Lovecraftian horror is one of the most challenging subgenres to pull in the live-action medium, but one Netflix series manages to achieve the feat.

Some of the greatest horror authors, like Stephen King, have drawn from H.P. Lovecraft’s work. At the same time, many literary critics have also been vocal about the unnecessarily complex and ambiguous nature of his writing. It is these ambiguities in his descriptions of the “fear of the unknown” that make his work incredibly difficult to adapt in the live-action medium.

Only a few movies, like Annihilation, The Endless, The Thing, and Color Out of Space, among others, have managed to capture the true essence of his works. On the small screen, Netflix’s 8-part series is among the rare adaptations that get cosmic horror right.

Archive 81 Is The Only True Lovecraftian Horror Show On Netflix

Netflix is the streaming home of some incredible horror shows. The best ones among them are Mike Flanagan’s creations like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. When it comes to delivering pure Lovecraftian chills and thrills, however, Netflix seems to have a fairly limited collection. Some episodes of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities are perfectly attuned to cosmic horror’s creeping dread.

However, the only show on Netflix that fully embraces the existential terror and the unknowable vastness that defines true Lovecraftian storytelling is Archive 81.

Based on a podcast series of the same name, Archive 81 almost wears its Lovecraftian elements on its sleeves. It features everything from cosmic deities to obsessive cults, from otherworldly dimensions to forbidden rituals. As Archive 81 progresses and uses sound design to terrify viewers, it becomes hard not to see how it heavily draws from H.P. Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann.

The show also features a strange kind of mold, which has the ability to subtly warp the minds of anyone exposed to it. This comes off as the perfect reference to Color Out of Space. Even the main mystical figure at the center of its narrative seems like a direct nod to Lovecraft’s Great Old Ones.

With so many fascinating Lovecraftian elements in its story, Archive 81 is the perfect series for cosmic horror fans.

Netflix Canceled Archive 81 Too Soon

Archive 81 proved to be a sleeper hit on Netflix. Early reports suggested that after its critical and commercial success, the show was also greenlit for season 2. Unfortunately, despite ending on an ambiguous note in season 1, the series was soon canceled.

After all these years, it seems unlikely that Archive 81 will get a second chance.

However, the show still works quite well as a one-season self-contained descent into paranoia and cosmic dread. Viewers can also follow up the Netflix show with the original podcast, which tells a more complete story and dives even deeper into Lovecraftian elements.