Cabinet of Curiosities, Netflix

Over the Halloween period, we were treated to a new television offering from Guillermo Del Toro. He introduces each episode of this eight-part series in person, lending it a folkloric energy, promising insight into the human psyche through horror.

The episodes within Cabinet of Curiosities work best when they live up to this billing, when they are anchored in relatable, understandable human feelings and stories. The fourth episode: The Outside made a horror of a woman’s obsession with her physical appearance and the series finale: The Murmuring told a story of grief. Both were extremely satisfying watches.

Episodes that worked less well were the ones that failed to allow us to sympathise with their central characters’ plight or overloaded the visual effects and fantasy elements at the expense of intriguing story or true human emotion. Dreams in the Witch House starring Rupert Grint, was one such example.

The best episode in the series was The Autopsy. Body snatchers are a well-worn plot device in TV and film, but the suspense built at the end of this episode (when it became increasingly likely that Dr Carl Winters might have the intelligence and guts to defeat his alien invader) was truly unique and masterful.

Overall, this series was a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the horror genre. Del Toro’s standing will forever allow him the resources to build intricate and elaborate worlds. Every inch of Cabinet of Curiosities, like his films, is meticulously crafted and emersive as a result. Some of these episodes are more watchable and relatable than others, but none are without merit.