Cosmic Horror

278 readers

23 users here now

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..."

Wikipedia

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

founded 3 weeks ago

MODERATORS

9 Greatest Cosmic Horror Movies of All Time (www.cbr.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by Emperor@feddit.uk to c/cosmichorror@lemm.ee

12 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Cosmic horror has been established as one of the most chilling sub-genres in horror cinema. With a focus on the unknown, isolation, and the human mind, cosmic horror plays on the imaginations of audiences rather than going all out on gore and jump scares. Instead of ghosts, serial killers, or vampires, these stories focus on the endless possibilities of the universe's fictional horrors.

Early 20th-century author H.P. Lovecraft gave Cosmic horror prominence through stories like At the Mountain of Madness, The Hound, and The Call of Cthulhu. The genre can be challenging to pull off in cinema, but plenty of films have tried to capture the terror of the unknown and unimaginable. Everything from stories of paranoia to questions about reality itself has made up cosmic horror in cinema.

They are:

The Thing
In the Mouth of Madness
Event Horizon
The Lighthouse
Phantoms
The Void
The Mist
Bird Box
Color Out of Space

top 12 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] toothbrush@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I'd add "Annihilation" to the mix. Its a newer movie inspired by "the color out of space", however the story goes a different way. Its a great atmospheric horror movie!

[–] SlapnutsGT@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I highly recommend the books. This reminds me of how The Shining was adapted. Movie does its own thing but both the book and movie are solid.

[–] Lev_Astov@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I read the Annihilation books first and so was almost disappointed by the movie, but they did it differently in such a good way that I still really loved it in the end. Excellent stuff all around.

[–] mipadaitu@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Dammit, was hoping for some good new recommendations, but I've already seen all of them!

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

If you haven't seen Spring, I'd say give that a shot. It's a genre-bender, so don't go in expecting straight up horror, but it has its moments. The directing duo specialize in cosmic horror, and you could do worse than watching all of their flicks. Resolution and The Endless are two other great ones from them.

[–] mipadaitu@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you, Spring was very good.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 2 points 3 weeks ago

I own them all - highly recommended.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 3 points 3 weeks ago

That kind of list is always going to be a greatest hits starter. I have a list of Lovecraftian films that might have something new to you.

[–] Broken_Monitor@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Do not read this article if you don’t want spoilers for any of these movies. Most of the blurbs contain some pretty massive ones and a few of the images do too.

[–] _core@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Empty Man

Malum

Autopsy of Jane Doe

[–] SlapnutsGT@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

The Void is one of my favorite movies. Highly recommended to anyone who hasn’t seen it.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Shame they didn't end up doing the gone world. If you haven't read the book I highly recommend it.