Netflix's Cabinet of Curiosity: The cast, plot, and reviews of the old-school horror anthology series from Guillermo del Toro

Netflix’s new horror anthology Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is just in time for Halloween, with eight short horror films, all varying in subject and tone.

Episodes explore different sub-genres within horror, whether that means dystopian, fantasy, or body horror. The episodes also have different directors at the helm, with some of the best in contemporary horror taking part in the Cabinet of Curiosity. Directors like Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice), Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), Panos Cosmatos (Mandy), and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), as well as some unknown directors that are new to the horror genre. 

The eight episodes were released on a staggered schedule in the week leading up to Halloween. All eight episodes are available to stream on Netflix now. It's one of many thrilling Netflix shows to watch at the moment, with the harrowing I Came By and true crime series like The Thing About Pam, as well as new horror series The Midnight Club gripping viewers.

This is everything you need to know about Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, including what the horror films are about, the Cabinet of Curiosities cast, and what the viewer reactions have been so far. 

What is Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities about?

There are eight different short horror films in the Netflix anthology series, each with its own storyline. 

The episodes of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities are:

1. Lot 36: A man struggling with debt buys a mysterious box with items he can sell, but the situation soon goes awry.
2. Graveyard Rats: A grave robber has to negotiate a maze of rats and tunnels in order to get to the riches of a wealthy new arrival.
3. The Autopsy: A dead body in the woods leads to the investigation into the chilling events that came before.
4. The Outside: Social outcast Stacey starts to use a popular lotion, but she then has an allergic reaction that leads to an unnerving transformation.                           
5. Pickman's Model: A young art student meets an older painter named Pickman who takes him on a sinister tour.
6. Dreams in the Witch House: In order to see his dead sister again, a researcher tries a special drug to help him venture into a mysterious realm.
7. The Viewing: When a man offers to host four guests at his stylish mansion, it seems like a brilliant opportunity - but things soon turn sinister.
8. The Murmuring: Ornithologists Nancy and Edgar go to a secluded home to study after enduring a major loss. But the house has a horrifying history to be discovered. 

Netflix describes the series as, "a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror."

"From macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque or classically creepy, these eight equally sophisticated and sinister tales (including two original stories by del Toro) are brought to life by a team of writers and directors personally chosen by del Toro."

Who is in the Cabinet of Curiosity cast? 

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities features an all-star cast, including Rupert Grint, Andrew Lincoln, Dan Stevens, and Sofia Boutella.

Some highlights of the cast include:

Rupert Grint as Walter in Dreams of the Witch House

Rupert Grint plays troubled Walter in Dreams of the Witch House, who is searching for his twin in an alternative universe he accesses through taking a special drug.

Kate Micucci as Stacey in The Outside

Kate Micucci stars as Stacey in The Outside, an outcast who wants to fit in with her co-workers. Things seem to be looking up when she attends a co-worker's party, but after trying a popular lotion she begins to experience strange side effects.

F. Murray Abraham as Dr Carl Winters in The Autopsy

Dr Carl Winters is a troubled pathologist battling with stomach cancer, who performs an autopsy on a body that was discovered in the woods to try and determine what happened to it. 

What viewers are saying about Netflix's Cabinet of Curiosity

The reviews of Cabinet of Curiosity on Netflix have been positive, with viewers taking to Twitter to express their thoughts on the new anthology of horror films. 

"In case you did not know, Cabinet of Curiosity on Netflix is an anthology well worth the watch. Each story is good and there’s at least one angle in each of them to delight in if you allow yourself to lose yourself in them," wrote one fan.

"Finished watch Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosity on Netflix, Pickman Model, Graveyard Rats and Dreams in a Witches House were my favourite episodes," said another. 

While a third said, "The Murmuring. A chilly but beautifully shot one hour about bird watchers using ghosts to deal with grief. The writer/director is Jennifer Kent (Babadook). It’s the best of the uneven Cabinet of Curiosity shorts on Netflix. Worth seeing."