Sometimes, you can pick up a thing or two from the cinema. NEON, this week, is coming out with a new horror movie titled Cuckoo which is simply audacious; and yes… that bird name makes sense too. It’s interesting to note that you can find cuckoos as one particular species of birds among others, but it’s more interesting when put into context with what Tilman Singer (Luz), the director of this exciting movie has created featuring both Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and Dan Stevens (Legion). In such situations like in Cuckoo, where people go to Europe mainly for getting secluded experiences by making sacrifices that are sometimes debated about.
If you were not happy with Schafer only having a short time on screen in Kindness of Strangers by Yorgos Lanthimos, be prepared to see her act in an entirely different way. She has risen up quickly through the ranks to become one of Hollywood’s top actresses in this mind-bending experience known as Cuckoo. Caution: It may be brutal for some viewers and your spouse might think twice about going out on this day-night film date again. For those of us who thought Longlegs was great though, NEON proves it keeps rolling forward.
Ironically enough these modern movies have also been retrograded in their aesthetics based on the subject matter at hand thus heightening the tension within them. In this manner too, even if there are no specific references made to any earlier time period by Cuckoo it occurs vaguely in the past as seen from cassette players carried along with Gretchen who is played by Schafer and other antiques. Also well suited for capturing such mise-en-scene is its appropriately employed lush 35mm cinematography giving classical richness of color tones throughout.
As she finds herself halfway across Europe being taken away from her mother and forced into an uncomfortable situation with her estranged father Luis and his younger wife Beth, Gretchen’s journey is reluctantly undertaken. Reason being, her mom is no longer part of her life as her only connection to home are the voice messages she leaves on the answering machine back there.
But in these mountains, it’s not like there are huge secluded mansions either. It seems that Luis has brought his family in some kind of a resort under the management of his eccentric boss called Mr. König (Stevens). However, already having had a child together named Alma (Mila Lieu), their daughter is therefore Gretchen’s half-sister by blood. She doesn’t want this bond with Alma for any reason except because she can not speak. There is a matter of authenticity involved here too: Moreover, due to the fact that Beth will soon have another baby while still busy raising Gretchen’s stepdaughter; Gretchen does seem out of place amidst this whole situation.
By all means though, König must be one nosy employer you could ever meet who barely keeps off from snooping around Luis’ family especially when it comes to Gretchen; he literally reminds me about overreacting neighbors living alongside Rosemary’s Baby. To my surprise Stevens goes crazy and acts funnily at times throughout this film. As for why he gives Gretchen the creeps, we’ll figure it out later but when weird guests begin arriving at their hotel this becomes clearer…
On the other hand, the horror atmosphere intensifies to a thrillingly high level across the mansion and Gretchen is eventually haunted by weird visions that seem to slow down and freeze time for her. This is even as she gets herself involved with Ed (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey), an attractive guest who initiates a game of flirtation. However, when they try to leave the premises, Gretchen mysteriously finds herself in a local hospital under strange circumstances that she cannot comprehend. Cuckoo’s director who happens to be König upholds this aspect by making everything mysterious and intriguing at every corner.
There is also the advantage of having some of Europe’s best actors here, in addition to the A-listers mentioned earlier. An example would be Jan Bluthardt, who plays Henry, among others; he acts like her protector once she starts reporting any odd things happening around the resort.
Isn’t it interesting how Jessica Henwick gets close to top billing in this big ensemble—something classic Hollywood would do about its “It Girl” who is surprisingly playing a very small role? But don’t be fooled: this isn’t intended to imply that she hasn’t given an all-out performance as a mother-in-distress even though one can tell with certainty that Cuckoo’s marketers are capitalizing on her fame from past Marvel blockbusters and others.
True—and I’m excluding Schafer and Stevens because they’re just obvious—the standout in this film has got to be Marton Csokas, one of those character actors whose previous villainous roles in movies such as XXX and The Bourne Supremacy have always caught our attention. Nevertheless, here is an opportunity for him to play someone much more delicate or fragile than usual – an aging daddy trying his luck at bringing up another brood. It’s just great seeing Csokas like this
That’s not just it though; it is just one example of how Cuckoo finds ways at every story beat to surprise and keep you guessing, just when you think you have a handle on the madness. Thus, Cuckoo represents a deliriously trippy portrayal of the weird supernatural-like elements in König’s horrifically secret master plan which we won’t tell here. The “hooded woman” haunting the property cannot be undone by anyone other than Kalin Morrow who plays her with a terrifying passion that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
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