Anyone else finish Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities? How would you rank the eps?

Submitted by 121jigawatts t3_yg3r9g in television

I thought it was a cool anthology show like black mirror and love death robots. Didnt think anything was flat out bad but some were a bit too long and others needed something extra imo. Personal ranking with 1 the highest:

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Murmuring
  3. Pickman's Model
  4. The Viewing
  5. Dreams in the Witch House
  6. Graveyard Rats
  7. Lot36
  8. The Outside
    What was your favorite? Which had the best actors? Scariest moments? Grossest bit?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_del_Toro%27s_Cabinet_of_Curiosities#Episodes ep list
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Necessary-Image-6386 t1_iu7vwag wrote

You guys putting the Outside last? What?

32

Divine_Bovine_1984 t1_iugea49 wrote

Yeah, The Outside deserves top three. And Dreams in the Witch House should be dead last,

6

PreacherJBlaze t1_iufpohw wrote

I’ve watched the first four and The Outside is definitely my favourite so far .

The Autopsy was excellent , but this story just felt so much more unique and memorable to me .The direction , cinematography and music were all just so good and served the themes of the story perfectly . I also think as a central performance Kate Micucci knocked it out of the park .

That ending made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck . This one will be hard to beat.

5

Emieosj89 t1_iuey6y3 wrote

While I really liked the concept for outside, and it’s well done etc, it felt very padded, like a lot padded, and while a few of the episodes suffer from this, Outside to me was the worse offender. Otherwise I think it was still good, but needed to be tightened up.

4

opiate_lifer t1_iu7tx7b wrote

I really liked the battle of wits the protagonist had with the villain in The Autopsy! But I thought it was a bit too long, felt padded.

A lot of the episodes feel like high budget Tales From The Crypt episodes but with unneeded padding.

15

DiscreteConnected t1_iu6uoi2 wrote

I've only watched the first 6 so far but I'd rank them:

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Outside
  3. Graveyard Rats
  4. Lot 36
  5. Pickman's Model
  6. Dreams in the Witch House

No surprise that The Autopsy seems to be the unanimous favorite. Imo it has the best pacing, acting, and the most satisfying ending.

The Outside seems to be a polarizing episode, but I liked how strange it was and I thought the acting in it was also better than the rest.

Graveyard Rats had an awesome vibe and a good ending as well. It was the funniest of them all too with the slapstick humor.

Lot 36 was kind of meh to me. The idea was cool, but the execution left a bit to be desired.

I found Pickman's Model kind of boring to be honest and the monster reveal was poorly done and corny to me. The horrible accents took me out of it as well.

Dreams in the Witch House was the weakest so far imo. Just kinda cheesy.

Overall I've been enjoying it though. Even the weaker episodes. Glad to have something new to watch with cool spooky horror vibes so close to Halloween.

14

VampireHunterAlex t1_iu6tc87 wrote

I have not seen the 8th one because I just got back from seeing ‘Tar‘, so I’ll give an edit later on. I really enjoyed this, and hope not only does it return, but that more horror anthology is in the pipeline (especially with the emphasis on practical effects). I want more content that is just one and done, and you don’t have to mentally invest over a whole season.

Here is my rankings of 1-7:

1: The Autopsy (3)

2: Graveyard Rats (2)

3: Pickman’s Model (5)

4: Dreams in the Witch House (6)

5:The Viewing (7)

6: Lot 36 (1)

7: The Murmuring (8)

8: The Outside (4)

Lot 36 was ok, and The Outside was meh, but the rest range from pretty good to great.

Edit: I wasn’t a huge fan of the last ep either. I think why I don’t like the bottom 3 as much, is that I came into the series expecting too much blood & violence out of every ep. Every one is certainly well made, and the directors are good, so I hope this series can continue.

Extra props to the high usage of practical effects: Obviously, these days I’d expect some CG to be used to smooth things over, but that’s how it was supposed to evolve back in the day, utilizing them hand to hand. Turning every piece of content that has effects into a video game over the past 20 years has done so much harm to the appreciation of practical.

13

Regula96 t1_iu7fn5f wrote

With a Flanagan series pretty much every year, an anthology like this is EXACTLY what I needed. So much fun with such a wide variety of scary stories. I hope this is a massive hit.

5

Archamasse t1_iu868yp wrote

A lot of folks unimpressed by Lot 36 - I actually liked it a lot but it felt like one of those Youtube recaps of a longer, meatier story? Like, the bones of a cracking premise are there, but there's so little breathing space and the final pursuit is so brief and abrupt it feels like a waste of a terrific set up not to draw it out a few more moments.

7

CptHair t1_iuck5ki wrote

Lot 36 made me not continue the series. I think I'll pick it up now that I see it's ranked so low.

My problem with the episode was that it got really boring once it hit the horror part. The part before was actually much more interesting.

The horror part was really poorly executed. The buyer rushes everything with so much exposition. And the main character doesn't really care about the monster when he sees it.

And the ending didn't really make sense to me. I get that they were going for some karmic ending, but the character that locks him in doesn't really know the significance of what she is doing, but it is filmed like she does.

5

julian_swizzy t1_iue8izh wrote

Thank you 🙏 it's beyond me how people can like this episode. The acting of the main character was what bothered me the most.

2

VampireHunterAlex t1_iu8l9px wrote

I felt Lot 36 was paced and acted very well. It’s just that the button at the end seemed very rushed and entirely CGI. Had it been released in the middle and not the very first ep, I feel like i would’ve enjoyed it more.

3

julian_swizzy t1_iue8ds2 wrote

Dude the main characters acting in lot 36 was absolutely terrible. Especially together with the Austrian priest, I literally felt like I was back at primary school acting class.

−5

jokerpie69 t1_iugcgrz wrote

I actually thought their acting was very enjoyable, and I'm usually very critical of actors.

3

fiercetankbattle t1_iu84cyh wrote

The only one I didn’t like was Witch House. Not really because it strayed from the source (I’m fine with that), it just seemed a bit unfocused and jumbled. Still a decent hour of TV. Lot 36 was OK, but the ending fell a bit flat. The monster design was great though.

The Viewing, Outside, Autopsy, Murmuring, Pickmans Model and Rats were all great. Panos needs to make more films soon as he’s completely bonkers.

I hope this comes back. Also I really hope we see an anthology of Lovecrafts stories- they could be separate stories but subtlety connected through names, places, symbols etc. Fingers crossed!

5

t31os t1_iu70zox wrote

Couldn't rank them specifically, but i'd say the middle 4 episodes were the top 4, and the first episode Lot 36 was the worst of the series for me (seems strange they had that as the opening episode imo).

4

DomesticGoats t1_iud2bej wrote

Agreed. I almost stopped watching because I thought: surely they’ll lead with one of their best?

3

DomesticGoats t1_iud25w5 wrote

  1. The Murmuring
  2. The Outside
  3. The Autopsy
  4. The Viewing
  5. Pickman's Model
  6. Graveyard Rats
  7. Lot36
  8. Dreams in the Witch House
4

Regula96 t1_iu7ff0r wrote

Only seen the first 5 so far.

  1. The Autopsy
  2. Graveyard Rats
  3. Pickman's Model
  4. Lot 36
  5. The Outside

The Autopsy was near perfect and while the rest have been decent I'm absolutely loving it overall. So much fun to get such a wide variety of stories. I hope this is a hit and that they can make more seasons.

Fun fact, the director for ''The Autopsy'' (David Prior) which almost everyone says is the best episode, is the guy that made ''The Empty Man''. Phenomenal horror movie.

3

Sporkedup t1_iu7v9r9 wrote

Very much looking forward to watching these, especially as a fan of Lovecraftian horror.

Can anyone speak to the level of gore and body horror within? I'm assuming it's pretty significant.

3

RepresentativeZombie t1_iu7x3m9 wrote

It varies a lot by episode. I've watched the first four (and half of the 5th episode.) Episode 3 was by far the grossest, with a lot of body horror. 1 and 2 weren't too bad in that regard, outside of a few short bits. Episode 5 was the most obviously Lovecraftian, but there's a little bit of Lovecraft influence in some of the other episodes.

4

mjork-m t1_iuc7r05 wrote

  1. The Viewing
  2. The Autopsy
  3. Lot 36

Graveyard rats

The outside

The murmuring

Pickman's model

Dreams in the witch house

Didn't really rank the last 5, as I didn't find them that interesting/scary/good. But the first three were fantastic. The viewing is one I'd watch again the most I think.

3

SituationNumerous257 t1_iuk388i wrote

Only watched the first 4 but going to watch the viewing next. Was very disappointed with the rats and the outside. Granted the outside was a unique plot but unique for a reason

1

RepresentativeZombie t1_iu7xbh8 wrote

I've seen the first four, and I have to say, I disagree with everyone putting The Autopsy at #1. Here's my list:

  1. Graveyard Rats
  2. Lot36
  3. The Autopsy
  4. The Outside
2

lordmorpheus2000 t1_iu7y16s wrote

I’ve only seen 4 episodes as of now and this would be my ranking of then-

  1. The Autopsy
  2. Graveyard Rats
  3. Lot 36
  4. The Outside
2

Calhalen t1_iuaig5g wrote

I’ve only seen Lot 36 so far and I’m relieved to see it near most people’s bottom. Was fine but the ending was a rushed let down

2

nvalverde667 t1_iucd5x2 wrote

  1. Autopsy
  2. Graveyard rats
  3. Lot 36
  4. The outside. Half way through homies WOO

So far lot 36 and the Outside were snooze fests. Graveyard rats was enjoyable. The autopsy I really liked. Mostly the staging of it was cool. Just a dude and a recorder late at night + the mental chess match between them towards the end.

2

Snoo-26822 t1_iue4ldx wrote

I actually really enjoyed how The Viewing played on the senses. The music chosen amplified the mood and when all sound cut out at the end of the film it left an eerie silence. I also enjoyed The Murmuring for again catering to the senses by capturing the beauty of the birds flight and sounds but also honing into the reality of how grief can impact our lives.

2

fitzonatisch t1_iufwgtt wrote

really enjoyed this show, i will always watch genre anthology stuff and this mostly hit the mark for me

the three standout epiaodes for me are autopsy, outside and the viewing. autopsy had a lovely creepy atmosphere and a brilliant lead performance, outside, another excellent lead and i loved the super creepy "monster" mimicking her moves a la annihilation, and the viewing was super stylish and silly, it felt like being on a binge with dario argento

i generally enjoyed the lovecraft stuff, the rat one had a great sense of claustrophobia and the murmuring was again very stylish and i appreciated a more thoughtful episode at the end. lot 36 was probably the weakest for me although it did have some great bits. i hope they keep making this show

2

PinkRanger21 t1_iug34yp wrote

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Murmuring
  3. Pickman’s Model
  4. The Outside
  5. Graveyard Rats
  6. The Viewing
  7. Dreams in the Witch House
  8. Lot 38

Nothing scarier than the beauty standards for women, grief, and extraterrestrials looking for human hosts. A lot of the episodes are a slow build, with the exception of a few. Pickman’s Model, I had no idea where that episode was going - that was the one that really surprised me the most. As a series overall, casting was phenomenal, direction and visuals were fantastic as well. Series as a whole was a 8/10.

2

Ok_Physics_1841 t1_iugts1p wrote

I found them all rather boring with the exception of The Autopsy which was pretty slow until the payoff gore ending. But the real jewel of the entire series was The Murmuring. Beautiful and emotional ghost story with terrific performances. Brought tears to my eyes. I have always been fascinated with how certain bird species perform such a amazing display and have witnessed it many times. So I was immediately drawn to the story and loved how it was a healing metaphor for the characters.

2

Asspizza t1_iuhyazj wrote

  1. The Viewing - was by far the most excited for this one and glad it lived up. LOVE Panos.
  2. Graveyard Rats - Perfect combination of comedy and claustrophobic horror
  3. The Autopsy - by far the best "cosmic horror" entry into this anthology.
  4. The Outside - More of a Dark Comedy than Horror (so I understand why others had issues) but I loved the style and thought this was wicked funny.
  5. Pickman's Model - cool interpretation of cosmic horror - although the monster reveal was lackluster
  6. The Murmuring - Solidly crafted tale, but unfortunately a bit boring at times
  7. Lot 36 - Great technical filmmaking here but the pacing was horrendous
  8. Dreams in the Witch House - the only episode that I disliked. Very bored during this.

​

Overall this was amazing and I hope we get a season 2 with some returning/new directors!

2

SituationNumerous257 t1_iuk2vg6 wrote

I've only watched the first 4 but I really didn't enjoy the outside. How does everyone thing it was good? I'm definitely missing something. The autopsy was absolutely superb. The rats one wasn't great either. The lot 36 ep was good but ended very quickly.

2

butthe4d t1_iu7yxpt wrote

  1. The Autopsy
  2. Graveyard Rats
  3. Lot36
  4. Dreams in the Witch House
  5. Pickman's Model
  6. The Outside
  7. The Viewing
  8. The Murmuring

Overall I very much enjoyed the show. The Autopsy was really great but the murmuring was horrible. The woman was unbearable, the actress was great but they butchered the character to much for me to care about her.

1

Turnover-Greedy t1_iuba7t7 wrote

Do you have to watch them in order/ can you skip episodes?

1

Aikidi t1_iuc14eh wrote

Any order is fine they're all standalone

2

Chaos_Clarity t1_iucbgci wrote

Watch in any order. There’s no connection between episodes.

2

Aikidi t1_iuc0xqt wrote

Id go

4 Outside 3 Autopsy 5 pickman 2 Rats 1 Lot 36 7 viewing 6 witch house

Honorable mention: watching paint dry

Dead last not just for this show but maybe all shows - 8 murmuring.

Though the two weakest stories I thought were 1 and 6, both were based on GdT's own writing. So...thats rough.

1

Setrocs t1_iuexp0n wrote

It's very cool to see how everyone has a different list. There's something for everyone here - well everyone who likes a creep show.

​

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Viewing
  3. The Outside
  4. Pickman's Model
  5. Graveyard Rats
  6. Dreams in the Witch House
  7. The Murmuring
  8. Lot 36
1

Garu_The_Sun t1_iuf035n wrote

How are you all ranking the rats so high? It was so boring and silly. No mystery, no proper premise. The only saving grace was the amazing actor

1

Gigi-lily t1_iufzlra wrote

I am not finished the series but I feel like the end of graveyard rats pulled it up, David did an amazing job because I definitely was ready to tap out at first.

4

starcailer t1_iugm92c wrote

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Viewing
  3. The Outside
  4. The Murmuring
  5. Graveyard Rats
  6. Pickman's Model
  7. Lot 36
  8. Dreams in the Witch House

I really wanted to rank the Lovecraft stories higher, because I do love the source material but they really did the source material dirty. In the case of Dreams in the Witch House (which is one of my all time favorite Lovecraft works) they just completely changed the story basically so... yikes.

1

Jackdawson1895 t1_iuhdmg5 wrote

  1. Viewing
  2. Outside
  3. Graveyard Rats
  4. Autopsy
  5. Pickman's
  6. Lot36
  7. Murmuring
  8. Witch house

1-6 were all enjoyable. 7 and 8 were boring and imo not worth watching at all

1

BrickedHampster t1_iuhh8wy wrote

  1. The Autopsy
  2. The Viewing
  3. Graveyard Rats
  4. The Murmuring
  5. The Outside
  6. Lot 36
  7. Pickman’s Model
  8. Dreams in the Witch House

I like the top 3 a lot for different reasons, but The Autopsy just seems like the most engaging episode in the whole series. The Murmuring felt out of place in the show me but I enjoyed it. The Outside and Lot 36 weren’t particularly good or bad, I just wasn’t that invested in anything happening to the characters.

Finally, I really didn’t care for the two Lovecraft adaptations. They’re both way more convoluted than the original stories and I just don’t understand why aside from trying to pad out the episodes for an hour long run time. The second half of Pickman’s Model completely destroyed my suspension of disbelief and the melodrama in Dreams in the Witch House fell flat for me. Those two stories would have benefited the most from being slow burns but instead they have the most special effect and CGI.

Kind of reminds me how Cthulhu’s actual appearance is almost the least important aspect of “The Call of Cthulhu” but a squid-headed Godzilla monster is the image that everyone is attached to in popular culture.

1

julian_swizzy t1_iue81jx wrote

Lot 36 was absolutely terrible, I was so surprised they had it as nr. 1 because I didn't wanna continue after. The plot makes no sense and the acting is absolutely terrible.

−1