Arriving a month after Longlegs, writer/director Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo continues NEON Films’ strong year of moody, atmospheric horror offerings. Euphoria‘s Hunter Schafer stars in her first leading role, alongside Dan Stevens (Abigail), in a slasher-vibed tale that’s not really a slasher in the traditional sense. Violent, strange, and appropriately blood-soaked with a mood as thick as the German forest that surrounds its characters, Cuckoo packs more than just basic thrills.
Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) leaves her American home to live with her father (Marton Csokas), who has just moved to a resort in the German Alps with his “new” family. Arriving at the future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König (Stevens), her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu). Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Strange noises and bloody visions plague Gretchens until she discovers a shocking secret concerning her own family. If only Gretchen had kept up on her Duolingo.
See Also: ‘Longlegs’ Review: The Cult of Isolation
Recently, a friend told me her seven-year-old has never learned how to ride a bike. “He’s very psychically active, but let’s face it, L.A. is not the most bike-friendly of urban landscapes.” Like most teens, Gretchen owns a two-wheeler, which she’s had flown from The States to Germany. After Mr. König offers her a job at the motel’s reception desk, he tells her she absolutely cannot, under no circumstances, ride her bike alone at night. But she’s seventeen, so… Look, there are many times horror puts a character in a situation in which discerning audiences will cry foul, i.e., the coed who decides to check out a strange sound in the basement alone, in the dark, wearing only a towel. But a teen who doesn’t want a ride home from an old guy and would rather listen to tunes on a solo ride home? Teens, am I right?
The horror genre has had an impressive creative and profitable run over the past decade. From mainstream hits like Paramount’s A Quiet Place series to any number of zeitgeisty flicks stamped with the A24 label. Neon is distributing Cuckoo, not A24, but these indie-focused studios have proven to be masters at marketing a special band of disturbing features. With that in mind, no, Cuckoo is not Midsommer or even as resonant as the recent Longlegs. Yet that is by no means intended as a slam. At the very least, what lurks at the heart of this tale is most likely not something one has seen in recent years or possibly ever, depending on how big a horror fan they are. To say more might spoil, so I’ll just say that teen angst may have met its match by way of Darwinism.
Casting is a huge strength in many indie scary movies. As I’ve only seen a few episodes of HBO’s Euphoria (since I’m an old), Hunter Schafer left a strong impression on me that’s at once easily relatable as a typical American adolescent (one of her first utterances is “sup”), yet she makes specific choices all her own. Conversely, Dan Stevens, who has had fun all year chewing scenery in various genre films, is in the same mode here, albeit with a cheeky Germanic accent. Smaller roles for Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, and Mila Lieu work as well. Overall, though, the script is more focused on pitting two different generations against one another. Well, that and titular bird nature stuff.
The heart of the story is how vastly different Gretchen and Mr. König view the world. One is a teen who’s literally going through growing pains versus a scientist obsessed with evolution. Isolated in the Bavarian Alps, nature’s harmony is thriving despite pesky human visitors.
The “monster,” so to speak, is visually arresting, no doubt, but I do wish, beyond the strong creeper set-ups, the script balanced out just what exactly is going on. Part of that ambiguity is intentional. The sound design and the way the forest and the resort emphasize how trapped Gretchen feels is perfect in execution. Yet, the bigger thematic reason for the story’s terror is both less focused and all too simple. Still, the way the killer approaches is super effective.
Cuckoo is drenched in a Giallo level of blood. It’s a genuinely disturbing spook-fest made better by hinging its success on such strong lead performances. One wishes the last act could have said more, but there’s no denying the film’s work as an atmospheric dreadfest. This bird sings!
Cuckoo opens in theaters on August 9, 2024.
