitey’s On The Moon’

August 24, 2020 by Martin Carr

Martin Carr reviews the second episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country…

That showrunner Misha Green has already sampled playwright and novelist James Baldwin should be some indication of her intentions. This time by baiting certain American sensibilities through the inclusion of spoken word poem Whitey’s On The Moon, Green has thrown down the gauntlet and done so with defiance. Cultural beliefs are challenged, long held notions of ethnic segregation are called into question and past behaviours admonished against the backdrop of misguided tradition.

Holed up in the ancestral country home of Titus Braithwhite, itself a monument to persecution, exploitation and religious fervour, our protagonists are treated like gold dust. Every need either intellectual or otherwise is satisfied whilst they are afforded free rein in this monument to human subjugation. It flies in the face of convention by reversing ethnic expectations and empowering our protagonists. Back story is filtered down through shared visions, while biblical overtones are indulged, ritualistic tendencies sated and scenes of surgery embrace Hammer Horror genre tropes. Low lying mist permeates a nearby woodland, medieval huts encompass a singular stone tower of indeterminate function, while local occupants offer ominous advice and exude an air of disquiet. Mystical interventions, fantastical creatures and sacrificial altars also play their part, yet episode two works best in its combination of atmospherics combined with historical back story.

Majors as Atticus is still the foundation upon which Lovecraft Country rests, perfectly balancing an inquisitive nature alongside a self-evident intellect. Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Leti is feisty, resourceful and filled with southern sass, while Courtney B Vance offers a middle ground between them as a voice of maturity and balance. Beyond our trio of distinction others are broadly sketched stereotypes in comparison both dismissive, indifferent and inherently elitist despite their obvious distain for others.

Elements of H P Lovecraft come through in moments of mysticism but are undercut by an eclectic soundtrack selection and subtle subversion. This begins with a stripping away of genre conventions undermining the perceived cultural supremacy, which both empowers our principles and changes the rules. It is a subtle reminder that not every monster in this world comes on four legs bearing their fangs and baying for blood. Although plot and character progression in this show is solid, Lovecraft Country is intent on teaching audiences something much more fundamental about the human animal. It looks back on a time of ethnic isolationism, inhuman ignorance and cultural repression brandishing a creative cudgel.  Lovecraft Country speaks to a contemporary audience from a position of cultural change, where the content of a person’s character supersedes any other concern.

Martin Carr

 

Filed Under: Martin Carr, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Lovecraft Country

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Essential Action Movies of 1985

Underrated World War II Romance Movies For Your Watchlist

The Contemporary Queens of Action Cinema

Is Denis Villeneuve the Best Choice to Direct Bond?

6 Great Australian Crime Movies of the 1980s

Exploring George A. Romero’s Non-Zombie Movies

10 Iconic Movie Weapons Every Millennial Kid Wanted

Max Headroom: The Story Behind the 80s A.I. Icon

Philip K. Dick & Hollywood: The Essential Movie Adaptations

Great Vampire Movies You May Have Missed

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Pools (2025)

Movie Review – Relay (2025)

10 Great Twilight Zone-Style Movies For Your Watch List

Set course for the Delta Quadrant with Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown

Movie Review – Eden (2025)

Movie Review – The Map That Leads to You (2025)

Movie Review – Honey Don’t! (2025)

Naughty Video Games of Yesteryear

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

10 Great Horror Movies That Avoid the Director Sophomore Slump

Who is the Best Final Girl in Horror?

The Return of Cameron Diaz: Her Best Movies Worth Revisiting

10 Great Forgotten Erotic Thrillers You Need To See

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket