Cuckoo (2024) is an American and German collaboration, a psychological horror piece that delves into a dramatic journey filled with grief, bodily change, horrific consequences of science, and a hypnotizing nightmare all wrapped in one. Cuckoo is a feature rife with atmosphere that incorporates elements of body horror, psychological tension, and sci-fi, which Catalan filmmaker Tilman Singer directs, and transcends the borders of a horror film.
Singer has built upon the eerie, surreal aesthetics of his past film Luz to make this minimalist tale. Cuckoo focuses on the unsettling Bavarian Alps while telling a story of Cuckoo. Cuckoo incorporates the themes of familial turmoil and youthful detachment and hopes to propel the viewer to a compelling climax that is both mind-bending and physically shocking.
Plot Overview
Cuckoo sets off with Gretchen, a character played by Hunter Schafer, who stunns with her portrayal of a 17-year old grappling not only with the loss of her mother, but also burdened by profound grief. Accompanying her character is an event that transforms her life completely, and that is being forced by her estranged father Luis, beautifully enacted by Marton Csokas, to move with him to a seemingly luxurious resort in Germany, the father planning to work in a hotel theatre setup. Luis works as an architect where he aids in futuristic hotel designs under the leadership of the mysterious and charming Herr König (played by Dan Stevens), who happens to be the owner of the resort.
Gretchen’s unease grows even worse upon meeting her new stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick) and her half-sister Alma, who is mute. The family dynamics and the isolation of their new surroundings only make Gretchen more anxious. In addition, she is taken by surprise when she is offered a position as a front-desk attendant at the resort. This does not seem like hospitality as much as an attempt to keep her confined.
Shortly afterwards, the mix of anxiety that accompanies adolescence, along with grief, changes into pure horror. Gretchen is forced to witness increasingly strange and frightening occurrences: guests suddenly vomiting, Alma experiencing odd seizures induced by loud shrieking, and a frightening encounter with a hooded woman while biking at night. Time and again, she is made to feel as if her perspective is invalid, leading her to become increasingly paranoid.
Not only is he a hotelier, but as Gretchen discovers later in the story, Herr König is the head of a covert experiment facility where they develop a near-human parasitic breed that reproduces through brood parasitism just like a cuckoo does. These parasitic beings take control of the human organism by replacing the host’s identity and body, shelling out their offspring in the process.
Gretchen grieves but becomes vulnerable to a point where she turns into the ideal candidate for the implantation. König, with his disturbing philosophy about humans and their so-called limitations, considers such things nothing but a rebirth—a process that is rather murder or violation.
Her subsequent developments reveal a life-changing secret about the woman she briefly met at the hotel and within her gaze is an… remarkable attribute. That woman is, indeed, a parasitic brood.
Gretchen’s psychological confrontation with König as well as her identity is the blaring climax of the film. With Henry’s assistance, she makes it out of the facility, but not without a final showdown. While König and Henry die, she, Alma, and Ed escape the resort into the unknown.
Cast and Crew
Schafer displayed an emotionally heartbreaking transformation as the lead role of gretchen, a blend of monstrous fury and mourning.
Dan Stevens as Herr König – Stevens unnervingly portrays the film’s chilling antagonist; a detached, amoral man whose ambition makes him terryfiying.
Marton Csokas as Luis – Both Gretchen’s father and König’s enforcer. His fate is tragic and so is his part in the operation.
Jessica Henwick as Beth – A well intentioned and powerless stepmother to Gretchen.
Mila Lieu as Alma – The mute half sister of gretchen whose identity is integral to the film’s mystery.
Jan Bluthardt as Henry – The troubled detective who helps with gretchen’s escape, aiding in her reliance.
Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Ed – A guest who, fueled by many mysteries, willingly helps gretchen in her fight for survival.
Director and Writer: Tilman Singer
Producers: Markus Halberschmidt, Josh Rosenbaum, Maria Tsigka, Ken Kao, Thor Bradwell, Ben Rimmer
Cinematography: Paul Faltz
Editing: Terel Gibson, Philipp Thomas
Music: Simon Waskow
Production Companies: Neon, Waypoint Entertainment, Fiction Park
Language: English and German
Critique and Reception
Cuckoo debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival 2024, theatrically dividing critics and audiences alike. The hallucinogenic tone of the film, paired with Singer’s choice to blend reality with dream logic, makes for a difficult viewing for conventional horror enthusiasts. Some lauded its originality alongside the visual experimentation, while others lambasted the film as overtly abstract with a nebulously defined plot.
The film’s exploration of bodily autonomy and identity exploitation of grief are striking, particularly in her depiction of Gretchen’s journey. Averts from a passive depiction of a victim to an active portrayal of a survivor, which stands as the essential backbone of the film, is deeply grounded in emotional surrealism that horrifies.
Visually, Cuckoo is stunning. The lighting alongside the color and sound design seamlessly blend to never resolve the feeling for the viewers. The sheer, unnatural sounds emitted from the attacking parasites serve to deepen the body horror while making it more psychological than graphic.The narrative rhythm may seem jarring, but is likely synchronized to the confusion and disarray that Gertchen goes through during her existential crisis. The pacing in the last act, particularly in the final ‘climax’ feels overwhelming as it plunges the audience into sheer terror that oscillates between transcendent and catastrophic. Regardless, the film retains its unique character by striving to be provocative in blending the conventions of other genres into a horror film.
Conclusion
Cuckoo is not a universal film. The deliberate vagueness of the plot, combined with the slow-burn style and surrealistic elements of horror will appeal to a very limited audience. Still, those willing to embrace the experimental nature of the project will be rewarded with a disturbing, compelling and thought-provoking experience. Hunter Schfafer’s performance is the emotional center of the film, and Stevens as a villain is equally captivating and monstrous.
Cuckoo delivers through its poignant premise, relentless feel and chilling horror elements that capture the arbsrat theater of losing control over one’s body and mind. Regardless of whether the viewer feels emptied or trapped, this haunting tale is bound to stick in one’s head.
Watch Free Movies on o2tvseries