What is the plot of Lovecraft Country?

Atticus Freeman returns to Chicago, stops with his uncle George, to look for his father, who was last seen dating a white man in a luxury car. In this adventure through the roads of America, they are joined by Letitia Lewis, a childhood friend of Atticus, who is homeless and going through a bad economic situation. Three people of African descent who travel through these dangerous villages where their lives will always be in danger, because this is the 1950s, when hate and racism shamelessly reigned in all strata of that society.

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In that dangerous road trip of the protagonist trio, they will have to face the creatures inspired by the Lovecraft universe, but they will also have to face a creature more dangerous than any of those represented in the writer's stories, the racist man. This creature who still exists in our time, but who in the 1950s had a license to kill non-whites.

Lovecraf's stories were published in Pulp magazines, of which the main character of the series, Atticus, is a big fan. He likes to read Lovecraft, although paradoxically, the author was a racist. The creators of the series have played with this theme, tackling something as serious as racism, with the references of terror and science fiction of the renowned writer.

The series takes advantage of the burning issue of racism, which has gained importance in recent years, to remember all the injustices and crimes that were committed just a few decades ago, in which people were catalogued according to the color of their skin.

Although we constantly see productions in the cinema or on television about racism, I think it is important that there are always works on that subject, because people seem to forget the negative issues easily. Because we have a short memory, intolerance and discriminatory treatment based on skin color continues to be a problem in our world.

This is not a direct adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's work. The series adapts a novel published in 2016 by Matt Ruff, a successful science fiction author. His novel, with the same title as the series, is inspired by and uses elements of Lovecraft's work, making references within the story, because the characters have read his books.

The mix of the Lovecraft universe in the fifties, with African-American characters, works very well, I've seen the first two episodes, they've been very entertaining, the characters have charisma, we feel sympathy for them. The supernatural aspect can be a bit strange, the creatures and elements of Lovecraft have never been easy to adapt on screen. But what is interesting and scarier than the monsters are the white men in the series.

Most of the white characters in the series are evil, or that's the impression they give us. But it was the society of the time, where non-whites had to ride in the back of the bus, businesses that only served whites, etc. You have to go into the historical context in which the story takes place.

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The creator of the series is Jordan Peele, the man who surprised us with the film Get Out! and who has gained great recognition in recent years. I must admit that his latest productions, the movie Us and the remake of the series The Twilight Zone, have disappointed me. But I wanted to give this new HBO series a chance, and it seems that this time I was right. Lovecraft Country has that spirit of Pulp Story, with well-constructed characters.

But the credit doesn't just go to Peele, next to him is the producer and largely involved in the creative side of the series, the beloved and hated J.J. Abrams. The filmmaker behind the latest trilogy is Star Wars, the new versions of Star Treck, the series Alias, Fringe and Lost. In addition to other successful productions from the last two decades. You may hate him, but this man knows how to hook the audience into the stories.

Courtney B. Vance plays Uncle George, the character who loves to read the fantasy and horror genre. He is in charge of making the guide for black travelers, the famous green book so that people discriminated against because of their skin color can know where it is safe to be. You can see that the actor enjoys playing his character, with some funny situations. The actor was well known for his role in the series The Law and Order Criminal Intent, but gained further recognition for his performance of O.J. Simpson's defense attorney, Johnnie Cochran, in the first season of the American Crime Story series.

Actress Jurnee Smollett plays Letitia Lewis, Atticus' childhood friend who joins the trip. She is a very independent and tenacious woman. Her character is also fun, in contrast to Atticus' seriousness. Of course she will be the main character's love interest. The actress has been seen playing Black Canary in the film Birds of Prey. I liked her character in the series, besides the fact that she has a very attractive body.

Jonathan Majors is the main character, Atticus Freeman. He's a fan of Lovecraft's works, a former Korean War soldier with a rebellious spirit. He is determined to find his father and settle his affairs. We saw the actor in Spike Lee's latest production, Da 5 Bloods. Atticus' father is played by the extraordinary actor Michael Kenneth Williams. The presence of this actor was another factor that convinced me to see him. I am a fan of this actor and he doesn't deserve any introduction, just to tell you that he was Omar in the best series ever, The Wire. Besides playing Chalky White in Boradwalk Empire.

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