Colour Out of Space

Genre: Fantasy/SciFi, Horror
Rating: 15
Warnings: Body Horror, Gore, Self Harm

The works of HP Lovecraft are notoriously hard to bring to the screen: incomprehensible monsters, unseen horrors and unsettling atmospheres are not easily made into visuals. Hearing news that this was being made, my first thought was, "But how can they show a colour that isn't real?" and this was, unsuprisingly, my main disappointment. It's just a magenta pink.

But other than not achieving the impossible, this brave attempt at adaption was outstanding. Nicolas Cage brought his trademark nerdy and dramatic overacting, in one of his spot-on performances as a man driven out of his mind. Likewise, the director and other people behind the camera are clearly fans of the Cthulhu Mythos, judging by the sheer amount of references sprinkled throughout.

Where the film fell down on some of the original's unknowable aspects, it also excelled. Instead of a protagonist who can't comprehend what they saw or a witness too traumatised to explain, we have some truly disgusting body horror and the fate worse than death that comes with it. With this comes quite a lot of gore, and perhaps falling into the trap of mistaking gruesome for scary. These bloody moments are in stark contrast with the brilliance of the colour and framing; the moments that are not nauseating are a delight to see.

Keen eyes will enjoy the slow shifting in colour palette and distracted eyes will really enjoy the scenery and the house. The characters are developed far better than HP Lovecraft's stories often manage, and once the film has its fun with the red spray effects the ending really relies on the viewer caring about the fates of the characters. A tale with minimal "cosmic" in the "cosmic horror" the Cthulhu writer is known for, the visuals of the titular colour and visions lay the foundations for the cosmic elements of the mythos.

A thriller for fans of the story and newcomers alike, be sure there are adaptions to come.