The Call of Cthulhu
A grayscale silent-film nightmare turns a dead uncle’s papers into a portal to Lovecraftian cosmic terror.
Overview
A chilling exploration of ancient horrors lurking just beneath the surface of reality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- foreboding
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- silent cinema showcase
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an eerie, ambitious, and highly effective independent Lovecraft adaptation whose silent-film form and musical score make its cosmic horror distinctive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film is presented as a silent movie in grayscale with intertitles and a prominent musical score.
The plot connects the protagonist's family papers to an ancient horror whose release threatens the limits of human knowledge and control.
Sorting his late uncle's affairs leads The Man into notebooks and secrets involving Professor Angell, Henry Wilcox, and the Cthulhu cult.
The film's grayscale silent-film presentation and nightmare imagery create a stylized visual language for Lovecraftian terror.
Films like The Call of Cthulhu, and why
The Whisperer in Darkness
lovecraftian horror, cosmic dread, occult investigation, and an atmosphere of mounting existential terror
Nosferatu
silent-film aesthetic, expressionist imagery, gothic horror, and a compact descent into supernatural menace
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
experimental independent horror, occult mystery, and unsettling black-and-white visual storytelling
In the Mouth of Madness
cosmic horror, forbidden knowledge, cult activity, and psychological unease
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrew Leman
- Release Date
- 2006-04-03
- Runtime
- 47 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (180)
Cast
- Matt Foyer
- John Bolen
- Ralph Lucas
- Chad Fifer
- Susan Zucker
- Kalafatic Poole
- John Klemantaski
- Jason Owens
- D. Grigsby Poland
- David Mersault
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Call of Cthulhu about?
- A grayscale silent-film nightmare turns a dead uncle’s papers into a portal to Lovecraftian cosmic terror.
- What is The Call of Cthulhu like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Call of Cthulhu as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Call of Cthulhu violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Call of Cthulhu as mild.
- What did critics think of The Call of Cthulhu?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an eerie, ambitious, and highly effective independent Lovecraft adaptation whose silent-film form and musical score make its cosmic horror distinctive.
- Which films are like The Call of Cthulhu?
- Films with a similar feel include The Whisperer in Darkness, Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and In the Mouth of Madness.
- How long is The Call of Cthulhu?
- The Call of Cthulhu runs 47 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Call of Cthulhu?
- In United States, The Call of Cthulhu is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
