An Average Movie-Goer’s Review
No spoilers! If you would like spoilers – check out the Spoiler post
I love horror movies and if I’m going to watch them anyway, why not write an entertaining/funny review from the POV of an average movie-goer and not a professional critic.
Today we’re looking at Netflix’s Lot 36. The first mini-feature of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Down on his luck, a man purchases a decades old storage unit, Lot 36, in order to help pay off a debt but it contains more deadly secrets than he ever imagined.
Is Cabinet of Curiosities Lot 36 Scary?
No, there are a few jump scares but they’re at the very end since the show relies on building the story and characters. There is a building sense of “shit’s about the hit fan” but nothing that will scare you. The ending itself is more satisfying than scary so in the end you won’t leave it scared unless you’re on your way to a storage unit.
All of our Cabinet of Curiosities Explanations/Reviews:
Ep. 1 – The Lot No Spoiler Review
Ep. 2 – Graveyard Rats No Spoiler Review
Ep. 3 – The Autopsy No Spoiler Review
Ep. 4 – The Outside No Spoiler Review
Ep. 5 – Pickman’s Model No Spoiler Review
Ep. 6 – Dreams in The Witch House No Spoiler Review
Ep. 7 – The Viewing No Spoiler Review
Ep. 8 – The Murmuring No Spoiler Review
Review:
Lot 36 is good. It is pretty short only about 45 minutes in length which at times feels a bit too long. There are a few scenes of characters doing normal stuff where nothing really happens. The only reason I think Lot 36 is good is because it feels like one of those old Twilight Zone episodes and also like a story you’d tell around a campfire.
The acting and dialogue work throughout and the story is well-told and well-paced… most of the time. Tim Blake Nelson is great as a protagonist that you definitely don’t like but has obviously been beaten down by life so you feel a bit for him. Since the episode is so short you don’t learn too much about his ignorance and possible racist views which is a good thing as you don’t step fully into the hating him territory.
The monster/demon design is pretty good but the lead up to it appearing was more creepy than the monster. Again, since the episode is so short you don’t end up having enough time to judge the design too much or become desensitized to it.
Overall I recommend giving Lot 36 a watch, it’s not too creepy or scary but it’s entertaining and a great short story for Halloween.
Cast IMDB
Stuff to Ignore
Rotten Tomatoes – No Score
Metacritic – No Score