Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Lot 36)

Perhaps “Lot 36” works on the page—I bet, if so motivated, I could write a synopsis of this that paints it as a slow-burn character study with “meaningful” instances of social commentary. I’m not motivated, however, because I found myself unable to engage with the material. The protagonist is the comical sort of xenophobe conjured in fiction exclusively to have awful things happen to him, and the social messaging around him would likely only please those who turn to fiction to have their perspective validated. There’s a good story somewhere in here, but the final product is a mess.

3