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Now before I get into this, let's get the elephant out of the room. Yes, H.P. Lovecraft is racist. However the man's been dead for nearly a century at this point and you're bringing the shit up now? Are you really that insecure about your lives that you like to figuratively and literally piss on corpses? If you want to fight injustice, seek out those currently causing it if they're still alive. Who gives a fuck if a guy who is literally dust and wormfood right now was racist back then. Shut the fuck up and move on.
Color Out of Space was based off the short story "The Colour Out of Space" written by Lovecraft in 1927. A work he personally considers his favourite and for good reason.
Color Out of Space was filmed in 2019, was distributed in the same year at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was one of the last known theatrical releases in January 2020, before the Covid-19 outbreak became international. What a way to end an era of movie going and I'll explain why later.
The movie stars Nicolas Cage going back to his roots as the crazy bastard we know and love. He plays Nathan Gardner the patriarch of the Gardner Family who live on a vast farmhouse in Arkham Massachusetts. A recurring town in Lovecraft's works. The family consists of five including him. his Wife Theresa played by Joey Richardson. A business woman who survived a mastectomy while recovering from breast cancer. Their daughter Lavinia played by Madeline Arthur. A Wiccan teenager who is desperate to get out of both the land and the town. Their oldest son Benny played by Brenden Meyer. A stoner who is obsessed with astronomy. Their youngest son Jack played by Jullian Hilliard. A naive, imaginative child who is very close with everyone else in the family. They all live here, because the farmland is owned by his late father. Part of which so Theresa can go back to work while continuing to recover, while Nathan tries to wing it as a farmer. Raising fruits, veggies and Alpacas. The latter of which, he's convinced are the animals of the future in terms of meat and dairy. They are met by Ward Phillips played by Elliot knight. (A play on H.P.'s real name. Howard Phillips.) A hydrologist who was doing a survey on the land the Gardener's house is on, as part of a project to construct a dam for Arkham's drinking water supply. While also housing a squatter named Ezra played by Tommy Chong. A former electrician who lives completely off the grid and serves as the oracle of the story.
As Ward camps out near the farmland, a meteor hits the ground. Causing an explosion of Color unlike anything anyone has seen before. However the result of which starts a slow downward spiral of this once somewhat functioning family. Ward discovers through Ezra that the well water that currently supplies the land, has been tainted with a film like substance. Which causes anyone and anything in contact with it various unpredictable and uncontrollable events. From hallucinations, to mutations of the local flora and fauna. To even the perception of time. In an attempt to stop these events, Lavinia consults the Necronomicon, only to make things worse. Nathan starts to slowly unravel mentally. While Jack and Theresa become fused together into some horrible monstrosity. As things begin to fall apart, Ward discovers the source of it. The Color, whether by accident or incident has latched onto and fed on the lifeforce of any who came into contact with the well water. Sucking the life, nutrients and even natural color of the flora and fauna that consumed it. Those unlucky enough to keep drinking the water through various ways, be it tap water, or in Nathan's case, ice cubes for his bourbon, eventually die and become white ash. Provided they didn't get killed before hand by other means. Such as Nathan putting down the monster hybrid of Jack and Theresa, Benny getting disintegrated by the Color's full blast while trapped in the well, Nathan getting shot by the police, Lavinia sacrificing herself to the Color. The latter of which happens after she shows Ward the Color's planet of origin. A tentacle filled planet that may or may not be connected to the ruins that Lavinia carved on her body, but most of all may or may not most likely be R'lyeh. As the Color begins to leave the area, it starts warping everything around it. Ward in a desperate attempt to ride it out safely hides in the farmhouse. After fending off a resurrected Nathan, he locks himself in the wine cellar while the Color destroys everything around it. The farmland now completely devoid of all color. In a bid to halt what's left of the Color that lingers behind, Ward convinces the mayor to have the dam water be put over what was left of the land. Vowing to never drink it.
The movie has everything. Cage going nuts, disturbing music from Colin Stetson, astonishing special effects and lot's of surprises.
For example, up until I seen his performance, I've often been used to Tommy Chong's stoner comedy roles. Yet his final recording while Ward and the Sheriff discover his dying corpse burned right into my mind. You heard it folks, Tommy Chong scared the hell out of me.
The movie was also meant to be part of a larger cinematic universe. A Lovecraftian world meant to rival that of DCEU and MCU. I say go for it. Give these horrors from The Color to Herbert West a chance to shine in their own world.
Also be sure to check out the other stories and movies based on Lovecraft's works. They're worth the wait.
Take care, stay safe and whatever you do, don't drink the water. It sucks and it burns.
