As i’ve gotten older my media preferences have changed, and there’s now a lot more horror in there ever than before. This is a genre that’s increasingly invaded the books I read, the films I watch, and now, the TV I binge.
Netflix has been surprisingly good at being a showcase for original horror series these past few years, and I think they’ve found a lot more success with the genre than something like, say, The Walking Dead, or worse, god, any of the American Horror Story(s).
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is the latest release from the network- an anthology horror series consisting of eight episodes from eight different directors, telling eight very different stories. Anything approved or influenced by del Toro in the slightest is immediately exciting, and having watched it all I left mostly impressed. Regarding the episodes, I thought I would leave some of my own thoughts here. I’m not ranking them however; I think there’s merit to be found in all depending on the individual watching.
Lot 36
This is the first episode of the series, and, all things considered, is a poor introduction of what’s to follow. The central concept is Storage Wars with an unexpected demonic discovery as found contents along the way, and while the idea is interesting, and the character a piece of shit with obvious hangups, it’s still a bit of a plod along. I think the last ten minutes or so are really fun, but the build-up to get there was very unfulfilling.
Graveyard Rats
This on the otherhand was lots of fun! A graverobber in over his head with debt starts getting desperate when raiding coffins, and keeps finding rats have gotten there before him. He goes deeper and dirtier to get loot to pay off his debt, and the story is a claustrophobic horror with a bleak and ironic outcome. My partner wasn’t that impressed with this one, but I found it’s tight simplicity it’s greatest strength; a perfect vignette of a concept that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome or end too soon.
The Autopsy
This opens with a bang, and with a series of smart reveals along the way, makes for an interesting episode. A coroner is sent for to investigate a mining sabotage, and the gruesome horror that caused it is slowly pieced together. If you look closely there are plotholes in the narrative, but with a collection of slow, considered, and incredibly shot scenes throughout, it’s hard to tear into this one too much. I enjoyed this a lot.
The Outside
Our good-natured but ultimately socially awkward and anxious protagonist struggles to fit in, desperate to make a connection with her shallow, superficial, sexy female coworkers. This story plays with our own self-doubt and examines the vapid awe of beauty standards and the appearances of others… a modern day Shirley Jackson! This episode felt remarkably out of place from the stories that preceded it, but it stands out in a big way, and I kind of don’t want to go into plot specifics too much as a result. Kate Miccuci delivers an endearing, captivating, and frightening performance in the episode, and the final few minutes of the episode are, I think, easily the finest of the whole series.
This one is a little jarring, but it’s lingered with me a lot. On a repeat watch it might actually be my favourite.
Pickman’s Model
This episode has a great aesthetic, brilliant monster design, and some excellent scenes. It’s based on the short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft, about an art student who’s sense of reality falters when they encounter distrubing art. I am unfamiliar with the source material! There’s a high production here, but it just felt incredibly lacklustre and subpar. I think this could have been tightened up quite a lot, the story seems to be there, but other than maybe a *few* minutes throughout, this was not a good investment of screentime.
Dreams in the Witch House
The monster design in this equally, is superb, but this was an absolute slog, and with little conviction. Rupert Grint plays a character who’s sister has died at a young age and has seemingly spent most of his life trying to connect with her, accidentally opening up a connection to a horrible force that torments him through a strange distant world. Which, on paper, all sounds fantastic, but I did not enjoy watching this unfold at all- it was staggeringly bland, and easily the worst of the season.
The Viewing
With a bit of 80s synth as a soundtrack, and a noise grain film filter applied, The Viewing was, to me, the most distinctive of all the episodes, looking and sounding as if from a different series altogether. In it, four strangers, talented in different fields are summoned to millionaire’s abode and given the opportunity to witness something incredible. The episode is largely dialogue -though cutting- and is incredibly compelling as it unravels and races to an unexpected climax and gruesome reveal. I loved this one a lot, weirdly, the one that felt the least del Toro.
The Murmuring
From early buzz this was the episode title I kept hearing brought up, and though it’s the last episode of the series, conversely it was the first watched. It’s directed by Jennifer Kent of Babadook fame, and currently my favourite of the bunch. Essie Davis and Andrew Lincoln are married birdwatchers, comitted to their craft, and go to a remote derelict island to record their findings. This is surprisingly the only ghost/haunted house story of the series, and what I liked most about this compared to the others was the stillness it had to it. The way it was shot, the silence, and the terrifying noises and audio clips that punctured those scenes. I found this episode the scariest, but, also the most relatable and human. Good horror.
Cabinet of Curiosities was fun! There was a lot to enjoy, and I found it very comparable to short story anthologies from the likes of Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, Richard Matheson et al.
I don’t believe a second series is confirmed yet, but it’s definitely something I would look forward to.
