By: Miguel Ernesto Yusty

THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is a series offered by Netflix on its on-demand television platform, created by Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican director who won the Oscar for Best Director, as well as other awards, for the 2017 film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Del Toro presents each episode in the style of the legendary series ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, which aired for ten years starting in 1955. THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is a television production full of qualities that captivates horror fans and even newcomers alike.

Among its sources of inspiration, the eight-episode series includes chapters based on stories by H.P. Lovecraft. A distinctive feature is the heightened dramatic intensity of its scripts when characters fall from grace as a consequence of their weaknesses. Thus, ambition, vanity, or a lack of solidarity open the door to the decadence of individuals, manifested in their descent into metaphysical and terrifying universes. Del Toro, who is the producer, leaves his mark on the aesthetic, with sets and creatures that transcend digital effects, employing a style that only he, a specialist in that field, can achieve.

The series is indeed impressive because its characters are well-developed. Although the plot twists are composed of extreme and exaggerated events, the underlying reasons that lead the individuals down the path of a tragic destiny are fundamental to their origins and serve as constitutive elements of the narrative. Thus, the viewer connects with the story because, although fictional, the characters' humanity is undeniable.