By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
The first series of this anthology stories, each presented by Guillermo del Toro himself, consists of eight tales of terror – Lot 36, Graveyard Rats, The Autopsy, The Outside, Pickman’s Model, Dreams in the Witch House, The Viewing, and The Murmuring. These tales originate from short and original stories by various horror, comic, and science fiction writers such as Henry Kuttner, David S Goyer, Emily Carroll, H. P. Lovecraft, and the man himself Guillermo del Toro. With many writers, we also get multiple directors, from long-time del Toro collaborator Guillermo Navarro, indie trailblazer Ana Lily Amirpour and established and experienced directors such as Catherine Hardwicke. All these different combinations make for such a unique and varied selection of writing and filming styles that works well within the framework of an anthology series. Yet, despite all the differences, the themes, tones, and visual presentation of these eight tales complement each other very well.
As wide and varied as the creative minds were, the same can be said for the cast, which included a host of incredibly talented performers! Andrew Lincoln, Tim Blake Nelson, David Hewlett, F. Murray Abraham, Kate Micucci, Ben Barnes, Crispin Glover, Rupert Grint, Sofia Boutella, Essie Davis, Dan Stevens, and Peter Weller are just some of the names that brought their A-Game to the series. There were also a fair few familiar faces to fans of Supernatural, with the likes of Julian Richings, Sebastian Roché, and DJ Qualls all making an appearance that instantly put a smile on my face. It was also great to see Ismael Cruz Córdova back on my screen, as I miss seeing him now that The Rings of Power has finished! I think the cast was consistently brilliant through the eight episodes and the high standard of performance was just as reflective as the writing and the visual presentation.
As with any anthology series, there are some highs and lows in terms of elements within individual episodes, but overall, I think all eight stories are delightful. I had a natural leaning towards Pickman’s Model and Dreams in the Witch House because of the Lovecraft factor, but I also enjoyed Graveyard Rats, which was a more comedic approach to horror storytelling. Likewise, I thought The Outside was a very strong feminist horror and as it was told through the female gaze, I think that offered something very unique that made it stand apart from the rest. There wasn’t a single episode that left me disappointed and at no point did I have that sense of “I’m not feeling this one”. As well as horror, there were some black comedy moments flittered into some of the tales, and there was plenty of satire thrown into the mix as well, which was a very welcome addition.
In terms of the production, I immediately fell in love with the creative decision to ensure there are lots of practical effects to supplement the digital elements. When you have mutated creatures and horrors from the abyss, it could be very each to go down the digital route, but with Guillermo del Toro overseeing the framework of the series, this ensured that the magical and practical artistry that he embraces so much was a focal point for the horror. Despite there being multiple directors and writers involved, every element still feels like it belongs to something associated with Guillermo del Toro, yet at no point does this stifle or limit any of the individual creators.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and next Halloween I will be sitting here reviewing a second series! The calibre of the stories, presentation, writers, directors, and cast have been first-class, I will be dumbfounded if we do not get another batch of horrific tales from the cabinet!
X-Geeks 