10/10 Anthologies Are Rare, But Guillermo del Toro’s 8-Part Netflix Horror Is Perfect From Start To Finish

While there are a lot of good horror anthology shows, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a rare entry into the genre from Netflix that has no bad episodes. Looking back at the many great anthology shows that no one remembers, it is striking to see how many underrated horror shows dot that list.

From the short-lived Monsterland to Fear Itself, there are plenty of entries into the genre that are arguably just as good as Tales from the Crypt and Masters of Horror, but never received the same acclaim. Master of horror Guillermo del Toro made one such series himself in 2022, when he released Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities in time for Halloween.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Is An Iconic Horror Anthology Series

Each episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is introduced by the director himself in a nod to Rod Serling’s iconic introductions to the original episodes of The Twilight Zone. From there, however, all bets are off. Each of the Netflix show’s eight episodes tells a completely different original story, ranging from Lovecraftian period pieces to gross-out body horror.

While Guillermo Navarro’s “Lot 36” is a tense crime thriller that gradually morphs into something more terrifying, The Empty Man director David Prior’s “The Autopsy” is an ingenious two-hander that proves as clever as it is unsettling. Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Outside” is a goofy, gruesome satire whose takedown of the beauty industry effectively predicted The Substance.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Adds A Killer Twist To The Horror Anthology Format

Both Keith Thomas and Twilight’s Cathrine Hardwicke offer fresh takes on HP Lovecraft stories in their episodes, while Mandy’s Panos Cosmatos provides the most gleefully surreal entry into the series with “The Viewing.” However, the mood shifts one final time in “The Murmuring,” a haunting, elegiac ghost story from The Babadook’s Jennifer Kent.

Based on a short story by del Toro himself, “The Murmuring” is as much a meditation on grief as it is a scare delivery system. With a different director for every episode, the show’s tone varies wildly from each outing to the next, and this proves to be the show’s strong suit throughout its unpredictable run.

While del Toro praised M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller Servant, that series ran into the same issue that plagues many small-screen horror efforts. It can be tough for TV shows to maintain a creepy atmosphere throughout a multi-episode or multi-season story, which makes the shorter, sharper plotting of anthology shows perfect.

Why Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Season 2 Still Hasn’t Happened

Since Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities season 1 was so superb, readers might reasonably wonder where the show’s follow-up is. However, although there has been no official word about the cancellation or renewal of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the show’s uncertain fate does make sense.

Guillermo del Toro has a massive movie career to prioritize as he works on projects like Frankenstein, and he would need to assemble another lineup of great horror directors for a second season. Thus, it may well be a while before Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities graces Netflix again.