CUCKOO (2024)

Available On Demand and digital download from NEON and Universal Pictures!
Directed/Written by Tilman Singer.
Check out the trailer here!!

Teenager Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) moves from America with her family to a resort in the German Alps. Gretchen’s father (Marton Csokas) and step-mother (Jessica Henwick) designed the resort and decide to make a new start in the well-to-do community. They’ve brought Gretchen and her step-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) with them, even though Gretchen resents having to leave her home and friends behind. The resort owner and manager Herr Konig (Dan Stevens) greets Gretchen and her family with open arms, giving Gretchen a job as a receptionist at the front desk of the hotel to combat the boredom. But Konig has some strict rules that must be followed, mainly, do not go outside of the resort at night. Being a rebellious teen, Gretchen disobeys these rules and runs directly into a monstrosity that has been haunting the area for years.

Before I get into the review itself, I feel I need to say something about CUCKOO’s chilly reception at the box office. You see, NEON had a big hit with Osgood Perkins’ LONGLEGS and hoping to strike gold twice, they gave CUCKOO a theatrical release a month later. The thing is, LONGLEGS had a lot of buzz behind it and it also had that it factor that seems to go along with Nic Cage’s picks for movies these days. CUCKOO, simply did not. Nothing to say against CUCKOO, but it lacked the recognizable actor (Cage) and the ominous marketing campaign, so whether it was good or not, CUCKOO was destined to fail because, quite simply, this is not a mainstream movie.

CUCKOO is an odd little film that introduces a fascinating and fresh monster that is absolutely terrifying. While I had my issues with the film, I do feel that the monster, a hybrid of science and the supernatural, is something unique and truly uncanny. Much like the name of the film, the creature resembles a cuckoo which invades a nest, gets rid of the eggs and replaces them with their own offspring, leaving other parents to raise them. As the story goes on, these despicable acts of nature repeat themselves with Gretchen, Alma, and their family. But beyond the strange behaviors of this monster, the look of the creature is horrifying as the creature sports a wide mouth, circular eyes, and has a shriek that causes hypnosis, hallucinations, vertigo, blackouts, time loops and other discomforts. Kind of like a banshee, I guess. But definitely a monster that has not often been used in many horror movies. And in a genre where vampires, werewolves, zombies, and slashers are a dime a dozen, it’s refreshing to see a creative and original monster for a change. I give CUCKOO credit for the original monster alone.

But it also sports an unconventional plot. There is a detail about Grethcen’s mother that is held back from the beginning and is revealed late in the game that I think is supposed to be a surprise, but anyone having seen a movie in the last twenty to thirty years can see this reveal coming, so it really doesn’t add to the story and instead cheapens it a bit as if the filmmakers would think audiences would be that naïve not to spot it.

Aside from all of that, I did like the story which really feels more like a fever dream than anything else. CUCKOO doesn’t follow any kind of conventional path. Scenes repeat themselves due to the cuckoo monster’s powers, allowing Gretchen to sort of choose her own adventure over and over again. The story is seen through Gretchen’s eyes and she doesn’t know what any of this is all about, so we find unravel the mystery along with her. Gretchen is not without her own flaws, as she is quite selfish and reckless, putting the audience in a position of following this impulsive character that darts headfirst into danger. Because Gretchen is like she is and we are basically experiencing this story like little birds on her shoulder, it makes for a quite uncomfortable experience. So sitting through this film in a theater is going to be downright maddening for most mainstream audiences.

That said, I liked the feeling of unstable ground that permeates pretty much every minute of CUCKOO. The action starts pretty much from the get go and while it is difficult to understand exactly what is going on most of the time, the film is quite fascinating to watch. I especially loved the way the film simply unhinges and goes scattershot during the climax with the cuckoo monster, Gretchen, a local police detective, and a gun-toting Dan Stevens crisscross through the hospital trying to kill each another. It’s chaotic and I don’t know if I understood it all, but dammit if it wasn’t a hell of a lot of fun to watch unfold.

I hesitate to mention this, as the subject often causes all kinds of controversy, but I do think the fact that lead actress Hunter Schafer is a trans person has a lot to do with the ethereal and complex plot going on. Again, the cuckoo’s egg hatches in a nest that is not its own, which is not unlike a trans person feeling as if the sex they were born with isn’t their own. If you squint, this is a pretty obvious allegory they are playing with here and I liked the complex way they broached the subject without the film becoming preachy or in your face with it.

If you want to see CUCKOO through a trans lens, then you can. If not, then it’s simply a weird little monster movie. And that’s what I like about this strange little film. It is entertaining enough to keep the pace moving and story filled with action. It introduces a monster that is truly unique in a genre that is often so repetitive with its antagonist creatures. And it has some strong performances from Dan Stevens, who is always a delight to see whatever role he plays, and Hunter Schafer, who still manages to be likable despite the fact that she can be a selfish shit from time to time. All in all, CUCKOO ends up being a strange bird of a movie, but one I liked quite a bit once it was all over with.