Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: Which is the most haunting episode of the miniseries?

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a 2022 anthology that brings a handcrafted collection of nightmares to screens. Each episode offers a new kind of fear, drawing from cosmic horror, folk tales, gothic terror, and existential dread.

From Lot 36 to The Viewing, every episode in Cabinet of Curiosities leaves its own distinct mark in the world of dread. Lot 36 tells the story of greed through an occult mystery hidden in a storage unit, while The Outside dives into the dark cosmic horror modeled with a personal touch.

However, some episodes do more than frighten; they get inside our skin and leave us with a lingering chill down the spine. Let’s deep dive into uncovering the scariest of all Cabinet of Curiosities episodes.

The Autopsy, the scariest story of the season from Cabinet of Curiosities

Based on Michael Shea’s short story, The Autopsy from Cabinet of Curiosities is the third episode of the series. This episode takes us back to 1978 in a gloomy background. A fatal explosion kills several mine workers, and a sheriff (Glynn Turman) calls in his old friend, Dr. Carl Winters (F. Murray Abraham), a coroner, to perform autopsy procedures on the bodies.

As Winters works through the bodies, he begins to uncover more than just changes in the bodies; he starts to find what really took place in the mine, landing on clues that point toward something alien.

One particular body belonging to Joe Allen reanimates. It is revealed that the mine worker was attacked by a parasite, plunging the gloomy autopsy plot into a full-scale cosmic horror session. This creature, which lacks its own senses, pushes humans’ sensory experiences to extremes for sustenance.

Dr. Winters had terminal cancer, and the parasite cleverly tried to transfer itself from Allen's dead body to Winters' living one, intending to use the cancer as a source of sustenance. As the parasite burrowed in, Winters grabbed a scalpel and performed a horrifying act of self-mutilation: a scene so scary that it really sticks with you even after the credits roll.

He gouges out his eyes, punctures his eardrums, carves a warning into his chest, and slashes his own throat. This act of Winters later leads the sheriff to burn his body so that the creature dies with it.

Why it’s the most brilliant horror of the anthology

1. The autopsy table as a stage for existential dread

The Autopsy thrives in its minimalistic treatment. The episode unfolds in one small, claustrophobic autopsy room, unlike many other entries.

The horror seeps from the surgical precision with which Winters medically dissects the bodies, but ends up cutting deeper into an eerie mystery leading to his demise. Each incision mirrors his own confrontation with mortality.

By turning The Autopsy into a slow, methodical ritual, the episode captures the gloom of accidents, the subtle violence involved in the autopsy procedure, and cosmic dread.

2. Body horror with a brain

The Autopsy from Cabinet of Curiosities was the work of David Prior, best known for The Empty Man, who approaches horror with a philosopher’s mind. There is gore in the story when Winter’s body is captured by the alien parasite, but this gore is not mindless.

David Prior urges us to sit with it and to understand it. The alien’s monologue is not only horrifying, but it also induces a profound sense of inevitability. We get to learn about the deeds of the monstrous parasite through its confession: centuries of feeding on humanity, experiencing the world through borrowed flesh, and mocking our illusion of control.

3. F. Murray Abraham’s devastating performance

One of the key reasons the episode outshines other episodes in Cabinet of Curiosities, ranking top on multiple platforms, is the portrayal of Dr. Winters. F. Murray does a brilliant job in anchoring the weary but sharp character. This man has spent his life observing death as an autopsy performer, now staring directly into it.

His self-mutilation, carving words into his chest to leave behind a warning, sets in stone the episode’s place as one of the most profound horror stories told in just less than 60 minutes.

Honorable mentions from Cabinet of Curiosities

Even though The Autopsy from Cabinet of Curiosities claims the top spot, many other entries from the season really deliver long-lasting dread and bone-chilling horror. Some honorable mentions are The Viewing (episode 7) by Panos Cosmatos, The Murmuring by Jennifer Kent, and Pickman's Model by Keith Thomas.

Also read: The SoapCentral Suggestion List: 5 Greatest Of All Time K-horror shows on Netflix that can give you chills