Graveyard Rats

"**Graveyard Rats**" is the second episode of Netflix's *Cabinet of Curiosities*, having premiered on October 25, 2022. It is written by Henry Kuttner, based on a short story by him, and directed by Vincenzo Natali.

## Synopsis

A grave robber eyes the riches of a wealthy new arrival to the cemetery, but must survive a maze of tunnels — and an army of rodents — to secure them.

## Plot

### The caretaker

Two men are attempting to a rob a graveyard when they are approached by another man, Masson. Brandishing a gun, he identifies himself as being the graveyard's caretaker. He tells them that the very foundations of society are built on the respectful internment of the dead and tells them to leave. They ask if he's going to turn them over to the police and he waves the gun, sending them scattering. After they leave, he mocks his own words and proceeds to rob the grave that they themselves were attempting to rob, only to be bitten by a rat.

Masson takes his haul to a man who tells him that it's not even enough to cover the month's interest. The man tells him that while he gives him the benefit of the doubt, his employers are beginning to suspect that he may be taking the best for himself. Masson protests that his returns are a fraction of what they once were due to the rats, that they're no ordinary rodents. The man tells him that he's already used up his patience and that his employers will give him one week to cough up, that otherwise he won't be in the cemetery business anymore, he will *be* the business.

### The arrangement

Masson goes to a man named Dooley, one of the overseers of the local morgue. Dooley refuses to even let him in at first, but he protests that it is a matter of life and death. It turns out that the two of them have an arrangement in which Dooley looks the other way when it comes to Masson's grave-robbing. He tells Masson that he has nothing this week of consequence, but Dooley pleads with him to at least let him try, reminding him of how often he's helped him in the past. He is reluctant to let Masson into a certain room, but Masson enters anyway, discovering a man that Dooley describes as having been a wealthy shipping merchant.

Dooley is highly reluctant, warning Masson that if there is even one scratch, the coroner will know. He tells him to wait until tomorrow when he's buried, but Masson protests that tomorrow might be too late, that the rats could get him. Just then, the man's family comes in and the two are forced to hide. Masson is forced to give up for the time being. He attends the funeral, again pretending to be the caretaker, this time to the man's family.

### The plunge

Masson furiously digs at the man's grave. Hearing the rats chittering, he fears it may already be too late. He finds the coffin seemingly empty, but then spots the rats dragging the man's body into a hole. Shocked, he grabs at it, but ends up with only a shoe. He shines a light and sees the body heading down a tunnel. He imagines himself being placed in the coffin by those who are trying to collect from him. Steeling himself, he enters the tunnel, pursuing the body. He is nearly buried by a cave-in, but talks himself up, promising that he will survive. He shouts that he will have his vengeance against the rats.

He continues and is swarmed by a large group of rats, who race all over him. He breathes heavily in terror, but then pulls a pistol, shooting and killing one of them. He laughs maniacally then continues through the tunnel. As he shines his light to look around, he turns and finds front in front of him an unnaturally massive rat, the Queen Rat. It squeals at him, but its eyes are milky white — it cannot see him at all. It sniffs at him, but he tosses his gun, creating a distraction of sound that allows him to escape. He flees down one of the tunnels, the rat in hot pursuit. It comes at him, even getting a chunk of his arm, but he manages to escape again, finding himself in a massive crypt filled with skeletons.

### The necklace

He looks around, cheering his luck. The room is filled with treasures that are all that remains of what was left from the humans the skeletons once were. He eagerly begins looting, then spots the main attraction: a large golden necklace studded with jewels. The necklace adorns the skeleton on a woman of a throne of sorts and he eagerly prizes it off her. "Hallelujah! Gotcha," he declares. The skeleton then reaches forward and clasps his hands, turning in an instant into a horrifying zombie. It rips away from the throne, throttling him to the ground. "Mine! Mine!" it shouts. It bites his head, but he manages to push it away. It again comes for her him, but he manages to get up, free himself and start running.

The zombie is persistent, but slow. It pursues Masson, but has little chance of catching him as he makes his way back up the tunnel. He arrives at the top, only to again encounter the rat. It roars and he finds himself facing the rat from one direction and the shambling zombie from the other. He grabs a sword that he found in the crypt, but the rat gets the jump on him, causing him to lose the sword. He pulls a root and creates a cave-in, causing the rat to tumble away. The zombie then tries to come after him, but is blocked by the avalanche.

### The coffin

Masson proceeds up the tunnel and sees a light. He thanks Jesus, promising his eternal piety if only he pities him. He recites a passage from the Bible about the light. At the top, however, he makes a terrifying discovery. The light was only the glint of a reflection. He is inside a coffin, the very coffin he tried to plunder. "No, no, no," he sobs, trying to force his way out, but it is to no effect. The rats swarm over him in his final resting place.

Sometime later, the two other graverobbers from before arrive at the coffin. They open it to find Masson's dead body, him still wearing the necklace. One of them reaches to remove it, when suddenly the body seems to come to life. From Masson's mouth emerges several rats, which then swarm over his body. The two flee in terror.

## Cast

### Starring

* Guillermo del Toro as Himself
* David Hewlett as Masson

### Co-starring

* Alexander Eling as Burton
* Ish Morris as Harry
* Cory Bertrand as Widow's Son
* Brigitte Robinson as Widow
* Sean Sansom as Queen Rat
* James Kall as Priest
* Maggie Smith as Mourner
* Nabeel El Khafif as Hans Overfist (Bruiser)
* Dean Buchanan as Coroner
* Kevin Keppy as Corpse
* Paige Foskett as Lady of the Evening

and

* Julian Richings as Dooley

## Music

The musical tracks featured in this episode include "The Black Church," "The Name is Masson," "The Ascent to Hell" and "The Queen Rat." The music was composed by Jeff Danna.

## Trivia

* The title card for the episode gives its title as "The Graveyard Rats," this also being the title that Guillermo del Toro states out loud to introduce it.

## Trailer

Graveyard Rats Official Trailer - GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES - Netflix
## External link

* Vincenzo Natali and David Hewlett interview on Tudum, Netflix's editorial site