Review: "Cthulhu" an Assured, Creepy Gay Horror Flick

Yes, Donna Martin does appear for a few scenes in Cthuhlu ... and oddly, though the movie is strong enough on its own to not need whatever bump in credibility an appearance by a former TV star might add, it's not a wasted cameo or offhand gesture. She actually plays against type quite well as a friend of his sister who clearly has eyes for Russ, which her paraplegic husband seems fine with. But does she have ulterior motives?

Based loosely on the wonderfully creepy mythology of legendary horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, Cthulhu is all damp Pacific twilights, creaky old houses and salty breaths of sea air. The film is positively dripping with atmosphere, which is something that most low-budget horror movies lack. (If you're a fan of the writer's work, this is really more akin to The Shadow Over Innsmouth, as Cthulhu himself isn't really involved other than as a reference.)

And what's more, though Lovecraft had no explicitly gay themes to speak of in his wonderfully moody works, Cthulhu incorporates the gay element beautifully, giving us a believable gay lead gay character whose issues are far more intense than the standard coming-out problems or generic family discord that most gay characters get to chew on. I mean, I loved The Family Stone as much as the next guy, but wouldn't all the dinner-table bickering have been vastly improved by a scene where slimy fetuses pop out of the basement ceiling? Cthulhu's got that covered.

Cthulhu is the rare gay genre film that manages to serve both its masters without alienating either core audience. It's unapologetically gay, with a gay lead character, gay issues and themes, and man-on-man sex scenes. But Russ is very accessible as a character, and the movie doesn't feel like it's preaching a message of tolerance or winking at an insider audience, so any straight viewer who picks up the flick shouldn't be turned off when they realize that they've rented ... *GASP* ... a gay movie.

On the other hand, it's also a straight-up horror movie. There are thrills, wonderfully creepy suspense sequences, deaths (some expected, some not) and some blood and slimy stuff. But we're not talking Hostel or Saw here, so even casual horror fans or gay viewers who aren't horror fans looking for a solid gay film will have no trouble making it through. 

Spooky goings-on, unrequited gay loves and paranoid delusions aside, where Cthulhu really succeeds is in nailing the archaically creepy atmosphere of its source material. Lovecraft's stories were about vast, ancient conspiracies that threatened to pull apart the fiber of the contemporary world, of leviathan sea gods who waited to return to power on land, and witches who held the keys to unlock powerful, terrible dimensions.