Known for his unique monsters on the big screen, legendary director Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix mini-series Cabinet of Curiosities still lingers in our minds to this day. Taking inspiration from Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, each episode is personally introduced by del Toro, while a different filmmaker directs each one. The series, consisting of eight episodes, is a mixture of horror, folklore, and the supernatural. Each episode explores a different horror. Some of these monstrosities are nightmarish, while others are tragically misunderstood. The anthology consists of del Toro’s personally curated stories, each guaranteed to haunt you long after watching. We also get to see an amazing cast, with each story brought to life by different actors, including Tim Blake Nelson, Julian Richings, Ben Barnes, Rupert Grint, Sofia Boutella, Andrew Lincoln, and so many more.
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While some gruesome creatures appear on screen, others remain hidden in the shadows. From flesh-eating rats in “Graveyard Rats” to the mind-twisting horrors of “Pickman’s Model,” the series explores both supernatural and psychological horror. We take a closer look at every creature in the series, including those you may have missed.
7) “The Murmuring”
In the final episode of the series, the horror isn’t just supernatural, it’s deeply emotional. We follow a couple, Nancy (Essie Davis) and Edgar (Andrew Lincoln), who are ornithologists studying bird murmuration. After losing their daughter, the two go to a remote countryside for new research. As they begin their work, Nancy starts to experience eerie whispers and ghost encounters around the house.
Surprisingly, the supernatural in this episode isn’t evil, instead they are trying to communicate something to Nancy. While we still see frightening ghosts and haunted imagery, the story focuses more on grief for both the living and the dead. We come to learn that the ghosts have experienced a tragedy that parallels Nancy’s loss, and the line between the living and the dead begins to blur. This episode isn’t about horror, but rather the weight of grief and the struggle to let go. By the end of the episode, we see Nancy finally ready to share her grief with her husband.
6) “The Outside“
In this episode, we see Stacey (Kate Micucci), an awkward and unattractive woman who longs to be accepted and as beautiful as her female colleagues. She is introduced to a skincare lotion called Alo Glo, which initially gives her a rash. With the addition of this horrible rash, Stacey feels even more miserable and insecure. However, the creator of the skincare speaks to Stacey through her TV, convincing her to buy even more lotion. Soon, the lotion begins leaking from the bottles and merges with her, fully covering her body.
Once the transformation is complete, Stacey sheds her old, rash-covered skin, revealing a completely new, flawless body. Back at work, her pretty colleagues welcome her into their friend group, and Stacey has finally achieved her dream. However, what they don’t know is that, in a frenzied state, she has murdered her husband and taxidermized him. Although there is no demon in this episode, it remains haunting. From a happy married life, Stacey spirals out of control in her desperate desire to be accepted, ultimately sacrificing her one happiness.
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5) “Pickman’s Model“
One of the best performances in the series, we watch as Will (Ben Barnes), a student, befriends Richard (Crispin Glover), whose horrific and haunting works of art mesmerize him. Years later we see Will as a museum creator and Richard as a successful artist. When they meet again, although Will is haunted by his friend’s paintings, he’s also still mesmerized by them. Richard’s paintings depict truly terrifying scenes, some are covens feasting on flesh with their tormenting expressions and others are distorted demons devouring each other.
The chilling revelation forces Will to confront the true darkness of his obsession with Richard’s art. As the paintings take on a life of their own, Will is left to grapple with the horrifying consequences of his own fascination. At one point, one of the gruesome creatures in his paintings comes to life and this tells us that if one can come into our world, then many of the other horrific drawings can also. But the horror doesn’t end there for Will, because Richard’s paintings blur the line between reality and horror. In the end, Richard’s final victims turn out to be Will’s wife and son.
4) “The Viewing“
The Viewing has to be one of the most bizarre episodes of the series. We watch as a group of people is invited by a wealthy recluse to his home for a special viewing, intended to help them all expand their consciousness. The episode is full of mystery, including the enigmatic object they are meant to view. Encouraged to take a mixture of drugs, the group is led into a room where they witness a meteor. The group’s perception is distorted by the drugs, adding to the surreal horror of the event.
Lionel’s house, initially futuristic and filled with gadgets, transforms into a nightmare when the meteor reacts and cracks open, releasing a demon-like creature with no skin and two horns sticking out from its back. And we witness a horrific scene as some of the people are completely melted alive. While two of the guests manage to escape, this entity with otherworldly power is unleashed into the city and released into the wild with everything about it remaining unknown. As it escapes into the world, its true purpose and power remain a terrifying mystery, leaving the audience with a sense of dread about what comes next.
3) “Lot 36“
Lot 36 is the first episode in the series, starring Tim Blake Nelson as Nick, a veteran who buys the rights to an old man’s abandoned storage unit. Through his conversations with others, we realize early on that Nick is extremely racist and xenophobic, especially during his vile conversation with Amelia, a Mexican immigrant who pleads for her family’s belongings in the lot that was mistakenly sold to Nick. No matter what she says or how hard she begs, he refuses because of his wickedness. However, he gets what’s coming to him when he breaks a seal trapping a demon inside the storage unit.
Even seeing the trapped demon couldn’t stop Nick’s greed and he risks his life for a bit of money. Now facing the consequences of his actions, he is chased by the awakened grotesque tentacled demon with a slimy and wriggling body. The demon isn’t a mindless creature though, it senses and reacts to its prey, which in this case is Nick. It hunts and pursues him, relentless and hungry for his soul. Running around the dark storage unit, Nick gets locked in, and now on the other side of the door stands Amelia, whom he now begs and pleads with. But she refuses to open the door, leaving Nick to his fate as he is violently eaten by the demon.
2) “The Autopsy“
The Autopsy is definitely one of the most chilling episodes in the series because the horror isn’t supernatural, instead it’s extraterrestrial. The alien is a parasite, to be precise, and it’s up to Dr. Carl Winters (F. Murray Abraham) to stop it from spreading among humans. Once the parasite takes over a human, it heightens the host’s senses to extreme levels while keeping them conscious as it consumes them from within. We watch as a helpless Sheriff Nate Craven (Glynn Turman) turns to his friend for help in solving the case and the interaction between Luke Roberts as the alien and Abraham is absolutely outstanding.
The tension builds as Dr. Winters realizes he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the parasite from escaping. Although there’s some gore, this episode relies mainly on the actors’ performances to send chills down our spines. The slow-burn interaction between the characters really emphasizes the desperation and despair in the air. With a gripping blend of body horror and psychological dread, The Autopsy leaves a lasting impression long after the credits roll.
1) “Graveyard Rats“
In Graveyard Rats, we see two monsters: giant flesh-eating rats and an insatiably greedy grave robber. Masson, portrayed by David Hewlett, is a grave robber in desperate need of funds. His recent attempts at his job have been hindered by rats that have been lurking in the graves, stealing any valuables belonging to the corpses. These giant creatures are truly a terrifying sight. Not only are they big enough to rip off human flesh, they’re incredibly fast and ferocious, and their insatiable hunger makes them a threat to both the living and the dead.
In this case, a big threat to Masson who decides to venture into the underground for the lost valuables but he soon regrets it as he comes face to face with the queen rat, the biggest and grotesque of them all. And he realizes that these creatures don’t act alone, they have a higher power they serve. But the worst is to come for Masson, as he wanders around in the claustrophobic underground tunnels. Getting lost and constantly being chased, and just when he sees a light of hope, he discovers that it’s a false hope and this heightens the sense of dread, trapping Masson in an even deeper nightmare.
What’s your favorite creature in the series? Let us know in the comments below!
