This article is part of a directory: Game Rant's Ultimate Netflix Guide
Table of contents

Guillermo del Toro is an absolute cinema lover — and a lover of all things art, for that matter. It’s really no surprise he’d use his own fame to help propel the work of other brilliant filmmakers, well-known or not. However, Del Toro’s wicked Cabinet of Curiosities series may suffer a bit from its own anthology concept, as not all of its stories posses the same amount of structure.

Suffice it to say, Cabinet of Curiosities is still brilliant. Its existence alone is proof that Del Toro is willing to back his oath to do what is needed to ensure great cinema is made, especially in the horror genre that he loves so much. If Netflix and the Spaniard do agree to produce another round of Curiosities for next year’s Halloween, can the formula be improved? Arguably, yes — though that may involve tinkering with the series’ entire premise.

RELATED: Best Horror Games on PlayStation Plus Premium & Extra (November 2022)

A Life For Cinema

Ben Barnes in Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities 'Pickman's Model' episode

Back in early October 2022, a quote tweet from Del Toro drew tons of attention. The director savagely criticized an article that dared to say Martin Scorsese had “debased his talent” — a wild and scandalous assertion, to say the least. Del Toro doubled down by saying: “If God offered to shorten my life to lengthen Scorsese's, I'd take the deal.” The statement is a pure testament to his admiration for Scorsese, but even more so for the man’s passion for cinema.

Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities embodies that very passion. It's the realization of the idea that a few talented visionaries should get to shoot the stories they want to make, unbridled by pesky studio executives or financial commitments. It’s possible that this is what’s driven the likes of Scorsese and Del Toro, or even comedians like Dave Chappelle, to become entangled with Netflix. It’s there where they may feel most comfortable expressing themselves through their art form, where Del Toro's Pinocchio can blossom, unlike Disney's failed remake.

Rupert Grint in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities 'Dreams in the Witch House' episode

Essentially, Del Toro is all “for the art of it and against the industry of it.” Yet although viewers are getting completely unfiltered stories in Cabinet of Curiosities, the format does lend itself to foregoing certain aspects of storytelling. It bears saying that the host is the first one to warn the audience of the series’ nature when he first explains what a Cabinet of Curiosities is in “Lot 36,” because this also happens to be a collection of all sorts of stories with varied themes and styles.

Cabinet of Curiosities’ episodes range from those inspired by classics like H.P. Lovecraft to the gorgeous sci-fi vibes in Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn’s “The Viewing.” But since the collection is rooted in Grand Guignol theater tradition, the story is rarely the most important element. Instead, it’s the sheer shock value, cinematography, or overall production design that makes many of the episodes shine, albeit also making them a bit forgettable after some time. Of course, do not count on Del Toro to intervene in any of this. That would defy his own promise of his Cabinet of Curiosities allowing other directors the pleasure of creating freely.

Not All Curiosities Are The Same

Cabinet-of-Curiosities-Graveyard-1

Naturally, Del Toro is hardly the first person to ever curate a horror anthology like this one. Other examples include Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Lights Out; 90s classics like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Tales from the Crypt, or Goosebumps; and, more recently, Masters of Horror and Black Mirror. However, all of these suffer the same issue: even the most die-hard horror fans would have a hard time remembering all of their entries due to the lack of a unified storyline.

Is a running storyline actually required? Not by any means. It’s possible to single out some Cabinet of Curiosities episodes that stand out from the others, due to being more focused on the characters themselves, rather than the themes. “Pickman’s Model” and “Dreams in the Witch House,” two Lovecraftian tales, come to mind, with the claustrophobic “Graveyard Rats” sitting far away on the opposite end.

Essie Davis in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Jennifer Kent 'The Murmuring'

In some cases, episodes like “The Murmuring” might become ingrained in the minds of viewers familiar with the director’s work, partly due to Jennifer Kent’s name being tied to motherhood themes thanks to her breakout film The Babadook. Nevertheless, episodes like “The Outside” lack the personality to distinguish itself from a generic Twilight Zone episode that deals with beauty and the price people are willing to pay for it. And it's precisely because a character like Stacey comes off as easily replaceable.

None of these observations should be taken as direct criticisms of Del Toro's selection, nor the directors’ end product. Rather they should be interpreted as cautionary for how much of a shame it would be for these Curiosities to be forgotten in time, unlike Del Toro's own unique gallery of monsters. Sure, art itself can be fleeting, but Netflix’s own American Horror Story is proof that these types of series can also have a more permanent effect.

At the end of the day, Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities remains an absolute treat for horror fans. Even if it doesn’t fit his artistic approach to guarantee a season 2, any qualms one might have with the short-lasting joy of its stories can also be solved by going out to see the work of these directors. After all, it’s his Cabinet of Curiosities, and only Del Toro gets to decide what makes it in.

MORE: Every Leaked Starter Evolution in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet