“Cuckoo” Review
Hunter Schafer becomes wrapped up in an insane and bloody conspiracy in "Cuckoo", the latest film from distributor/production company NEON.
With films like “Immaculate” and “Longlegs”, NEON has certainly been making waves through the world of horror with their distributed films quickly leaving an impact. Just recently, “Longlegs” passed the $100 million mark at the box office, making it the highest grossing independent film of the year and NEON’s biggest moneymaker. Now, after audiences have just barely gotten their breath back from “Longlegs”, comes a new horror film from NEON that combines intrigue, suspense and the Alps into a beautifully haunting and twisted tale. “Cuckoo” is an excellent turn that is sure to satisfy anyone who has gotten the taste of NEON’s horror offerings and demands more.
Set in the Bavarian Alps at a resort community, Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) unenthusiastically moves to the town along with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick) and mute half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) where they plan to build a hotel. After meeting the mysterious Herr König (Dan Stevens), who runs the resort and is working with Luis and Beth, and getting a job at his hotel, Gretchen begins to see that not all is well in this beautiful setting. From mysterious noises to a menacing hooded woman (Kalin Morrow) who appears to be following her, Gretchen suspects that there is a dark conspiracy at foot with her findings being more wild than she could have possibly foreseen.
Following her star-making role in “Euphoria” and further work in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and “Kinds of Kindness”, Hunter Schafer shows no signs of slowing down with her excellent performance. Like Bruce Campbell in the first “Evil Dead”, Schafer undergoes a lot of damage from the mysterious entity chasing her and to see Gretchen persevere to figure out what exactly is causing all of this makes her journey all the more admirable and engaging. I have a very strong feeling that Schafer’s brace on her left arm combined with a medical headband and her wielding a butterfly knife is going to quickly become iconic in the world of indie horror. That and Greta Fernández with a hairdryer.
Written and directed by Tilman Singer, “Cuckoo” is commanded with all the excellence of a true voice, sure of what he wants and careful in how he crafts this story. What I love about “Cuckoo” is how I have no idea what’s happening throughout the majority of it but I’m still hooked. I trust that Singer will reveal his intentions and indeed he does. “Cuckoo” is the right kind of methodical and deranged, constantly building intrigue with a great payoff to explain the mysterious events.
Also guiding us on this crazed journey is Dan Stevens who is absolutely relishing this role. You don’t know what he’s doing but you know he’s doing it and whatever it is, it’s surely no good. While this vague description may seem irritating, it’s important that I give nothing away because this film delights in catching the audience off-guard. Let’s just say that Stevens’ performance as Herr König is captivating from start to finish, hiding behind normalcy so well that it borders on uncomfortable and further pushes the uneasy atmosphere.
Keeping the audience grounded through exciting chases and investigations is Hunter Schafer’s relatability. The grip she has on “Cuckoo” is stunning as she goes through such pain (both because of what’s happening to her now and what led to her family to move to Germany) and is worried that recent events may have distanced herself from everyone as well as addled her mind. This performance is far from your cookie-cutter, typical jaded teenager and it keeps you hooked as you discover what this film is really about.
What works so well about the horror genre is how much you can play with convention and how you can get across a strong message hidden within a story designed to scare people. “Jaws” has a lot to say about masculinity, “Get Out” on race and interracial relationships and “I Saw The TV Glow” is quickly gaining a following for its themes of gender identity. What “Cuckoo” says about family and healing from childhood trauma is really incredible and the interpretations don’t stop there. These themes are perfectly juxtaposed with a mysterious woman chasing Hunter Schafer on a bike. Like most great horror films or cinema in general, what’s happening on the surface is fantastic at entertaining and what’s happening beneath is even more engaging upon a second or third viewing.
Just like A24 films, whenever I see that NEON is making a film, I get excited. I know that the people at this company respect movies and the audience. They want strong voices to get their big break and they want audiences to be exposed to something new that will entertain them. So, whether you enjoy NEON films or are new to the concept, “Cuckoo” is an excellent horror film that should get strong attention. With summer ending and fall around the corner, “Cuckoo” is a good transitional film for a certain time of the year when horror is going to be all around.
