Review: Cuckoo

Directed by: Tilman Singer

Written by: Tilman Singer

Starring: Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens

Rating: [3/5]

Of all the great things the horror genre does for audience members through entertainment, it also teaches us plenty of important lessons. Such as what not to do in various circumstances and not to trust situations because something unruly could exist beyond what gets displayed on the surface. One everyone can agree on is to not trust an isolated resort that has few patrons like the one we receive in Cuckoo where most of the time something untoward is transpiring there and this feature proves that assertion true. 

Moving to a resort town in the Bavarian Alps with her father, stepmom, and sister, Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) has suspicions about the living arrangements granted by the owner Herr König (Dan Stevens). Not having the best relationship with her father following the passing of her mother, Gretchen gets a job working the front desk of the local resort where she witnesses strange interactions by individuals and the presence of a hooded woman at night. 

Right from the onset, Cuckoo lets the strangeness of this circumstance bear itself leaving us with our audience surrogate as the only ones weirded about by the whole thing. Each of these characters act like nothing’s wrong and strange when Herr König requests for Gretchen’s parents to stay at this resort as they draw up the new development of it. This gives the appearance of Gretchen being this sullen teenager but as the plot progresses we learn she has better instincts than anyone else in this feature. Plenty of confusion still exists in determining exactly what transpires, but the vibe this film puts out allows it to be undeniably entertaining. 

Much of this confusion stems from the plotting in trying to connect this hooded woman and her place in the story. Strange elements such as this unnerving screech that comes from her and what it does to people receives no proper explanation. While the mystery does add some intrigue, it also raises questions that may deter the success of the film as a whole, given there needs to be at least a borderline understanding of what’s going on. Tilman Singer certainly provides this outline but the details remain sparse. Therefore, we have to piece elements together for ourselves when it comes to the horror transpiring here but the film also reckons with loss in a beautiful way when centered on Gretchen. 

Throughout the narrative, Gretchen leaves her mother voicemails where we know of her death, but she leaves them anyway. The passing of her mother certainly devastated her, which makes the reality of her having to live in this other country with a distant father and a stepmother who seemingly has no care for her all the more disconcerting. This sadness lingers in Gretchen and the way she processes it along with helping others heal in it provides one of the better highlights this film has to offer through its character progression of Gretchen. She always represented more than just some bratty teenager as the beginning of the film insinuates, allowing for us to see her depth the longer we delve into this story. 

As with all horror films, the jump scares provide what most audience members seek to experience through them and this one had some fun ones. From a moment where Gretchen rides her bicycle at night even when warned by Herr König not to, it utilizes the importance of one’s senses as well as a good reminder to not wear headphones while riding a bicycle. The jump scares get the job done, but the atmospheric horror of this entire ordeal also does wonders in providing this strange feeling overall. Much of that comes with Dan Stevens in his portrayal of Herr König going all-out sicko mode. Everything he says comes laced with some creepiness that Gretchen hilariously points out in one of the scenes. Stevens proves himself as a wonderful asset to the success of this film. 

With the confusion and lack of details in its plot, Cuckoo does not reach its full potential but we receive something providing quite the entertaining experience. Hunter Schafer proves herself as a wonderful lead of horror films that gets me excited about the roles she will continue to take on as she grows as an actor. She gives a layered and fun performance matching the weirdness of this entire circumstance and rounds out what makes a good ol’ fun time.