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Cthulhu

Play trailer Poster for Cthulhu R 2008 1h 49m Horror LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 29% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A Seattle history professor (Jason Cottle) encounters deadly cultists when he returns to his hometown to settle his late mother's estate.
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Cthulhu

Critics Reviews

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Mark Rahner Seattle Times 09/12/2008
1.5/4
Too much about the movie is just amateurish. Go to Full Review
Mark Olsen Los Angeles Times 08/22/2008
2/5
Cthulhu isn't awful, but it isn't particularly compelling either, as Glidark and Cogswell make their message so plain that it robs the story of its broader mysteries. Go to Full Review
Tim Cogshell Boxoffice Magazine 08/22/2008
3/5
As the creepy gives way to the criminal, and ultimately to the genuinely supernatural, Cthulhu maintains its grounding in the sort of real-world interests that holds one's attention without shocking demonstrations like dismemberment or decapitation. Go to Full Review
Steve Dread Central 04/27/2009
4/5
High on ambition and originality and the closest we've come to a true H.P. Lovecraft film. Go to Full Review
Maitland McDonagh Miss FlickChick 03/03/2009
Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth looms largest in this offbeat film's influences, and while it can't be called faithful ... it does have an authentically doom-haunted atmosphere. Go to Full Review
Brian Juergens AfterElton.com 10/30/2008
7/10
An assured, creepy effort that skillfully integrates gay themes and characters into a straight-up horror story. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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PridePosterStudios 09/21/2023 Cthulhu: “Kuh·thoo·loo” See more 05/25/2022 A little know and little regarded movie from 2007, I came across Cthulhu on a list of, I think, underrated horror films. It's got very few recognisable actors in it, with the biggest name probably being Tori Spelling, and the acting ranges from sedate to unhinged. There's a few good performances in it, including the lead Jason Cottle, who does feel like he's trying his best with the material he's been given. At times it seems like it's trying to be a commentary on homophobia in small town America, but at others it's a straight up cult horror film, with a few supernatural elements woven into it. It's not especially scary or even dramatic, and the ending is supposed to be ambiguous, but feels more like the cliffhanger at the end of a TV series that the network dropped before a resolution could be written. Very little about it is memorable, and I can't see it gracing many watch later lists. See it if you're curious, but if you choose not to, I promise you won't be missing anything. See more richard p 05/28/2021 Very interesting topic. captivating. See more 01/28/2020 Cthulhu is an entertaining, creepy, original story that anyone can enjoy, but is an absolute must-see for any fans of H.P. Lovecraft and his work. I'll admit right off the bat that this is more of a 4/4.5-star movie for me, but the audience score is criminally low and it deserves the boost from a 5-star rating. That being said, Cthulhu is definitively the best H.P. Lovecraft film adaptation I've ever seen, and I've seen them all. The well-paced story is incredibly well acted despite a no-name cast, and the excellent writing not only forgoes horror cliches but turns them on their head. The utilization of a gay protagonist, Jason Cottle as Russ, in a small religious town adds a unique wrinkle to the horror and slow-burning discomfort that is a staple of Lovecraft's stories. Cottle's performance is outstanding as he nails the relatable feelings of returning home to face a crazy family and a small town life he left behind. Perhaps most impressive was the the simmering romance with his childhood friend, who struggles with his sexuality and attraction to Cottle. Contrary to many movies in the genre where sex and love subplots are shoehorned into the film to show nudity or give characters a flimsy backstory, Cthulhu's use of the romantic subplot is powerful, believable, and a vital element to the story without detracting from the Lovecraftian vibes. While the pace of the film is excellent, my only complaint is that its 100-minute run time feels too short, though perhaps this, too, is an homage to Lovecraft's brevity. I would have loved to see the religious cult, the character of Cottle's father, and the town itself get some more screen time and more fleshing out. If not for that, this would be a perfect 5-stars. Still, it deserves the 5-star rating as the current audience score of 28% is bafflingly low. See more 08/10/2019 This feels like a bunch of students were given some cash to make a movie. Not media students. Not drama students. Probably dental students. It's as if a bunch of dentists made a movie....and argued a lot while they were making it. See more 07/28/2019 Interesting idea but some parts were not well acted. See more Read all reviews
Cthulhu

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Movie Info

Synopsis A Seattle history professor (Jason Cottle) encounters deadly cultists when he returns to his hometown to settle his late mother's estate.
Director
Dan Gildark
Screenwriter
Grant Cogswell, Jason Cottle
Distributor
Regent Releasing
Production Co
Arkham Northwest Productions, Cascadia Film Collective
Rating
R (Violence|Language|Some Sexuality|Nudity)
Genre
Horror, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 4, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.2K
Runtime
1h 49m
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