It was about time we saw some bloody scares set in the Alps. Whether or not Cuckoo supplies sufficient answers to its key mysteries, I will say it does a lot with its secluded setting in the German mountain range short of throwing any of the characters off a cliff. Honestly, director/writer Tilman Singer injects so many stylistic choices into this Euro-set horror flick that it’s a relief the excellent performances from stars Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens register as strongly as they do. All of this makes up for the film’s heady divide in narrative choices and tone, which suggests both a 70s-style paranoia/psychedelic thriller and an 80s body horror/slasher film. Not that the film feels confused about what it’s after, but Cuckoo is good enough to work but perhaps a bit too erratic to emerge even stronger.
Schafer plays 17-year-old Gretchen, who has just moved from America to a resort in the German Alps with her father, Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmom Beth (Jessica Henwick), and her mute step-sister, Alma (Mila Lieu). Upon arrival, the family is greeted by Dan Stevens’ Mr. König. Luis helped design this elaborate resort so the family is afforded plenty of comfort. Gretchen is even given a job working the front desk to stave off boredom. However, why does no one work this role after 10 PM? What’s going on with the strange noise and off-kilter visions taking place? And why does Mr. König seem so elusive about what he’s working on?
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Calling to mind other films I thought of would be a spoiler, but suffice it to say Cuckoo has intentions left vague enough that are bound to frustrate some viewers. Director Singer may have a road map for all that is taking place and what the motivations for each character are, but the audience is deliberately held at arm’s length, which is sometimes appropriate and effective, and other times a bit maddening. A hooded figure, for example, who serves as one of the film’s key marketing elements, is the sort of evocative piece of imagery that both ratchets up the tension and serves to intrigue. On the other hand, an eventual reveal feels like an intended jolt still shuffling around a clearer center.
Of course, I’m not against a sense of ambiguity in a film like this. Show me the whole alien in Alien right away, and I’ll get too used to what’s going on to be scared. Similarly, it’s often better to display the idea of something grand and weird instead of outright saying what it is. That’s where the tone of Cuckoo comes into play. Schafer is excellent here because she’s a grounded presence who is both “over it” the second she arrives and willing to ask all the right questions about how strange people behave and what’s unfolding in front of her. The time spent with her, specifically in the film’s first half, is the film’s largest asset.
Meanwhile, Stevens may exist in the more serious side of the film, but he’s having a ton of fun this year, rounding out his deployment in genre features for 2024 (including Abigail and Godzilla x Kong). With somewhat exaggerated German accent affectations, a steely demeanor countered by little facial tics, and a sort of sly adult confidence that makes him an ideal counter to Schafer’s Gretchen, this is the sort of presumed villain one can be excited by.
When this film gets down to horror business, there’s a lot to be absorbed by. Leaning into body horror, there are approaches to violence and gore that feel unique. Close-ups of veins and blood pumping become a specific indicator of villainy being afoot. Creepy individuals appearing in the dark signal ominous events. Even the filmmaking choices (Cuckoo was shot on 35 mm) and color palette suggest plenty rooted in one’s perception of how these freak-out features should work.
Boiling things eventually down into a pulpier sort of action-heavy finale, I wish there was a stronger sense of what the climax could accomplish. That said, the choices made to emphasize atmosphere and dread, once again, play well for Schafer’s performance. For one thing, this movie makes it clear that she may be the final girl, but she’s not at all invulnerable. And regardless of this, the sense of isolation and how that equates to danger does plenty for Cuckoo’s ability to sustain tension and deliver various surprises.
The terrific sound design should also be noted, as this is a film whose very conscious sound choices apply to the narrative and make for an all the more compelling feature regarding what sort of evil is occurring. Does it all add up and make some sort of sense? Even when considering the movie’s internal logic, I’m unsure. However, as a moody throwback that clearly appreciates films of the past, I was pleased by its ways of distinguishing itself.
I may have had issues with where Cuckoo goes, but it doesn’t stop the film from being a solid display of craft and performance when it comes to genre films. The movie looks great in terms of both production design and the appeal of the Alps, and doesn’t appear to take this for granted. Add to that enough reason to want to continue seeing Stevens having this sort of fun, let alone the possibility of a horror career for Schafer, and one gets to appreciate another solid mainstream 2024 horror effort with indie sensibilities from Neon. Perhaps I’m not crazy for Cuckoo, but I enjoyed its brand of weirdness.
Cuckoo opens in theaters on August 9, 2024.
