27 best horror shows to watch (and 14 shows you should skip)

Horror shows: Lovecraft Country

• Seasons: 1
• Created by: Misha Green
• Starring: Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, Aunjanue Ellis, Courtney B. Vance, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee, Jamie Chung, Jada Harris and Michael K. Williams
• Streaming: HBO

Even though HBO canceled the show after just one season, it’s hard to deny that Lovecraft Country made a big splash when it premiered. Not only did it break ratings records, but the series was one of the few horror shows out there to get tons of mainstream awards attention. Based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Country is about a young man named Atticus Freeman who joins his Uncle George and close friend Letitia to journey across 1950s Jim Crow America to find his missing father.

While searching, they encounter terrifying monsters and the racist horrors of white America with a combination of eldritch horrors straight from an H.P. Lovecraft story. Of course, part of the appeal of Lovecraft Country is the way it balances real political themes and explores the nuances of enjoying Lovecraft, an author who is praised for his genre work yet was also a known bigot.

How do you engage with an author’s work when they’re not a great person in real life? It’s one of the show’s many themes. Along with exploring the systematic problems built into our country’s foundation, Lovecraft Country is a timely and all-around engaging series with excellent performances from the entire cast.

Verdict: WATCH