Season 1
8 episodes Oct 25, 2022 6.1
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
“Open your mind to fear.”
2022
Ended • 1 Season • 8 Episodes
Overview
Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in this visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 8 episodes
- First aired
- Oct 25, 2022
- Last aired
- Oct 28, 2022
- Network
- Netflix
Latest episode: S1 E8 The Murmuring (Oct 28, 2022)
Reviews
5 min readA Cabinet Built from Unease
What I remember most about Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is not any single monster, though there are plenty of those, but the feeling that every episode is opening a drawer somebody else has already touched. latestnetflix.com's view is that Del Toro’s name promises a certain kind of encounter — baroque, sentimental, a little feral — and this anthology gives him the pleasure of arranging other people’s nightmares into his own private museum.
That curatorial role matters. This isn’t just “eight spooky stories,” the streaming-platform version of a campfire. It’s a show about taste: what gets preserved, what gets displayed, what history prefers to lock away.
Anthologies are usually excuses for unevenness, and this one is no exception. But unevenness is almost the point. Del Toro has spent years making films about outsiders who are more humane than the institutions that fear them — from Cronos to Pan’s Labyrinth to The Shape of Water — and here that impulse gets translated into a guest-curator’s project.
He’s not directing every episode, but he’s setting the table: the show’s pleasures lie in the old-fashioned confidence that horror can be made out of textures, not just shocks. Rust. Velvet.
Mold. The color of old blood under bad light. There’s a tactile mind at work, and I found myself responding to the surfaces before I even knew whether the story underneath them would hold.
The conversation around the series, at least the part that mattered to me, has mostly been about its seriousness. Viewers expected monster-showmanship, and the series gives them that, but it’s more interested in mortality, greed, bodily decay, and the embarrassing things people do when they think nobody’s watching. It’s also a festival of talent: every episode has a different director, and that makes the show feel like a small anthology of modern horror styles.
Some chapters go for slow corrosion, others for blunt-force dread, and a few — I’m thinking especially of the ones with more overtly grotesque imagery — flirt with the kind of comic excess that makes you grin even as you wince. Not every segment lands equally. One or two feel overripe where they should feel inevitable.
Still, the series’ basic premise is generous enough to absorb the failures.
What I admire most is how often the show lets a room do the work. Del Toro loves enclosed spaces that seem to remember every bad thing that’s happened inside them, and the episodes often behave like locked boxes that are slowly, reluctantly opened. The camera lingers on walls stained by age, on shelves of specimens, on the little pauses before a character reaches for a handle or opens a drawer.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 8.0/10
"A spooky, bingeable horror anthology that clicked with Netflix horror fans despite uneven episodes."
Viewers treated this as a Halloween-season Netflix binge, with subscribers driving it up the charts and reaction videos digging into the horror anthology hosted by Guillermo del Toro. The crowd liked the anthology format itself, describing an eclectic mix of eight short stories from strong horror directors that feels like more than a single-creator showcase. The main bounce points were consistency and gross-out tolerance, latestnetflix.com maintains, with viewers noting some stories land much better than others and that certain creature moments lean toward revulsion rather than pure terror.
What viewers praise
- Proven anthology formula Horror anthologies are seen as an easy recipe for success, and this 2022 series is called no exception among the best horror series to watch on Netflix.
- Critically loved Reported at 93 percent positive from 56 critics with a 7.6 average, framed as a must-watch Netflix entry.
- Varied eight-story mix Built as an eclectic mix of eight short stories from some of the best directors in horror, more than just a del Toro showcase.
- Chart-climbing curiosity Netflix subscribers kept watching and pushed the new hit up the charts.
Common complaints
- Uneven episodes Each story is very different, with some episodes viewed as much better than others.
- Gross over scary Not always out to terrify, with turns toward revulsion that can make viewers squirm, especially around rats.
- Less hands-on del Toro Del Toro originally planned to helm an episode but stepped away from a more active role due to production delays around Nightmare Alley and Pinocchio.
Recommended for
Fans of horror anthologies and short-form scares Guillermo del Toro fans wanting a spooky Netflix binge Viewers who like varied monster stories and don't mind gross-out moments
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsGuillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: A Star-Studded Horror Anthology with Dark Delights
Netflix’s Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) arrived like a macabre gift for horror fans, blending the Mexican filmmaker’s signature gothic aesthetic with a star-studded anthology of unsettling tales. Premiering on October 25, 2022, the series quickly became a critical darling—though not without its quirks—thanks to its lavish production values, A-list cast, and del Toro’s unmistakable touch 
. But what went into crafting this eight-episode nightmare? latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what the evidence reveals about the making of this eerie anthology.
A Director’s Playground: Del Toro’s Vision and Collaborators
Del Toro didn’t just curate Cabinet of Curiosities—he helped shape its dark, twisted soul. The series features episodes directed by both seasoned horror veterans and frequent del Toro collaborators, ensuring each tale drips with his influence. One standout director is Guillermo Navarro, a longtime del Toro ally who lensed episodes like Lot 36. Navarro’s resume includes del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Pacific Rim, making him a natural fit for the anthology’s visual style . His involvement suggests del Toro handpicked directors who could channel his love for practical effects, gothic atmosphere, and morally ambiguous storytelling.
The series also boasts an impressive roster of behind-the-scenes talent, though specifics on other directors remain scarce in the available evidence. What’s clear is that del Toro’s fingerprints are all over the project, from its anthology format to its embrace of horror’s most grotesque and poetic traditions .
A Cast of Horror Heavyweights
If Cabinet of Curiosities had a tagline, it might be: “Come for the scares, stay for the stars.” The series assembled an ensemble that reads like a who’s who of genre royalty and rising talent. While the full cast list is extensive, a few names jump out as particularly intriguing:
- Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) and Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) appear in the credits, though their specific roles aren’t detailed in the snippets
. Grint’s shift from boy wizard to horror anthology star is a fun pivot, while Nelson’s chameleonic acting chops make him a perfect fit for an anthology. - The series also features del Toro regulars, hinting at a reunion of sorts. While the evidence doesn’t specify which actors fall into this category, del Toro’s past collaborations—think Hellboy’s Ron Perlman or Pan’s Labyrinth’s Doug Jones—often involve deep creative bonds . Whether they appear here is unconfirmed, but the series’ tone suggests a homecoming for his trusted performers.
- Lize Johnston and Kevin Keppy are listed as cast members, though their roles and screen time remain unclear . Their inclusion underscores the anthology’s mix of established stars and fresh faces.
The lack of granular detail on individual episodes or performances is a gap in the evidence, but the sheer star power suggests del Toro aimed to elevate horror with prestige talent.
Critical Reception: Praise with a Side of Criticism
Cabinet of Curiosities didn’t just rely on its name and cast to win over audiences—it earned generally positive reviews for its craftsmanship. Critics praised the series for its directing, performances, production design, and special effects, with many noting how it captures del Toro’s love for the grotesque and the beautiful . The anthology format allowed each episode to stand alone, offering a fresh horror experience with every installment.
That said, the series wasn’t without its detractors. Some critics pointed to pacing issues and uneven writing as weak spots, arguing that not every tale hit the mark . This isn’t uncommon for anthologies, where the quality can fluctuate from episode to episode. Additionally, the series holds a 6.3/10 rating on SensCritique, based on nearly 3,700 votes, indicating a mixed but engaged reception from viewers . For a project as visually ambitious as this, such a score suggests it delivered on spectacle if not always on narrative cohesion.
The Unanswered Questions
Despite the buzz, Cabinet of Curiosities leaves some mysteries unaddressed in the available evidence. For instance:
- Episode specifics: The snippets don’t reveal much about individual stories, directors, or standout performances. Which tale was the most praised? Which fell flat? The evidence is silent.
- Del Toro’s direct involvement: While he’s credited as creator and curator, it’s unclear how hands-on he was in shaping each episode. Did he write any of them? The evidence doesn’t say.
- Future seasons: The series is labeled a miniseries in some sources , but Netflix hasn’t confirmed whether it’s a one-and-done or the first chapter of a longer anthology. Rumors of a second season are unconfirmed.
For now, Cabinet of Curiosities remains a tantalizing, if slightly opaque, entry in del Toro’s filmography—one that leans heavily on his reputation for dark fantasy while leaving room for interpretation.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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