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 The Outside. The fourth mini-feature of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
A woman with self-esteem issues is contacted through her television with an opportunity to change herself with a special lotion.
Is Cabinet of Curiosities: The Outside (2022) Scary?
Not at all, The Outside doesn’t try to be scary and since it takes place during Christmas, it feels more like a comedy than horror. You won’t leave The Outside scared unless you recently made a bulk purchase of lotion because a television told you.
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:
The Outside is pretty good. The acting is great and the dialogue is pretty good. It’s definitely a slow burn but the story keeps you engaged enough that you feel for the main character and you’re constantly wondering how bad things will go for the characters.
This is definitely more of a “be careful what you wish for” episode than a horror episode but the topic of self-esteem and societal pressure to look a certain way is well told. I would have liked more emphasis on the effects those topics had on the characters and more of an explanation of the lotion. Sure, there’s a quick scene where we hear the side effects of the lotion but we don’t see really anyone being affected by those side effects.
Also a bit of a negative was the episode felt pretty short and ended right when things were ramping up. It would have benefitted from an extra 15-20 minutes so we can see the full effects of some characters’ actions. Being only an hour long doesn’t ruin the episode but it does make it feel more like a fable than a story.
Overall I recommend giving The Outside a watch especially if you’re not looking for something scary to watch.
Cast IMDB
Stuff to Ignore
Rotten Tomatoes – No Individual Page
Metacritic – No Individual Page