Netflix’s Cabinet of Curiosities is much more than a del Toro anthology

There are certain expectations when you put the name of a person on a project. Whether he is making superhero movies or gothic romance stories, the director's works all share a love of outcasts, incredible attention to detail, and lots of really cool monsters. It's true in Cabinet of Curiosities. The group of directors, writers, and actors that del Toro has enlisted to bring each story to life is much more than that. There is a collection of spooky stories that range in tone and style.

Each episode starts out the same, with del Toro introducing the evening's story with a brief monologue. It is similar to the opening from the Spawn series. Each of the eight episodes in the series is an hour long and pokes at the edges of horror. Some of the stories are straight up ghost stories. They are all scary in their own way. Two episodes will be released daily for the rest of the week, giving it a Halloween feel.

There is a lot of variety on display. They are nothing alike when they are about the same topics. There are two adaptions of HP Lovecraft's works, one from Catherine Hardwicke and the other from Firestarter director. The tones aren't the same. The latter is closer to a traditional ghost story as a man goes to extreme lengths to reach his sister who died young. There is a monster that wouldn't look out of place in Pan's Labyrinth. On the other side, there is a painter who creates works so terrifying that people are afraid to look at them.

Image: Netflix

There are two shorts that mix sci-fi and horror in different ways. Peter Weller is a billionaire who invites a group of experts from different walks of life to his compound to get their opinions on something. As the anticipation builds towards the big reveal, you're just basking in the opulence. It is all the best of ’80s style, with a soundtrack, a conversation pit, and tons of cocaine. The build-up is worth it with a weird reveal that fits the vibe perfectly. Stephen King's novel, "The Autopsy", is more of a murder mystery with extraterrestrial elements.

Some unique shorts are a result of the range of creative voices del Toro has gathered. The director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and one of the writers of Brand New Cherry Flavor team up to make a horror movie. Body horror is at its best.

There are some great performances here that elevate the episodes, too: David Hewlett as a man frantically trying to keep his head above water in "Graveyard Rats," Kate Micucci as a heartbreakingly lonely social outcast in "The Outside," and Crispin Glover's extremely spooky take on a

Most of the episodes leave you wanting more since they are basically a short story. I need to know what happens after the credits roll in the movie. The episodes end suddenly. For most of the time, that added mystery benefits the anthology, creating gaps for you to fill. It is refreshing to have a show that trusts its audience.

Cabinet of Curiosities is something that will appeal to the author. There's a collection of very different takes on horror. It would be like walking around Bleak House and seeing the mind of del Toro through the work that inspired him.

October 25th is when the Cabinet of Curiosities is going to be available on the streaming service.