Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (TV Series) The Viewing (2022) User Reviews

An ode to early Cronenberg

[tmattoneill · 7/10 · 5 December 2022]

A quirky installation in this series but I've not seen anyone mention that it's basically a love letter to early David Cronenberg. From the settings / sets, to heavy science jargon, to the deliberate pacing and build up its Cronenberg through and through. Explicit references to Scanners & Videodrome as well as the overall aesthetic. Really enjoyed.

Yes, it takes a while to get going. Yes some of the exposition is heavy handed. But the pay off and soundtrack more than make up for that. The composer scored Uncut Gems and is a master of the creepy, dirty synth sound. The DP went lens flare crazy. But as a total package it's there.

Intriguing beginning, total flop of an ending

[jessicacanderson-06643 · 5/10 · 1 November 2022]

This had so much potential but then I feel like it went completely off the track and took a hard turn for the worst.

Even though it's a slow burn I was interested to see why these people were here, what reasons or skills did they possess to be chosen? The vibe of the beginning is very surreal, beautiful cinematography and intriguing story... Why does Hector not get to discuss his story about the gun? What skills does this guy want to get from his guests? How does he have the power to grant them whatever they want?

But then The hard left turn happens. It's like a completely different story. Very typical monster movie, with a confusing ending that makes zero sense. Why would any of this happen the way it does? No one can tell you because it's as if they had one person write the beginning and another the ending without letting either of them see what's being written. Then they just smash it together and call it a day. Such a waste of potential plot.

Intriguing start, shockingly bad ending.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 5 November 2022]

Four talented, accomplished individuals are collected, and delivered to their host, who wishes to show them a bizarre item.

Not sure how to classify this one, I wouldn't say it's a horror, imagine Agatha Christie's And then there were none mixed in with Twin Peaks and A Clockwork Orange, it really is the most curious episode of the series so far. It's another one, that from a horror point of view just doesn't deliver.

I thought the beginning was fascinating, it really grabbed my attention, I was so keen to understand what was happening, to be honest, the ending was a real let down, for me it just didn't work.

Visually and musically it's like a 1970's porno, it looks unlike anything I've seen for some time.

Peter Weller was pretty awesome here, his presence and delivery were quite something.

I'm glad I watched it, not sure I could endure it again, 5/10.

Feels Out of Place.

[jjenk911 · 7/10 · 12 November 2022]

This is a Panos Costamos-directed episode that feels way out of place for a cabinet of curiosities. I've seen both Beyond the Black Rainbow and Mandy and this episode shares the same aesthetic as these two films: if David Lynch shot something during the late '70s-early '80s on acid, and this is the result.

It feels like you're on acid looking at the psychedelic colors, the thumping retro music, and the... I don't know, very Mellow Yellow vibe, if that makes sense. The cast do a very good job with their roles, and I was pleasantly surprised by Eric André's performance. He's a music artist having a difficult time making his next album, and him being here in this episode, he just wants something to help. Now I'm not an expert in the music industry, but I can relate to him in a way. He and Charlotte, played by Charlene Xi, an astrophysicist.

I mentioned Panos's recent movies. The Viewing went from Beyond the Black Rainbow to Mandy to WTF am I watching? While the ending isn't great, it's a serviceable episode for Panos Cosmotos fans. Casual fans will steer away from this one.

Underrated, psychedelic freakish nightmare that's more than a "curiosity"

[Amthermandes · 9/10 · 10 December 2022]

First of all, dig the late 70's, early 80's vibe, exaggerated as it may be. You can definitely tell the director is the same one who directed Mandy. Its mind-altering, colorful, visual schemes, with vibrant fun sets, and with odd audio tracks to give it a real psychedelic ambience.

But the main reason I was drawn to this episode, and why I chose to view it as the second in order of episodes in season 1, was from all the negative reviews complaining about how the episode was dull and its twist was too abrupt and unsettling. Personally, I found it enthralling. It's filmed almost as if the audience is a 5th unmentioned guest.

Really cool to see Peter Weller in this episode, he does a great job. And it has some rather titillating dialogue, some of which was rather deep, and some of which flew over my head, but still kept me interested. Until it reached a point where it seemed like it was trying too hard to be esoteric to "wow" the audience into thinking "whoa, that's some heavy s@#$ right there!" as if to only impress stoners and believers in outer astrology.

Also, just wanted to say, Eric Andre usually bugs the crap out of me. Most things I've seen him in, from comedic performances to guest appearances, makes me want to quit watching tv. But he did a pretty good job here, and wasn't his usual obnoxious self. And the other actors did alright too.

There were even some funny moments. It's weird, sure. And CGI use may be too heavy. Oh wait, then it doesn't seem to rely on it too much, and the "creature" ends up being rather horrifying and freaking awesome. It's rather refreshing, and different. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Unfortunate many do not feel the same, but if you love weird, and if you loved the director's other works like "Mandy" or other crazy stuff like "Color out of Space" with Nicholas Cage, "The Void," "Glorious," or "Annihilation," then this is something you gotta see.

Worth Watching

[frankelee · 7/10 · 2 November 2022]

A billionaire Peter Weller invites four semi-famous guests over to his newly constructed mansion, all lured on the promise he'll show them the most 70's house ever made by mankind.

In this promise he delivers. However, greater horror awaits...

This episode suffers from the opposite problem of the other six up until now, which is that it's got more story than you should try to fit in an hour. This could have gone three hours.

What I really like about it, is that it invokes a somewhat Tarantino-esque feel, and one could easily imagine him having gone in this direction after Kill Bill (Robocop really channels David Carradine throughout this by the way). Watching the story shortly after they arrive at the house, one sort of wishes Tarantino could do a once over of the dialogue, or just you wish you could do a once over of the dialogue, it just needs a little sprucing up to get there.

Unfortunately the ending just doesn't match up. I was expecting a deeper story, I was expecting to see more of that house! It basically stops when they leave their initial couch party, you're practically watching the credits from there on out, nothing that happens really much matters because it's just a whatever, rushed horror story.

But it's still a good effort, I'm not going to fault somebody for trying to do horror Tarantino and managing to do 'pretty good.' That's pretty good!

Long on mood, short on everything else

[jamesrupert2014 · 4/10 · 17 January 2023]

Lionel Lassiter, a mysterious über-rich recluse (Peter Weller) invites a group of over-achievers to his other-worldly mansion to expand their minds before viewing an inexplicable object. The idea of inviting a disparate group of experts from the arts, para-normality, or theoretical physics to examine an object that is completely beyond the ability of the physical sciences to explain is interesting but this showy yet tedious story doesn't do much with the concept; instead we spend a lot of time watching disagreeable people getting stoned before the story toggles over to a derivative horror climax coupled with an pointlessly lengthy car ride. Set design and cinematography are imaginative and well-executed but largely wasted on an undeveloped story that seems to rely on mood and pretentious dialogue to fill three-quarters of the running time.

2nd Best

[davidmitchussoni · 8/10 · 31 October 2022]

Guys, I rarely review anything in IMDB, this was good enough for me to do that.

We all agree The Autopsy is the best, yeah okay, but this was 2nd for me. I was all in for the 70s vibes, the lo-fi synthwave soundtrack, the golden everything, so much so that I forgot it was a horror show (in the best way of sucking you in with so much mysterious intrigue), then I was reminded it was in a very satisfying way, as I am a huge fan of horror that depicts the punishment that human curiosity and adoration can bring.

I don't know, I was just on the hook from the beginning. Just try to have fun guys, alright?

Entranced until the very BAD ending

[justsixblack · 6/10 · 30 October 2022]

This episode had me excited the way "The Autopsy" did (that's the absolute BEST one, by the way). "The Viewing" gave me such hardcore Kubrickian vibes that I truly thought I was in for a real treat. And for the most part, I was-until the very end of the episode. Like every other episode in this freaking series, the ending was SO WEAK. It didn't add anything of value to the buildup the episode created. Even when you think upon things such as: "why did some turn out like this and others like that?" You do not come to any logical conclusion. Granted, I know it doesn't always have to make sense, but from the story and buildup, I expected SO much more. Even an ending that left me in total discomfort would've been better than the way this ended. The way I feel after just watching it is sadly disappointed. It had SO much potential and once again, it just failed in the last 5 minutes like all the rest (except "The Autopsy"). However, since I enjoyed 95% of the episode with all its nostalgic glory, I am giving this a 6/10.

Incredib-

[adamayatomar · 2/10 · 29 October 2022]

-ly heartbreaking to see a beautiful setup to a story with such varied background and potential, broken apart in 10 minutes by an alien creature of no introduction, context, or causation, killing off the characters and take a sewage shortcut into a city.

Why were the guests chosen? Who was Hector? What is Dr. Zahra's deal? Was this the first time guests were called here? Why did Lassiter not die and got absorbed instead?

Bottom tier story writing, cheap and easy scary bit added abruptly and unnecessarily, causing more nausea with the squelching than actual terror; Netflix really scraped the bottom of the barrel with this one.

Torro's 2nd wise choice here

[harry-75283 · 8/10 · 28 October 2022]

I 'm so into P. Cosmatos mythology and aesthetic, and so pleased for G.de Torro choosed him for this episode. I think Autopsy and The Viewing elevated the entire project, and added the pure and simple "horror" matter which others episodes just don't, unfortunately. Welles act is solid and charming, his mature period seems ideal for arthouse/gringe films. There is no horror without funny moments and here they are some. The gore is totally nostalgic, reminds me classic 80s/90s style fx and everything sinking visually into a deep deep red color on the screen, something P. Cosmatos seems to like a lot. Well, me too. Music also was fine. Analog synths rules!

Episode 7 (UK; Netflix; Oct 28)

[StudleyDave · 7/10 · 31 October 2022]

Thus far, it's the trippiest, oddest, most surreal of the anthology... and that says quite a bit before I've even started! Lol. This is quiet, and patient, so requires your undivided attention as a result. It's heartbeat can be heard; it's energy felt, as it explores desire, stigma, curiosity and trust amongst a group who have never met before. It builds through a conversation with their host, to a crescendo of tactile and messy uncertainty and horror. As two of the group escape, there are a number of unanswered questions charging through your mind about what it all means, and what the host really knew.

Weakest of the series

[missraziel · 1/10 · 29 October 2022]

Where to start with this one, it begins with an interesting and curious premise, setting the scene for something to happen, experts or influential people show up at rich guy place and he gets them some, erm, refreshments.....

Time and conversation passes, ever so slowly, me I mean oh so slowly, this leads up to....well nothing....

I like the episodes leading up to this one, this is the weakest and most horrible episode, not because of the slow burn, that I could handle, but nothing happens, we get to see something unusual which turns into something stupid.... So much build up for, nothing of interest or significance, it went nowhere, and it did it painfully slowly.

Sorry, not sorry, I didn't like this episode.

Awesome

[ashfordofficial · 7/10 · 6 November 2022]

1. The best and most innovative episode so far. Everything was impressively conceived and meticulously crafted. The ending left with so much questions than answers but the whole experience was worth it. Panos Cosmatos' signature synth music + neon lights accompanied by a captivating cinematography + direction elevated this episode with a great cast, dialogues and overall enjoyability.

2. The best and most innovative episode so far. Everything was impressively conceived and meticulously crafted. The ending left with so much questions than answers but the whole experience was worth it. Panos Cosmatos' signature synth music + neon lights accompanied by a captivating cinematography + direction elevated this episode with a great cast, dialogues and overall enjoyability.

Peter Weller + Panos Cosmatos = Heaven

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 10/10 · 28 October 2022]

Definitely my favourite episode yet. I'm a huge fan of Cosmatos after Beyond The Black Rainbow and Mandy, and he once again creates something beautiful yet horrifying and altogether unique in under an hour. Having Peter Weller around just cements the cult vibes and the gorgeous, dreamy score by the same guy who composed for Uncut Gems is just musical bliss. Eclectic casting all round too with exotic Sofia Boutella, Eric Andre for comic relief and Charlene Yi (Twin Peaks) who furthers the eccentric aura. This show is great so far but this segment is miles ahead of the rest, truly special stuff.

No story but absolutely gorgeous to look at

[sidjames-42134 · 7/10 · 13 November 2022]

I've found this series to be a very mixed bag indeed. Both Lovecraft adaptations were awful so I didn't go into this one with high hopes. I was pleasantly surprised with most of it as it is a visual treat. The colour palette, the shot framing and the gliding camera work was beautiful. I thought it was clearly indebted to Kubrick and that's no bad thing. The characters were fairly clichéd but the situation was intriguing enough and the massive drug consumption was played nicely for laughs. As with a couple of the other episodes, the payoff was pretty rubbish as though all the thought had gone into setup. My girlfriend kept asking when something was going to happen but that didn't matter to me. If you're going to spend an hour watching nothing happen then it might as well look this good.

Awful and pointless

[R99 · 1/10 · 5 November 2022]

I've been very disappointed with this series. I haven't seen all the episodes, but of the ones I have seen, only The Autopsy was good. Go watch that one and skip the rest, they aren't good. But this one here, The Viewing, deserves special mention for how awful it is, a complete waste of time.

The story takes place in the early 80s or something (but that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever) and it starts with a few characters being invited to some rich guy's place. They meet in an underground parking lot and get picked up in a van by the rich guy's lackey. Once they get there, they spend the next 30-40 minutes just talking, drinking, and doing drugs and we get some background the invitees; an astrophysicist , a famous musician, a famous author, and a psychic. After slogging through the very boring conversation that just went on and on, the pompous rich guy (played by Robocop) finally reveals why they were invited; to look at some meteor rock thing from space.

See, he's already tried to figure out what it is with the vast resources available to him, but all the usual scientific methods have failed. Why he even cares, who knows, but he's obsessed with it. The astrophysicist makes a couple suggestions, but they've already been tried. At this point, the viewer has to wonder, why on earth does the rich guy invite the musician and author for this? It would be like bringing in Taylor Swift and Stephen King when all the great scientific minds failed. It's completely asinine. In fact the author character, with his non-existent wisdom and experience with meteors, says something like "it's just a rock". Actually, even that comment was pretty dumb, because from the look of it, it was way too symmetrical and patterned to be just a rock.

You almost have to wonder if the show writers just started writing the plot without even knowing where they were going with it, and once they finally finished writing the stupid conversation and got to the next part, they never went back and thought, does the beginning still make sense? The writers were probably high, they sure seem to love showcasing the pointless drug use in the overly long conversation scene.

Anyways, back to the "plot", the musician makes a discovery completely by accident when he smokes a joint right next to it and the smoke he exhales causes a reaction. The thing starts probing them. Two of the guests' heads explode, two escape, and the rich guy turns into some monster and wanders off. And that's it. That's the story.

Possibly for the first time ever after having watched something, I thought to myself that the creators set out to specifically troll the audience with the most pointless garbage ever put on screen.

Panos Cosmatos is a Genius

[samuelgeorgeboswell · 10/10 · 31 October 2022]

Panos Cosmatos has a way of making polarizing cinema. Those who have enjoyed his past work will absolutely love this. The score is instantly familiar. The lighting is reflective of the theme. The set, simply exquisite.

This small cast of characters are put through a mysterious test before being exposed to an otherworldly entity.

His work generally splits opinion, as reflected in the mixed reviews here. But go in with an open mind and just enjoy this for what it is. Best episode in this series. If this is your first exposure to Panos' work, I cannot recommend watching his movie 'Mandy' highly enough.

Go in with the expectations of a nerdy b-movie

[bowtieanddemand · 7/10 · 31 December 2023]

10 star reviews are reading way too far into this episode; likewise, 1 star reviews are expecting too much, and I'm saying all this as a huge Panos Cosmatos fan, with this as my favorite work of his yet.

I think it's best regarded like Adult Swim/Williams Street (i.e. Aqua Teen Hunger Force): anti-humor, only here anti-horror? That's to say that it will appeal largely to a specific type of viewer, and annoy/baffle anyone who isn't drawn to that.

Anti-humor exists for people who get giddy at the prospect of massive buildup with the suspicion/uncertainty that there may be negative payoff, and when that finally happens, still find humor in that.

Make no mistake, this isn't a joke/satire per se, it's just the better part of an hour building up through weird exposition to an ending which doesn't really scare, at least so much as it shocks.

It's not that there's something here viewers at large don't "get" either: It's a work which raises more questions than it answers and it's paced like a molasses avalanche.

By conventional standards it's bad; I loved it but I think, objectively-speaking, viewers who rate it poorly while singling out the ending as its weak point are right to not like it.

All that said, I think viewers ought to go into this like you might a b-movie: keep your expectations low, enjoy what you can make sense of and move on if nothing appeals to you.

Also a non-spoiler to say that Peter Weller channels late career David Carradine, right down to the long combed-back hair. I was excited to see him in this and he did not disappoint.

Terrible

[eswftw · 1/10 · 4 November 2022]

I felt queezy watching this episode .. Notice how even someone that rated it high even mentions the fact that they themselves are literally high (or how would they know it would be "even better watching it high" )..that tells me a lot ...that you'd have to be out of your mind to find this all over the place episode remotely entertaining, the "chosen ones" are picked up..given alcohol and drugs..have their egos stroked then enter a room with a rock that turns into an alien creature that kills some and leaves two to get in a fast car and speed like lightening to get out of there ..meanwhile the creature escapes through the sewer .. The End ..

Slow, beautiful, cinematic

[ed_hof · 10/10 · 28 October 2022]

I really don't know why I like this one so much. The story is slow, there are dialogue that isn't going anywhere. Yet the anticipation keeps you on your seat. There aren't happening much until towards the end really. Absolutely stunningly beautiful to watch and the acting is good (for the most part).

This one is quite different than the others as it comes to storytelling. There is a lot of character building that never goes anywhere. And it never get explained why he ever invited them over for a viewing other then he "just happened to be fund of them".

Give it a chance, despite for bad rating compared to the others. It's beautiful either way.

Clever Idea...Weak Finish

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 31 October 2022]

This is a variation on the old "invite several people to your house" without telling them why. The problem is that the guy doing the inviting has no idea why he picked these folks and when they see what's in store, it fizzles away. What we have is the release of a monster. My guess, even without some big time weed and cocaine for the guests, the thing would have got loose anyway. The guests are unattractive, boring people who have some gifts, but those gifts are never used. The host is a bonafide nut case whose boredom has brought about destruction. I haven't been that impressed with this series. This did little to help.

5 reasons why you should save yourself and skip this episode.

[tsdsphkp · 1/10 · 27 December 2022]

Number one. This was hands down so boring that it was nigh unwatchable. It had a interesting premise and great visuals, but that was about it.

Number 2. You can skip to the end of the episode after meeting all of the characters, and it will have made zero effect on your understanding of the story and characters.

Number 3. It wasn't scary. At all. There were some excellent episodes in this series which were genuinely horrifying on a physiological level. This was not it.

Number 4. You won't remember this after watching it. Honestly. There was no deeper thought or meaning, the "open" ending was a cliche and doesn't leave you wondering "oh no, I wonder the different ways it go". The main reason you will recall this episode of for the great work on visuals and audio, but even then it's not worth watching a second time.

Number 5. Too many plot holes and unanswered questions. It's just so frustrating to see a good set up, and they try ro interest you in the characters. Instead you get boring conversations that lead to an awful ending, and your questions are never answered. A frustrating and unsatisfying watch.

Save yourself and watch something else instead.

This could've been really great!

[AD1CTED · 6/10 · 2 November 2022]

The beginning is intriguing! From start to onset this was very well character development! I really wish they would've had about 2 hours to make this into a movie, but the ending was so rushed and didn't fit with the initial vibe. If they wanted to go that direction then let it develop, and don't force it on the viewers.... Really wished this would've been as good as what I thought it would turn into but instead all we got was a rushed sequence escape and a twist that makes almost zero sense to the build up. The built up story lines ended up having nothing to do with the actual climax and for that I'll pass...

The most engaging episode of the bunch with intense build.

[jacobfolkman · 9/10 · 2 November 2022]

Great episode. Was hooked from the moment it started and didn't turn away from the screen until the end. Simple, dramatic, back-to-basics horror. There is virtually no character development as much as there is a basic character premise. 4 unknown people, of whom we know almost nothing, are brought to the home of a reclusive rich man to view a special item. The first three quarters of the episode were filled with awkward and uncomfortable suspense building. It's the kind of suspense that doesn't need to lead anywhere. The suspense is simply the tone of the episode. I took it to be a critique of the dangers of the modern self-aggrandizing billionaire. This is the only episode so far that prompted me to write a review after disagreeing with the average user rating being so much lower than the others.