19 Horror Anthology Episodes to Frighten Fans Of "Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities"
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Late last month, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities sent chills throughout horror fans around the country with bold, original and terrifying visions presented by the beloved horror maestro.
However, this spine-tingling anthology is certainly not the first of its kind, and if you’re in search of similar scare fare that evokes the same vibe and viscera of the horror on display, these horror anthology episodes from years past should help you channel these nightmares once more.
1.“Bad Travelling” from Love, Death & Robots
If you enjoyed the mind-bending monster madness of “The Autopsy” by The Empty Man director, David Prior, then chances are you might love another short-form tale of terror from another famously cerebral filmmaker: Se7en and Zodiac filmmaker, David Fincher. In his inaugural directorial contribution to the animated genre series he proudly produces, Fincher teams with his Se7en scribe, Andrew Kevin Walker, and Blur Studios for a petrifying parable that follows the crew of a shark-hunting galleon as it becomes occupied by a massive, man-eating crustacean, which poses a dire question: should they acquiesce to the monster’s demands to be left on a nearby island to feast on an unsuspecting population, or dare they take the monster to a deserted island further away and put themselves at peril?
2.“H.P. Lovecraft’s Dreams in the Witch-House” from Masters of Horror
Showtime Networks
Years before Catherine Hardwicke was able to recruit Rupert Grint to headline her hair-raising adaptation of Lovecraft’s “The Dreams in the Witch-House,” the short story was brought to lurid life by Re-Animator filmmaker Stuart Gordon for Showtime’s hit-or-miss horror anthology series, Masters of Horror. While this adaptation does not have the budget or ensemble pedigree as the 2022 take on the property, Gordon’s version is more accurate to the source material and pulls off a number of unsettling effects in a practical manner guaranteed to become nightmare fuel that’ll be burned in your psyche forever more.
3."Darknet 1" from Darknet
Prior to getting down in the muck with “Graveyard Rats” in Cabinet of Curiosities, Vincenzo Natali made a career out of stellar spookshows such as Cube, Splice, In the Tall Grass, and Haunter as well as various episodes of Hannibal and The Strain. In fact, he even made an impression with his own horror anthology series, Darknet, which arrived to rave reviews in 2013 and followed interconnected stories surrounding a website on the dark web where terrifying stories and videos are traded, often at the expense of some poor soul. While Natali remained an executive producer on the series’ entire six-episode run, his directorial work on the pilot featured some of the fiercest tales of them all, including one featuring “Graveyard Rats” star David Hewlett as yet another ill-fated oddball.
4."8" from The Twilight Zone (2019)
Monkeypaw Productions
Another creepy entry for fans of "The Autopsy," this macabre episode of Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone reboot combines the Get Out filmmaker's subversive eye for fright fare with the uniquely unconventional sensibilities of The Endless filmmakers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, who most recently have become stewards of Marvel's televised projects, Moon Knight and the upcoming second season of Loki. Also taking a little inspiration from The Thing, "8" surrounds the crew of a secluded arctic research station that finds themselves in a deadly mind-game with a beast emerging from the depths of the ocean with a plan to dethrone the human race from the top of the food chain.
5.“Dig That Cat… He’s Real Gone” from Tales from the Crypt
A fantastic and frightful companion piece to the hubris-laden "Lot 36" from Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, this beloved episode from Tales from the Crypt's near-perfect first season perfectly exemplifies that series' "be careful what you wish for" tone. The episode, directed by the one-and-only Richard Donner, follows a vagabond (Joe Pantoliano, brimming with sardonic charisma and sleaze) after he is given a cat's nine lives by a mad scientist, who soon uses his newfound talents as a hustle at a nearby sideshow, only to discover dying is not all that it's cracked up to be.
6."Cigarette Burns" from Masters of Horror
If you dug the unnerving atmosphere of Panos Cosmatos’ “The Viewing,” then you’re in for a treat in what might be the last great directorial effort from John Carpenter in his first Masters of Horror episode, “Cigarette Burns.” Starring a pre-Walking Dead Norman Reedus as well as genre stalwart Udo Kier, “Cigarette Burns” surrounds a rare film expert who is hired to track down a film that allegedly drives its viewers criminally insane.
7."Scared Stiff" from 50 States of Fright
Gunpowder & Sky
Initially produced for the doomed Quibi platform, this short-form horror anthology episode from The Mortuary Collection director Ryan Spindell and producer Sam Raimi finds its gruesome groove in the same hysterically strange and deranged territory as Vincenzo Natali's "Graveyard Rats." Starring Sinister and IT: Chapter 2's James Ransone, "Scared Stiff" tells the tale of a quirky and obsessed taxidermist who discovers his latest commission is something far more peculiar, and dangerous than he could have imagined, especially once the beast's parent arrives at his doorstep.
8."Playtest" from Black Mirror
A psychologically devastating and truly eerie episode of Black Mirror, "Playtest" pushes many of the same buttons as "The Viewing," even though its tone goes for anxiety-inducing dread as opposed to the hypnotic, borderline seductive vibe of the latter. Directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey director, Dan Trachtenberg, "Playtest" follows a young man grieving his father who decides to travel around the world, but after experiencing identity theft, he decides to participate in an experimental augmented reality game playthrough that quickly transforms into a waking nightmare.
9."Only Sin Deep" from Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt Holdings
Another genre gem from the outstanding first season of Tales from the Crypt, those who enjoyed the satire-heavy body horror of Ana Lily Amirpour's "The Outside" should try this spooky story on for size. Directed by go-to John Hughes director Howard Deutch and written by Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps), "Only Sin Deep" follows a narcissistic prostitute (Lea Thompson) who sells her beauty to a pawnbroker with a penchant for voodoo in exchange for the love of a wealthy bachelor only to find out the means of collection are swift and grave in nature.
10."Fair-Haired Child" from Masters of Horror
Showtime Networks
An emotionally-fueled domestic horror story with the flair of an experimental film, William Malone's "Fair-Haired Child," from the first season of Masters of Horror, has a lot in common with Jennifer Kent's contemplative and chilling "The Murmuring." Headlined by a scene-stealing performance from Lori Petty, "Fair-Haired Child" surrounds a teenage girl who is kidnapped by a wealthy couple as a sacrifice to a demon that has promised to resurrect their deceased teenage son only to find herself drawn to another prospective sacrifice as she awaits her fate.
11."I'm Just F*****g With You" from Into the Dark
Produced as a part of Hulu and Blumhouse's Into the Dark anthology series comprised of feature-length horror offerings based on various holidays, "I'm Just F*****g With You" has a mean streak and an undercurrent of pitch-black humor, both of which stream through the veins of Cabinet of Curiosities's "The Outside." Claiming the "April Fool's Day" holiday for its subject matter of choice, "I'm Just F*****g With You" follows a mild-mannered man that moonlights as an abusive internet troll who grows concerned about the escalating practical jokes of a bizarre and potentially psychopathic motel manager.
12."Eater" from Fear Itself
Frequently cited as the scariest entry into the short-lived Fear Itself anthology series, this twisty and terrifying tale from director Stuart Gordon (who makes his second appearance on this list) balances its suspenseful proceedings and lurid lore similar to that of "The Autopsy." With an early starring role for Elisabeth Moss, "Eater" surrounds a new police officer tasked with guarding a cannibalistic serial killer who is rumored to have powers courtesy of black magic. As her male colleagues begin to act more strange as the evening goes on, the officer soon discovers that it may be she who is trapped in the jail with the murderer and not the other way around.
13."Battleground" from Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
Bearing similarities in terms of thematic comeuppance and narrative structure to that of "Graveyard Rats," this Brian Henson-directed premiere episode of the Stephen King anthology series remains a highlight of Nightmares & Dreamscapes. Starring the late William Hurt, this dialogue-free tale of terror showcases the battle between a professional hitman and an army of sentient toy soldiers, sent courtesy of a toy company executive whom he had recently been contracted to kill.
14."Beyond the Aquila Rift" from Love, Death & Robots
A deep space horror that evokes much of the same unnerving undertones as "The Viewing," "Beyond the Aquila Rift" is a jaw-dropped shocker that firmly cemented Love, Death & Robots as an anthology series that can deliver scares with the best of them. Produced by Unit Image, this NSFW chiller follows a spaceship that has drifted light-years off-course from their route home, but the captain awakens to be received by an improbably familiar face, forcing him to come to terms with a frightening reality that will likely burn itself into your brain.
15."The Black Cat" from Masters of Horror
Showtime Networks
The third and final episode from the brilliant Stuart Gordon to make this list, this adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's classic ghost story, as adapted by Gordon and Re-Animator writer, Dennis Paoli, is just as likely to get buried under your skin as the Lovecraft adaptation of "Pickman's Model." Starring Jeffrey Combs as Poe himself, "The Black Cat" follows the iconic horror author on the verge of fame yet saddled in financial and emotional ruin, and the presence of a mysterious black cat threatens to accelerate his descent into madness.
16."USS Callister" from Black Mirror
One of the most acclaimed episodes of Black Mirror ever produced with four Primetime Emmy Awards to its name, "USS Callister" touches upon a number of thematic elements that also appear in a different fashion in "The Outside." Featuring Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, and Michaela Coel, "USS Callister" surrounds a video game developer (Plemons) who clones his co-workers in an experimental build of his MMORPG, in which he can bully, abuse, and exploit them to his will. After a new co-worker (Milioti) becomes self-aware, the crew decides to band together to break free of the developer's grip permanently.
17."The Who of You" from The Twilight Zone (2019)
Monkeypaw Productions
With a wry sense of irony and a gut-punch ending similar to that of "Lot 36," this standout episode of The Twilight Zone's contemporary reboot pulls off the "body swap" concept by adding in a cat-and-mouse procedural that helps keep the trope interesting and fresh. Directed by longtime Jordan Peele collaborator, Peter Atencio, "The Who of You" follows a cash-strapped actor whose bank robbery attempt goes haywire after he accidentally swaps bodies with a bank clerk, putting him in the crosshairs of a determined detective who must track down the real personality before he is able to get away with the crime in someone else's body.
18."The Ventriloquist's Dummy" from Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt Holdings
Another infamous episode of Tales from the Crypt directed by the late, great Richard Donner, this "be careful what you wish for" story certainly offers parallels to both "Graveyard Rats" and "Pickman's Model," and certainly has the goosebump-inducing visuals to stand alongside either episode of Cabinet of Curiosities. With the unlikely duo of Bobcat Goldthwait and Don Rickles at the center of the tale, "The Ventriloquist's Dummy" surrounds an aspiring performer who seeks out his retired idol for advice, only to discover the elder ventriloquist has a much darker secret responsible for his success.
19."Almost There" from 50 States of Fright
Gunpowder & Sky
A horror anthology episode that prioritizes emotional resonance while also delivering breathtaking scares, "Almost There" works brilliantly as a thematic companion to "The Murmuring" in terms of affecting yet nonetheless eerie storytelling. The brainchild of Haunt directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, "Almost There" follows the sole survivor (Taissa Farmiga) of an extremely religious family that had committed mass suicide who is tasked with an emergency repair engineering job, the anxieties of which begin to manifest as depictions of her worst fears.
