The Outside-- My take on the episode with spoilers!

 

Plot: Unhappy with her looks, Stacy longs to fit in with her coworkers. Then she comes across a lotion that promises to give her everything she desires.

You know how they always say looks don't matter and how you must never judge a book by its cover?

And then you see movies and TV shows where a makeover enhances a person's life and makes them super popular. And smart too. Or were they always smart to begin with?

Anyway, there have been several movies in the past underlining the fact that looks do matter. If they didn't, there wouldn't be a lot of people going under the knife to change their appearance.

At the end of the day, we are told what beauty looks like and how your appearance stacks up against it.

But it is possible to tear yourself from the pretentiousness of it all by surrounding yourself with people who appreciate you and think you are beautiful with a beautiful heart.

THE OUTSIDE was a little painful to watch. Stacy may not have been the prettiest woman in the world, but she had a husband who loved her and was patient with her. Most importantly, he thought she was beautiful.

But Stacy always compared herself to her coworkers and decided she was simply not good enough and desperately needed something to change her looks.

THE OUTSIDE Plot

When the episode begins, Stacy is alone at home during Christmas and watching just anything on TV. She hears a noise and goes to check but of course there is nothing.

She frantically calls Keith, her husband who is also a cop. He allays her fear even as she rambles on about a possible intruder in the house.

The night passes without event.

The next day, Stacy goes to work at a bank where even though she is with a customer, her ears are on what her coworkers are talking about.

Its all mindless gossip about people's private lives and who has or hasn't gone under the knife. In the center is Gina, a woman Stacy is obsessed with because she is so pretty and easy to get along with. But is she also good at her job? We don't really see her being the best employee, now do we?

Later at night, Stacy is moping about when one of her coworkers comes along and asks her to pick out a name from the Santa hat. Turns out this gesture is as close to an invitation to a party as it can get.

Stacy confirms that she should pick out a name for Secret Santa and when she does, she finds the paper read Gina's name.

At home, she takes her rifle out to shoot a duck and then begins to clean and stuff it. Yup, she's a taxidermist too. She will need these skills later in the story.

Keith isn’t too thrilled by the invitation and keeps reminding Stacy that he likes her just as she is but Stacy is too busy stuffing ducks and avoiding a chicken wings lunch.

The day of the party arrives and Stacy is momentarily afraid of the dog inside the house. But Gina calms him down and lets Stacy in.

Stacy feels just like she does at work: an outcast.

It's Secret Santa time and she learns it really isn't much of a secret. Gina gifts everyone the same present.

Its Alo Glo lotion, the same one Stacy saw Gina use all the time.

Stacy gifts Gina a present and the host is at first shocked to find a stuffed duck, even more so when she learns Stacy shot and stuffed it herself. She puts the present aside and the guests resume praising Gina's expensive gift.

They start to apply it, as does Stacy who pays attention on how to apply the lotion. But uh oh, Stacy begins to get an allergic reaction. Her face turns red and the guests are horrified. Stacy is sent home and she is disappoinyed to miss out on the party.

She moans about it to Keith who tries to comfort her but whe is inconsolable. She really did believe the lotion would enhance her looks.

Upset over her allergic reaction, she gets up in the middle of the night to watch TV and comes across an ad for Alo Glo. The presenter is a handsome man who seems to be addressing Stacy directly.

She complains about her rash but he tells her that the more it hurts, the more the product is working. The lotion will transform her body and mind and she needs to trust it.

Now, we do learn that one of the side effects of the allergic reaction was hallucinations. So, yeah, this was probably part of Stacy's hallucinations.

While she is talking to the presenter, the Alo Glo lotion seems to be squirting on its own. Stacy applies more of the lotion and puts an order for more Alo Glo.

Keith keeps telling her not to use it but she isn't concerned with what he thinks anymore. The presenter has promised her a life of beauty and confidence and that is all that matters.

At one point Keith even puts down their favorite meal, frozen chicken wings cooked in the microwave, when he sees Stacy's irritated skin.

But she doesn't want to stop just yet. The man on the TV has asked for her trust. And when he gets upset and the TV switches off, Stacy begs him to come back. He does, he has products to sell to the delusional after all. He asks Stacy for her faith and she gives it to him.

She goes to the basement and sees that the tubes of Alo Glo have emptied on their own and a figure of goo emerges. But the figure is curvy and Stacy believes she's on the right track.

Bolstered by these events, she continues using the lotion until Keith and her get into a fight as she has to skip work now because of her state.

Stacy is so angry she sticks a small knife into Keith's forehead. The poor man still has faith in his wife and asks her what to do. He takes out the knife and blood pours out. Stacy is told to get a towel but she must have heard axe instead. Keith is immediately bludgeoned to death because he did not understand how women are judged on their appearances unlike men.

But Stacy isn't ready to rid herself of her husband yet. Somewhere deep inside she loves him and so puts her taxidermist skills to use. She stuffs up her husband and keeps him in his favorite pose, watching TV and pointing at something.

Meanwhile, the Alo Glo lures Stacy to a tub where she is completely submerged. When she emerges, she peels off the slimy outer skin and finds that her teeth have straightened and her skin looks great.

She tells her stuffed husband that she was right all along.

Stacy heads to work after a haircut and everyone is mesmerised by her appearance. She is included in all the gossip and Stacy realizes she finally has what she has always desired.

Or did she?

The episode ends with Stacy making horrified faces and then laughing too.

The hallucinations have worn off. She has realized the price for being part of Gina's group. She ponders: is it really worth it?

The episode was interesting however it did drag a lot when it came to Stacy's obsessive use of the lotion.

This episode was based on a short story by Emily Carroll.

This is the fourth episode in the horror anthology Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities which is available on Netflix.

Scare Scale: 3.5/5