Lovecraft in Action: The Void

There are not as many straight Lovecraft adaptations in the cinematic world as there should be, and even less of them that are good. Thankfully, the stars aligned to give us one more good one with The Void. While focusing on no Lovecraft story in particular, the feel of an eldritch story was just right in this action-oriented horror film where the world goes to shit, with a mysterious cult watching.

The Void didn't pull any punches - it starts right off with a rather grizzly murder scene, and the narrative tension crescendos to a frenzied pitch in very short order. They don't spare you the gory details, which I love, and the over-the-top effects and scenarios where unspeakable horrors invade a nearly abandoned hospital really worked in such a beautifully organic way to convey the bizarre and dire turn the world has taken.

The physical traumas inflicted in the film (there are many), were compelling, as were the characters behind them, but what really clinched it for me was when the movie showed simultaneous restraint. I refer to the very powerful imagery associated with the cult itself. Its presence was more static in nature, at great odds to the urgent momentum of the characters, and it was all the more menacing for it. It gave just the right impression of all-seeing all-knowing power without turning the cultists themselves into maniacs. And we have one very intriguing character who is a hint of a bridge between the unknowable intentions of the cult and the monstrous events infiltrating the hospital to add that extra layer of intrigue.

It reminded me very much of the atmosphere of a Lovecraftian video game-a perfect balance between pulse-pounding action and the cosmically horrific. I highly recommend this to all fans of the Cthulhu mythos, as well as those who love a little blood and guts. Or a lot. You'll be satisfied on all fronts.

K Rating: 4.5/5

Mmm... maybe you don't want to open a portal to other worlds. Just sayin'