Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Murmuring

November 15, 2022 10:31 AM - Season 1, Episode 8

Mourning a major loss, ornithologists Nancy (Essie Davis) and Edgar (Andrew Lincoln) flock to a secluded home to study birds, but the house's history reveals heartbreak and horror.
posted by asnider (4 comments total)

I figured someone should post the final episode of this season. There were some great shots and the quiet mourning and desperation between the two characters was mostly well acted. It was a bit slow for my preferences, but the pacing mostly seemed appropriate for the story being told.

I was never clear how old the child they lost was supposed to be. I assumed she was an infant, but Essie Davis is 52 and that seems rather old to be having a baby (at least in the era in which the episode takes place), so I don't know if I'm wrong in my assumption about the age of the child or just reading too much into the age of the actor (though I don't think the character was supposed to be much younger; both characters are supposed to have dedicated their lives to science and their careers -- which perhaps would make having a child at such an age more plausible even in the 1950s).
posted by asnider at 10:36 AM on November 15, 2022

This episode was directed by Jennifer Kent who also directed the Babadook with Essie Davis. Both explore loss, trauma, and grief in different ways. I found this one of the strongest and most enjoyable episodes.
posted by miss-lapin at 1:25 PM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

This was my second favorite episode after The Viewing. Somehow both melancholy and comforting, with a really strong performance from Essie Davis.
posted by skycrashesdown at 3:33 PM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

One of the things I liked about the series is how radically different the directing styles were for each episode.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:35 PM on November 16, 2022 [2 favorites]