We are living in an era of film where remakes, sequels and book or video game adaptations rule the screen. “Despicable Me 4”, “Inside Out 2”, “It Ends With Us” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” are dominating the box office while smaller, unique titles hide in their shadows.
In a puddle of mediocre movies, a new — and under hyped — film has just started its run in theaters, and this is one you don’t want to miss.
“Cuckoo” follows Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), a 17-year-old girl moving into a new home at a ski resort in the German Alps in the middle of summer with her father, step-mother and her mute half-sister. Right away, we can tell the family dynamic is off. While her father (Marton Csokas), step-mother (Jessica Henwick) and half-sister (Mila Lieu) all ride together in their car, Gretchen sits stuffed next to the movers in the moving truck – serving as a symbolic moment to show us the disconnect Gretchen feels from her family.
As soon as Gretchen arrives, things get weird. Her and her family are greeted by Mr. Köng (Dan Stevens), the owner of the resort, whose sly, overly friendly personality is immediately unsettling. After offering a front desk job to Gretchen, she starts to get an idea of the strange things occurring around her.
However, with her presence obviously unwelcomed by her family, Gretchen quickly becomes desperate to escape back to the United States, but the odds are against her in every way. Mr. Köng’s demeanor gets odder and odder, her family dynamic gets more polarized and the film gets scarier and scarier.
From the very first scene, this movie gets under your skin. Its sounds, editing and lighting all come together to fill you with anxiety. And it doesn’t stop after the first scene. It is truly impossible to relax while watching “Cuckoo” and the director did an excellent job creating the perfect mystery-thriller.
From multiple women choking and vomiting at the resort, Mr. Köng’s persistence to drive her home from work at night and her half-sisters’ new onset seizures — the audience is right alongside Gretchen as she experiences terror after terror.
The biggest compliment I can give to the film’s creators is that I never knew what was about to happen next. I, like Gretchen, was completely in the dark and never knew what lurked around each twist and turn. I was both terrified and wildly excited to see what was about to happen next. From chase scenes, family fights and suspicious figures — nothing is off the table.
This is a plot-line that is near impossible to guess, because we haven’t seen anything like it before, which only makes the film more interesting.
The hardest thing about writing a screenplay, I would imagine, is creating credible reasoning in a fictional plot — especially horror. After the plot has unfolded and the audience is finally let in on what exactly has been happening at this resort, you’re left wondering the logistics behind everything. But that doesn’t necessarily ruin the film, in fact, it almost makes it more intriguing and will have you thinking about our antagonist for days.
One thing I was not anticipating — and had me nearly as shocked as the plot — was Hunter Schafer’s performance in this role. Schafer is best known for her role as Jules in HBO’s hit show, “Euphoria”, as well as her role as Tigris in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, the newest addition to “The Hunger Games” franchise. Although her acting has never been necessarily bad, it has never stood out. That is, until “Cuckoo”.
Schafer’s performance in “Cuckoo” is something to marvel at. Every emotion is portrayed to perfection. From boredom to hatred, and terror to betrayal — Schafer is finally able to showcase her full acting range. And wow, she sure knows how to command the screen. It seems that casting directors around Hollywood have noticed the same stardom in Schafer, as she is booked and busy with a wide variety of projects lined up.
Something that seems to be increasingly common in film is over the top, graphic gore. While sometimes it works well with the plot — other times it’s so overdone that it takes away from the positive elements of the film and can seem like overcompensation for a mediocre storyline.
However, that was not the case in “Cuckoo”. There was minimal gore, and what gore there was, was not graphic. While there is a heavy usage of blood, it’s used appropriately. Don’t be fooled by the minimal gore though, this is an R-rated film. Specifically for, violence, bloody images, language and brief teen drug use.
If you’re a fan of ominous and unsettling thrillers with truly manic plot-lines, then “Cuckoo” is a must watch. It is a true mind-boggler, and the lack of publicity might cause it to pass you by — but don’t make that mistake, “Cuckoo” is perfect for a Friday night fright.
