Think about your worst nightmare and imagine if it happened to you. How would you feel? Scared out of your pants, right? “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” is a Netflix show that revolves around horror stories.
Horror stories have been told in many different ways throughout history to scare people or give them the creeps. When you become uncomfortable with the story you hear, you likely either want to shut it out, or you form goosebumps in response. “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” differs from every other horror TV show or movie because different directors filmed each episode in their own style. The goal of each director is to make viewers uncomfortable, anxious, scared, unsure and confused. The show leaves you with questions unanswered or your mind wandering, pondering the what ifs.
Each episode has its own unique concept. There are eight in total: “Lot 36,” “Graveyard Rats,” “The Autopsy,” “The Outside,” “Pickman’s Model,” “Dreams in the Witch House,” “The Viewing” and “The Murmuring.” Guillermo Navarro, Vincenzo Natali, Catherine Hardwicke and Jennifer Kent are the directors that audiences would be familiar with because of their past work. Guillermo Navarro directed the first episode and collaborated with del Toro to film an adaptation of del Toro’s short story, “Lot 36.” Vincenzo Natali, known for “Cube” (1997), directed the episode “Graveyard Rats.” He brought back David Hewlett, one of the actors from “Cube” to work with him in this episode. Catherine Hardwicke, known for her love of vampires and werewolves, directed “Red Riding Hood” (2011).
In this series, she created “Dreams in the Witch House,” starring Rupert Grint from “Harry Potter.” Grint does a fantastic job in this episode because he pulls the viewers’ heartstrings and gets them to root for him. Jennifer Kent directed “The Babadook” (2014) with Essie Davis, who also returned to work with Kent for the last episode, “The Murmuring.” “The Murmuring” is another original story by del Toro. Davis also does a great job in her role in “The Murmuring” through her depiction of grief overtime. To understand more, you have to watch “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” for yourself. Be warned, some episodes will cause goosebumps and make you want to look away, but the series will entrance you.
As I watched this series, I was hooked on each episode as there was always something new. With only eight hour-long episodes, the show is well worthwhile. A few episodes left me with more questions than answers because I wondered what would happen to the characters and the monsters at the end. However, I do have a few favorite episodes that I immensely enjoyed because of their storylines and cinematography. The way they filmed the scenes made me feel concerned or uneasy because of the atmosphere of the episode. These standout episodes are “Lot 36,” “Pickman’s Model” and “Dreams in the Witch House.” I also enjoyed that each episode has its own horror feel, from the sense of dread to the apprehensive feel of the scene.
“Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” is available on Netflix. I suggest you grab a friend or your partner and watch this series. And try to remember, the monsters are not real; they won’t hurt you.
By Ayla Hooper