19 Horror Anthology Episodes to Frighten Fans Of "Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities"

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.