3.5/5 ***-
(This review contains spoilers)
“Cuckoo” is a 2024 horror film directed by Tilman Singer and is a co-production between Germany and the U.S. The film is about Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), a teenage girl who moves to the German Alps with her estranged dad and stepfamily after the death of her mother. Her father and stepmother are to help hotel owner, Herr Köning (Dan Stevens), build another resort. As Gretchen struggles to adjust, she begins to be stalked by a strange woman as well as witness strange occurrences. Teaming up with a detective named Henry (Jan Bluthardt), Gretchen slowly begins to discover dark secrets about both the resort and her family.
Overall, I love the concept for this film; it is just so unique. At the end, the audience learns that the woman who keeps attacking Gretchen is a humanoid creature that acts similarly to a cuckoo bird. The creatures implant a sort of goo into women which gets fertilized by their partners, forcing their children into human families until they are ready to rejoin their kind. Herr Köning has been using his resort as a breeding ground for these creatures, and Gretchen’s own half-sister, Alma (Mila Lieu), is one of them. The concept of the creature not only using unknowing humans to raise their child for them (much like cuckoos in the wild), but using unknowing humans to breed, is terrifying. The lack of knowledge, consent, and control that is inflicted upon the victims is horrifying. And, to add to the horror, all this is being orchestrated by Herr Köning, a man, and a creepy one at that.
Another addition to the horror is Herr Köning himself and how manipulative he is. The reason he asked Gretchen’s father to return to the Alps and live so close to the resort is so that he has access to Alma. Working with Dr. Bonomo (Proschat Madani), he intends to study the cuckoo human creatures and reunite Alma with her biological cuckoo mother (the one who has been haunting Gretchen). To get to Alma and experiment on her, Köning and Bonomo drive a wedge between Gretchen and her family, whom they see as a threat. They say that Alma has epilepsy to cover up her cuckoo powers developing and blame her episodes on Gretchen’s self-destructive behavior stressing her out. This leads Gretchen’s father and stepmother to increasingly push her away and isolate her. As a result, Gretchen, still grieving her mother’s death and trying to find a way to get back to the States, continues her self-destructive behaviors.
I also loved Gretchen and Alma’s relationship. Gretchen does not want to accept Alma as her sister, and yet Alma does. As the film goes on and Gretchen keeps being pushed away by her parental figures, Alma is the only one who still shows love and genuine concern. When the truth is revealed, Gretchen learns that Henry does not only want to kill the cuckoo mother, but Alma as well. That is when Gretchen finally calls Alma her sister and fights to protect her from both Henry and Köning.
The editing in this film is also really good. I loved the scenes where the cuckoo creatures attack. They are so disorienting and project so well the confusion that the characters who hear the call feel. The sound of the cuckoo call is also really eerie and does not sound of this world. Also, how the adult cuckoos look and move is terrifying. There is such an uncanny valley effect with these creatures.
Overall, “Cuckoo” is a really fun film. Not only are the concept and the creatures that Singer creates both unique and terrifying, Gretchen’s character arc is also really good. I loved seeing her overcome her grief and allow her relationship with Alma to develop into a sisterhood. Herr Köning was also a really effective villain, starting right off the bat by being creepy, but the reason why not being entirely clear. Upon a rewatch and knowing the ending, seeing all the little things he does to manipulate his way to Alma is terrifying. It’s a good movie which I highly recommend.