Cuckoo

Starring: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, Mila Lieu, Greta Fernández, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey

Director: Tilman Singer

After a death in the family, Gretchen (Schafer) is forced to move in with her father Luis (Csokas), stepmother Beth (Henwick) and mute step-sister Alma (Lieu). They are moving into a resort in the Bavarian Alps run by Herr König (Stevens). Surprised by Gretchen's presence but still wanting to accommodate her, König offers her a job working the front desk at the resort. Other than seeing women vomit in the lobby, which co-worker Trixie (Fernández) tells her is common, it's a slow and quiet job. One night while biking back home, Gretchen is attacked by a mysterious woman and to her dismay no one believes her. Soon Alma starts to have weird seizures that leaves her hospitalized. Believing the two to be connected Gretchen must search for the truth with the help of a mysterious detective named Henry (Bluthardt), who also happens to be the only one who believes her.

Elevated Horror, which is a newer subgenre made popular by films like The Witch, Get Out and Hereditary, has really helped legitimize the horror genre among cinephiles and even helped it begin to land in the awards conversation. 2024 has provided a plethora of worthwhile entries into the genre, most recently with Oddity and Longlegs. I think we can now add Cuckoo to that list.

I love a movie that keeps me guessing and on the edge of the seat and this is one of those movies where it is best to go in knowing as little as possible. And to give the trailer for this movie credit, it did its best to preserve a lot of the sinister surprises contained within. From Gretchen's horrifying first encounter with the mysterious woman on the bike to the shockingly brutal and bloody finale, there is a lot that should keep genre fans happy.

The movie also doesn’t shy away from being gross. Especially once the main story comes into focus, there is a lot that keeps the ick factor ratcheted to eleven. While nothing can top the finale of Alex Garland’s Men, this still features some body horror that will have people squirming in their seats.

Hunter Schafer, who is one of the many young actors who have seen their fame skyrocket after appearing on Max’s show Euphoria, excels in her first leading role. In a genre that sometimes leans too hard on "final girl" tropes, she is one of the more believable female protagonists as she and audience often find themselves on the same page. Something doesn't feel right and she tries to immediately find a way out or escape. She is also quick to point out anything that should be alarming to those around her. Matching her beat for beat is Dan Stevens. I am convinced there isn't anything this man can't do, as he is often fully aware of what type of movie he is in and will embody the characters accordingly. Herr König is equal parts charming and menacing and Stevens and is even able to make you feel uneasy just from the way he pronounces Gretchen's name. Despite getting third billing, poor Jessica Henwick wasn’t given much to do and probably could have been played by a lesser-known actress. Not her fault but maybe some more of her story will turn up in the deleted scenes on Blu-Ray.

If I had to find fault in anything, it's the script from writer/director Tilman Singer. While he accomplishes a great sense of dread and ultimately crafts a touching story about the bond of sisterhood, the story takes itself too seriously. While it is terrifying and surprisingly funny, once it explains what is actually going on it didn't have as much fun with its premise that it could have. The story is ripe for a pulpy and campy good time and Singer never fully embraces it. To say this movie is wild is an understatement and because it takes itself too seriously it will at times elicit laughter and maybe not in the way Singer intended.

I also wasn’t sure what to make of Jan Bluthhardt’s character Henry. I get that we aren’t supposed to trust him but his character feels like he doesn’t belong in the movie. I don’t know if his character wasn’t as fleshed out as it could have been or if he had some scenes end up on the cutting room floor. Regardless I almost feel like the movie wouldn’t have been missing much if he’d been cut out entirely. There’s nothing wrong with Bluthardt’s performance. He was given a lot more to do than most of the other characters (poor Jess Henwick, you deserved better) but I don’t know what he added.

Despite these issues and thanks to two incredible performances and some good scenes of genuine terror, Cuckoo is well worth checking out in theaters.

Grade: B+