Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities TV Review

Plot: Acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmaker-creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Guillermo del Toro has curated a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories designed to challenge our traditional notions of horror. From macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque, or classically spooky, these eight stories (including two del Toro original stories) that are as sophisticated as they are spooky are brought to life by a team of writers and directors hand-picked by del Toro.

Review: Guillermo Del Toro is as well known for his brilliant forays into the genre as for the numerous projects he never completed. For each The shape of the water or Crimson Peak, there are dozens of other ideas that Del Toro came up with but were unable to complete or even reach production. As an accomplished producer as well as director, Del Toro has found an outlet for his creative vision by hiring a team of filmmakers to adapt the stories that have long fascinated him. cabinet of curiosities is deeply rooted in the tone, style and vision of Guillermo Del Toro’s own work, but expands on the talents of other writers and directors for perhaps the best horror anthology ever brought to screen.

premiered this week over the course of four days, cabinet of curiosities consists of eight short films that differ in their locations as well as in their type of horror. With each entry, Guillermo Del Toro himself emulates Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling, introducing the half-dozen stories with a cryptic message and the specific object that inspired the story, before giving the episode title and the name of the filmmaker responsible . It’s a wonderful homage to the anthologies that inspired Del Toro and the entourage of directors involved here, and also sets the viewer in anticipation of what the series is about. From the start I was captivated by the stories it contained. The first entry, “Lot 36,” is based on a short story by Del Toro that he adapted with Regina Corrado. Starring Tim Blake Nelson, the story is a Lovecraftian nightmare that blends the social elements of early 1990s America with an eternal evil that seeps through the series. Thanks to director Guillermo Navarro, this is a spooky and moody opener to the anthology.

Lovecraft is a major thematic influence on the entire series, with two episodes, director Catherine Hardwicke’s “Dreams in the Witch House” and director Keith Thomas’s “Pickman’s Model,” which are adaptations of smaller stories than Del Toros long-awaited In the mountains of madness. If this series proves anything, it’s that there’s plenty of room for Lovecraftian horror on the small screen, given a reasonable budget. This series has solid production values ​​and is able to tell stories in both past and contemporary locations without anything feeling like it was made on a TV budget. A case in point are the episodes The Graveyard Rats, set in the 19th century, and The Autopsy, set in an eerie and timeless 1970s rural setting. Both episodes, directed by VIncenzo Natali and David Prior, are brutal, surreal and really good.

There are also episodes of Ana Lily Amirpour (“The Outside”) and Panos Cosmatos (“The Viewing”) that blew my expectations for this series. The cast is absolutely fantastic, with everyone from F. Murray Abraham, Peter Weller, Crispin Glover, Dan Stevens and Eric Andre delivering outstanding performances that set this show apart from more mushy horror anthologies like Tales from the Crypt and even Ryan Murphys American Horror Story. Some of these stories are elegiac and somber, while others have a morbid sense of humor. Neither of these stories feel like a TV series, more like short films that only run for about an hour. Some are shorter, some longer, but all feel like they exist in a sweet spot between the big and small screen.

The highlight of this series is the eighth and final episode “The Murmur”. Based on another short story by Guillermo Del Toro, written and directed by Jennifer Kent. In her first true horror production since the babadook, Together, Kent and Del Toro create one of the best horror stories I’ve ever seen. There’s so much I’d like to say about The Murmuring, but it’s a must see and preferably before Halloween. Seriously, it will freak you out in the best possible way. And from the opening sequence to the unique music and titles of each episode, cabinet of curiosities feels more like a gathering of unique visionaries than a director’s work.

cabinet of curiosities represents the all-star team of creative talent assembled by Guillermo Del Toro to tell us stories that probably never would have made it to the big screen without streaming services like Netflix. With solid budgets and creative freedom, this is one show I hope returns with more spooky stories in the dark for years to come. Guillermo Del Toro can’t do everything on his own and now this series proves that being able to lead the team under him to achieve his vision is just as good as directing it himself. cabinet of curiosities has a unique rollout with two episodes premiering every night this week, giving everyone just enough time to curl up before Halloween weekend. And believe me, you will get the creeps.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Premieres two episodes every day on Netflix from October 25th to October 28th.

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