This article is extremely high in spoilers for Cabinet of Curiosities, so if you haven’t seen it then check out ours Spoiler free review!
Guillermo del Toro has long been both a brilliant master and diligent student of horror. His latest creation, the Netflix anthology horror series Cabinet of Curiosities, reflects those sides of the Oscar-winning director in equal measure. While the eight horror-filled episodes are each gloriously dark in their own way and once again show del Toro’s great skill for curating and taste for genre storytelling, it’s the narrative role played by the director that we’re celebrating here today .
Each episode begins with del Toro exploring the titular cabinet. He introduces it to us even before the first entry, growing almost organically out of the ground. Here he lays the groundwork for the enchanting, spooky goodies each story will deliver. Behind each door is a carving, odd letter or memento that suggests where our viewing experience is leading us. It’s an artistic and at least partially practical creation that harkens back to older work by del Toro such as Cronos. Here is something tangible and horrible, a belief that you too could touch the closet and that if you did you might actually find something horrible inside. The cabinet is an effective prop, and one that connects del Toro and his introductions to those that influenced him.
Throughout his life, del Toro has spoken of his love for Alfred Hitchcock. He even wrote one when he was in his early 20s whole book in which he analyzed each of the director’s films. So it makes sense that Cabinet of Curiosities’ greatest inspiration would come from the classic television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Here, del Toro not only pays homage to his hero with stories packed with dynamism and suspense, but also as our terrifying guide through the horrors to come. In this 1955 series, originally aired on CBS and NBC, Hitchcock introduced each of the great stories in theatrical fashion. del Toro channels this, bringing a cold seriousness and detached respect for the doomed souls we’re about to meet. Just like Hitchcock before him, he uses props to draw us in, artifacts to make the fables feel more real.
It’s not just Hitchcock, however, as many viewers probably had Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone in mind when watching del Toro’s delightful interludes. And Serling was almost certainly an influence, although it’s more likely that it was his other – criminally underrated – horror-focused anthology series, Night Gallery, that really shaped Del Toro’s role as narrator. Like anyone who saw the haunting show as a child, the director was deeply affected. “I would go into utter anxiety attacks,” he said in one old job interview. “The only time I literally peed my pants from fear. I have that! I’m not talking figuratively! I released the bubble! It was a Night Gallery episode called ‘The Doll’ based on the short story by Algernon Blackwood. “
The Cabinet of Curiosities takes its form from the Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone in front of it. The series not only adapts stories from classic authors, but also includes stories from the mind of del Toro, just as Serling would write entries on those iconic shows. Just as del Toro has his cabinet, Serling had his surreal paintings that foreshadowed what was to come in his experimental and boundless stories. No wonder del Toro is obviously enjoying his role, following in the footsteps of two of his heroes, pioneers of genre storytelling. His cool and calm performance reflects Serling’s seriousness with a touch of Hitchcock’s deadpan composure. While the latter liked to poke fun at himself a little, del Toro and Serling share a sincerity, almost in awe of the stories they bring to us. And in Cabinet of Curiosities, del Toro also brings something of his own. It is a prophetic voice, a warning to let us know that pursuing these curiosities will come at a cost.
After watching the first season of Cabinet of Curiosities, it feels like del Toro has found a new niche for himself. It’s a role that both extends and capitalizes on his love of horror and filmmaking. It feels like a natural next step, another string in the award-winning director’s bow. Known for his incredible collection of horror ephemera and movie memorabilia, as he introduces us to the wonders in the Cabinet of Curiosities, it feels like he’s lifting that veil and giving us a glimpse of the nightmares that inspire him to scare us.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering everything from anime to comics to kaiju, children’s films and horror films. She has over half a decade of entertainment journalism experience with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon and others. Rosie is a published comics writer who has written, among other titles Godzilla Rivals vs Battra and The haunted high tops. She is the co-host of Crooked Media’s weekly pop culture podcast X-Ray Vision.
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