Netflix’s ‘Cabinet Of Curiosities’ Is Worth Your Time And Perfect Halloween Viewing

Netflix is certainly pretty hit or miss with whatever comes racing up or down its Top 10 lists these days, but every so often they get it just right. That’s certainly the case with Cabinet of Curiosities, the Guillermo del Toro passion project that features eight directors adapting eight different horror stories in individual episodes for the anthology.

It is absolutely incredible.

As a huge horror fan, this project is a dream, and even though I still have the last few to go, I have yet to see a single bad entry here. Each episode is more twisted and unsettling than the last. The Autopsy has imagery that is going to be seared into my brain for a long time. Pickman’s Model has a finale so disturbing I don’t think I can even write it down here. The one that has stayed with me the most is probably The Outside, starring Kate Micucci giving an all-time bonkers performance under the direction of Ana Lily Amirpour, who did the horror classic, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. Del Toro has assembled quite an all-star squad here.

The genres are all over place. There are several direct adaptations of Lovecraft stories, and while demons are a common theme, they are not the only featured villains. Most of them are kind of linked to a central Dark God to a certain extent, but in stories like Graveyard Rats, one of the main antagonist is a disgusting, animatronic rat chasing a guy through tunnels under a graveyard. Micucci’s foil is Dan Stevens, selling her dangerous beauty products through her TV.

It’s easy to see how this could become a regular thing for Netflix, similar to what they do with sci-fi and animation for Love, Death and Robots. It’s a brilliant showcase for horror directors and writers, and I would love to see Del Toro introducing another eight of these episodes every year around Halloween time, though I don’t know if that’s the plan. Right now, the show is hovering at #2 on Netflix’s top 10 list, and while it may not make it to the top spot, it’s one of those instances where Netflix just has to realize the quality they have on hand here, and make sure to promote it and renew it accordingly.

For now, absolutely watch Cabinet of Curiosities if you’re looking to be spooked or grossed out this weekend. Really cannot recommend it for the faint of heart, and I say that as a seasoned horror veteran. If you have kids you may want to skip Pickman’s Model altogether.

Let me know what you think. I might do a ranking order of all these soon enough here.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.