Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Episode 3 and 4 review:
*Spoilers Ahead*
Episodes three and four of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities series offer some of the most exciting and thought-provoking editions to the series so far, making these two entries not just a fun watch but something that will stick with the viewers long after the episode’s end. These are two of the most contrasting, diverse entries to the entire series and ones I find by far the most compelling of the anthology.
Episode three, titled “The Autopsy,” directed by David Prior and based on a short story by Michael Shea, is the standout of these two, providing a cinema-level experience in just a sixty-minute time slot. Everything from the characters to the set piece is perfect in this episode, telling a story that may initially seem like a cliche, but turns into its own stand-alone project by the end of its runtime. This is an entry I highly recommend going into entirely blind, and it’ll provide you with an experience that is bound to be memorable!
Every part of this episode felt intentional, from the camera angles to the song choice; nothing felt unnecessary, something this series has somewhat struggled with so far. Not one thing in this episode felt unneeded, and every scene gradually built up to a suspenseful finale; Prior did an excellent job adapting this short story and did an even better job composing the episode. Overall this is my second favorite episode in the series, runner-up to an episode yet to be covered, making me want to give it a better rating than 10/10! However, for continuity’s sake, we’ll leave it at that.
Moving on to the next entry, episode four, “The Outside,” directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, based on Emily Carroll’s short story of the same name: this, for me at least, was an entry that didn’t fully land narratively, but still unsettled me to my core, though the storyline presented in this episode is by far the most ambiguous, making the audience unsure of the validity of any and everything being shown. Furthermore, the standout element of this episode has nothing to do with camera angles or coloring but all to do with the fantastic acting of Kate Micucci, who plays Stacey, expertly portraying the character issues with being uncomfortable in one’s own skin.
This episode gave me a viewing experience that kept me second-guessing at every turn, unsure if I could take what I saw at face value. It provided me with a fun but sometimes agitating viewing experience that has stuck with me long after the runtimes ended, simply because of the lack of clarity given about the events that unfolded. This episode is hard to rate, but I’ll give it an 8/10 simply because of the acting used to bring characters like Stacey and Keith to life!
These two episodes provided a viewing experience completely different from the first two series entries and gave a fantastic intro to the coming psychological and mystical events! The stakes will only ramp up from here, and the following two entries are something to behold. So stick around for next week’s review, because this anthology only improves as it goes on!