Cuckoo is a science fiction horror film, written and directed by Tilman Singer, that happens to be one of the more fairly interesting additions to the genre in recent cinematic history.
The cast includes Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, and Greta Fernandez.
The film begins with a young girl stepping outside into the night to escape the disturbing sounds of her arguing parents. A peculiar shriek emanating from the woods triggers a seizure in the girl, and she suddenly sprints off into the night.
Most of the film centers on a teenager named Gretchen who is moving with her father and his family to the German Alps because he has accepted a job to construct an updated resort. Gretchen meets the owner who has employed her father and is offered a job at the front desk of the current hotel. It does not take her long to notice women vomiting suddenly in her lobby. She also has a younger sister who also suddenly becomes prone to seizures especially when an unusual shriek is blaring out of the woods. A strange, hooded woman has started stalking her. Time loops start occurring around people when the shriek cuts loose. Gretchen is not happy to be away from her home, especially since her mother had recently died. These mysterious occurrences and troubling cries do little to reassure her.
The film has some interesting twists that are unexpected. This isn’t really a ghost or monster story. There is an unexpected science fiction element that comes to light
The performances are pretty good. Hunter Schafer does well in the lead role of Gretchen. The cast is not that well-known, which I think helps with immersing yourself into the story.
The film is a little overhyped in the advertisements. I don’t think it’s the latest horror masterpiece, but it does have some uniqueness to the story. It does well with exhibiting that distinctive European favor, and it does have a bit more originality than what has been released in the past few years.
Fans of the more macabre corners of the cinematic scene will likely find some welcome chills here. Although I doubt that this will be a film I will sit through multiple times over the next few years, it is one that has a pretty engaging premise and is one of the better cinematic experiences of this past year.
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