‘The Outside’ finds Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities asking just how far a woman is prepared to go to be accepted by the beautiful people, with violent and deadly results.
Guillermo Del Toro kicks off the latest episode of horror anthology Cabinet of Curiosities by giving the story of ‘The Outside’ some context.
“Late-night TV” he starts. “Images and voices in the dark. In our head. An electronic cabinet of curiosities, blurring the line between what is outside and what is inside. What we are, and what we are told we should be.
“Perfection is but a toll-free number away, and this cabinet is controlled by a magic wand made of cheap plastic and numbers. It fits right in your hand, and it is hard to let go.” Then ‘The Outside’ starts proper…
What is Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities ‘The Outside’ about?
Stacey (Kate Miccuci) is a professional bank teller and an amateur taxidermist who she spends her nights watching bad adverts on TV. The kind hosted by hucksters selling fantasies and dreams.
She puts on a brave face, but Stacey isn’t happy with her lot in life, from her appearance, to her lack of friends. That very nearly changes when the ghastly, gossiping women from work – who usually ignore her while discussing boob jobs and penis size – invite Stacey to a Christmas party.
But just when it looks like she might be turning a corner, they laugh at her gift of a stuffed duck, then send her away when some lotion gifted to Stacey gives her a rash.
That same lotion is being advertised on TV when she gets home, with a promise that the creamy potion will fix her body, mind, and soul. A vow that sends Stacey spiralling.
Dan Stevens offers beauty, at a price
The lotion is called ‘Alo-Glo’ and the man advertising it is played by former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens, in a white suit, with white hair, and affecting a hilarious eurotrash accent.
Through the telly, he addresses Stacey directly, asking if she wants to be pretty, stating “I can give you a brand-new you,” then promising her a seat at the table. The lotion’s side-effects are listed, and they are long, and terrifying, but Stacey ignores them and rubs an ever-increasing amount into her skin.
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And lo, she has an allergic reaction, her face turning red; the skin flaking and peeling. Stacey’s policeman husband – played by Martin Starr – becomes understandably worried, but his wife can’t see it. Claiming that she’s healing when her face is very clearly getting worse
Stacey then heads to the basement to get more, where she runs into a figure seemingly made of Alo-Glo. And that’s when proceedings turn really weird…
Messed up movie with a message
Kate Miccuci is superb as the self-perceived caterpillar who wants to be a butterfly, her insecurities triggering her troubles. It’s heartbreaking watching Stacey’s personality change as Alo-Glo – and the desires it stirs within – takes hold.
She’s well supported by Martin Starr as her increasingly concerned husband, as well as Dan Stevens, who is clearly having a blast as the devilish TV host with an offer she should refuse, but can’t.
The trio do justices to Haley Z. Boston’s smart script, in turn is based on a short story by Emily Carroll, which clearly has much on its mind, the film examining the lengths people will go to for acceptance, while also expressing anger at the beauty standards women are held to.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities ‘The Outisde’ score: 8/10
‘The Outside’ is directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, best-known for her startling feature debut A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. But where that was a minimalist movie shot in black-and-white, here the characters are big and the colors garish, especially when focussing on the awful women Stacey aspires to be.
There are times when it plays like an anti-Stepford Wives, but the movies ‘The Outside’ most resembles are 1980s horror classics Society and The Stuff, both in terms of the gooey visuals, and sharp social satire. Making Amirpour’s effort entertaining horror with a message, and one of the Cabinet’s very best Curiosities.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is streaming on Netflix.
