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Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country

Take back your legacy.

2020Ended1 season10 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

The anthology horror series follows 25-year-old Atticus Freeman, who joins up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America to find his missing father. They must survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the malevolent spirits that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Lovecraft Country?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Lovecraft Country streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Rent / Buy

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Highlights

What stands out about Lovecraft Country?

Lovecraft Country earns 4 badges, led by Visual feast and Preferred by US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Lovecraft Country worth watching?

Lovecraft Country's Midcredits score is the 53rd percentile of all shows, from 53K ratings across 2 sources. 72% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

53rd percentile

Better received than 53% of shows

49th percentile among Drama58th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)52nd
Approval (how many liked it)53rd

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

71 /100

52nd percentile of all shows

51st percentile among Drama57th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

72% liked it

53rd percentile of all shows

47th percentile among Drama59th percentile among 2020s
72% rated it 7–1028% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

96th percentile

52K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 50% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the series is ambitious in blending 1950s Jim Crow racism with supernatural elements but suffers from an unfocused, overstuffed story.

Fans praised

  • Strong performances from the ensemble cast
  • Visually stunning production design and cinematography
  • Unique blend of historical racism with supernatural horror

Detractors panned

  • Convoluted and disjointed narrative
  • Overreliance on racial messaging at expense of coherent plot
  • Poor CGI and inconsistent tone

What stands out

Cinematography78

Beautiful period recreation and visual style

Acting75

Praised especially Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett; detractors say actors were wasted on weak script

TensionDivisive65

Racial persecution scenes often more gripping than supernatural threats

CharactersDivisive52

Fans liked complex leads; detractors found them flat, stereotypes, or unlikable

Effects and spectacle45

Fans enjoyed monster designs; detractors called CGI laughable or amateur

Plot and storyDivisive35

Disjointed, overstuffed with subplots, lost focus after early episodes

Pacing30

Uneven, rushed early then meandering; often felt like anthology

Ending25

Widely seen as unsatisfying, rushed, or thematically contradictory

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 27 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 35 points higher than non-US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2020 · 10 episodes · 5.9 average across 10 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Sundown

    Aug 16, 202065 minTMDB rating 7.3Season best
  • S1E2

    Whitey's on the Moon

    Aug 23, 202055 minTMDB rating 6.0
  • S1E3

    Holy Ghost

    Aug 30, 202055 minTMDB rating 6.2
  • S1E4

    A History of Violence

    Sep 6, 202056 minTMDB rating 5.9
  • S1E5

    Strange Case

    Sep 13, 202056 minTMDB rating 5.4
  • S1E6

    Meet Me in Daegu

    Sep 20, 202058 minTMDB rating 5.9

Watch experience

What is Lovecraft Country like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 3% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats its racial and cosmic horror with unflinching sincerity, blending historical oppression with Lovecraftian terrors without irony.
The rideThe series builds a sustained sense of dread and tension, with the emotional weight peaking in the later episodes as the quest concludes and personal costs are revealed.
StructureThe series is serialized but told in a largely linear order following Atticus's journey.
Episode formatThe show is a single continuous story told over 10 episodes; each episode is a chapter advancing the central quest and character arcs.
Season formatThe show ran for one season completing one story arc, functioning as a limited series.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series lingers as a meditation on systemic racism wrapped in cosmic horror, leaving both intellectual questions and eerie images.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% (this title) · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

6% of shows fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe central narrative is Atticus Freeman's journey across 1950s America to find his missing father, encountering both racist oppression and Lovecraftian monsters.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% (this title) · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityOppression · 2% of showsSurvival · 12% of shows
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores Black identity in the 1950s Jim Crow South, interwoven with supernatural threats and systemic oppression.
StanceThe series mourns the toll of systemic racism and the trauma it inflicts on Black individuals and communities, while also celebrating resilience.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralDomesticInstitutionalFantasy
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score
Setting1950s America, a journey through segregated towns and occult societies

Content guide

Is Lovecraft Country okay for kids?

TV-MA

Lovecraft Country is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at intense (72/100), language at intense (70/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (58/100) and frightening material at severe (84/100). Overall it is heavier than 86% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland15
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM14
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland18
  • RO18
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 93% of all showsHeavier than 86% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 83%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 57%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 58%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 87%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, sexual content, and language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Lovecraft Country have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Lovecraft Country?

Cast

Jurnee Smollett
as Letitia 'Leti' Lewis
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jonathan Majors
as Atticus Freeman
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
as Hippolyta Freeman
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Wunmi Mosaku
as Ruby Baptiste
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Abbey Lee
as Christina Braithwhite
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Jamie Chung
as Ji-Ah
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Jada Harris
as Diana Freeman
Michael Kenneth Williams
as Montrose Freeman
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jordan Patrick Smith
as William
Jamie Neumann
as Dell
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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What other shows share a tag with Lovecraft Country?

12 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: cosmic horror. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.