this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Cosmic Horror

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A community to discuss Cosmic Horror in it's many forms; books, films, comics, art, TV, music, RPGs, video games etc.

"cosmic horror... is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock... themes of cosmic dread, forbidden and dangerous knowledge, madness, non-human influences on humanity, religion and superstition, fate and inevitability, and the risks associated with scientific discoveries... the sense that ordinary life is a thin shell over a reality that is so alien and abstract in comparison that merely contemplating it would damage the sanity of the ordinary person, insignificance and powerlessness at the cosmic scale..."

For more Lovecraft & Mythos-inspired Cosmic Horror:-!lovecraft_mythos@lemmy.world

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"In the modern age, Lovecraftian or eldritch horror has become more and more popular, with increasing numbers of films representing this particular subgenre of scary movie. Named after the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Lovecraftian horror refers to stories that lean on the specific tropes emblematic of the writer's work, including forbidden knowledge, cosmic dread, the insignificance of humanity, and creatures or entities that exist outside the boundaries of human perception. Also referred to as eldritch horror, this particular brand of scary movie has become incredibly popular in recent years.

The best Lovecraftian horror films delve heavily into the themes of Lovecraft's original works, or at least have a superficial surface-level relation to them on the grounds of imagery like Cthulu, the cephalopod-like entity and famous horror antagonist. Some eldritch horror movies are direct adaptations of Lovecraft's stories, whereas others simply take heavy inspiration from the genre while still ultimately creating something new. Whatever the case, many of the best Lovecraftian horror movies are relatively recent films..."

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[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 9 points 1 month ago

It's a decent list - I'd personally move Annihilation, The Lighthouse and Underwater down the list (or off it) in favour of films like The Thing, Cabin in the Woods, Prince of Darkness, Hellboy, From Beyond, Re-Animator, The Mist, The Resurrected, Possession, Silent Hill, Event Horizon and The Midnight Meat Train. At which point I'd probably want to split the list to Lovecraftian horror and cosmic horror.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago
[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And if you're too stingy to pay for a movie you can always follow US politics. Plenty of eldritch horror creatures there.

[–] xploit@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

That shit follows you no matter what, even if you're not American....now that's horror 😎