Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo is part supernatural and part slasher with hints of body horror set in an isolated lodge in the German Alps as the writer/director explores themes of grief and reproduction. While the film never comes together fully, Cuckoo is a delicious ride cementing Hunter Schafer as the ultimate scream queen. 

While Cuckoo may be psychologically unsettling, Tilman Singer’s film is also quite dreamy to look at as the film is set in an isolated resort in the German Alps as its shot on beautiful 35 mm with stunning imagery from Paul Faltz. Cuckoo is a mostly calm and quiet film that builds as it sneaks up on you with its chilling premise unfolding slowly throughout the runtime. It’s easy to feel transported to this resort in the German Alps created by Singer. As we follow 17-year-old Gretchen’s (Hunter Schafer) isolation becoming more and more suffocating, it’s easy to feel the seclusion closing in on you. 

The film follows after the death of Gretchen’s mother and as moves with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and (silent) stepsister Alma (Mila Lieu), to the German Alps as Luis and Beth invited to help design a resort for an old family friend, Herr König (Dan Stevens). Singer doesn’t provide a ton of backstory for the family, but it’s easy to feel and see the distance between them. It’s impossible to know if Beth was just not interested in the life of her husband before they met therefore having no interest in Gretchen or if something happened causing the divide between Luis and his daughter. No one in this family appears to want to spend time or talk to Gretchen and the isolation in the resort only grows as she soon realizes she’s essentially on her own. Gretchen always feels on guard as she begins working at Herr’s resort and she immediately notices strange things going on. Not only are there strange noises in the woods but Herr doesn’t allow anyone to work after 10 PM, the limited number of guests are acting strange, and no one but Gretchen seems to care about any of this, causing it to feel even stranger. 

Gretchen, as the bratty teenager we all have been, defies any rules set not only by her father but especially by Herr, she defies any instruction given to her, including staying late at the resort working one night. After being rightfully creeped out by the noises on the resort property, she decides to ride her bicycle right home, instead of waiting for a ride from Herr. As she rides home, a shadowy figure appears to be chasing her causing Gretchen to have her first, terrifying interaction with a screeching woman who appears almost normal minus the noises she’s making and whatever hides behind her sunglasses. As the events become more and more insane and Gretchen’s injuries worsen and even put her in the hospital, no one seems to believe her. That is until she meets local police detective Henry (Jan Bluthardt), who not only believes and wants to protect Gretchen but involves her in an active investigation pursing the woman who is attacking her. 

Majority of the film is spent not providing much insight into both what is actually going on and why any of these events are happening. While Singer is not entirely interested in plotting, the parallels he creates between what is happening with Gretchen and what’s happening at this resort nestled in the mountains. Cuckoo relies on the atmosphere built on and filled with dread as it explores the feeling of being alone, isolated, and themes of natural order. It’s most interesting when diving into the themes of not believing women, as the family and supporting characters spend most of the film telling Gretchen she’s making it all up despite physical, visible injuries. Singer fills the script with doubt and rejection from every supporting character as Gretchen gets further into despair of no one believing her and assuming she’s just acting out. The themes of gender roles and expectations are interesting but feel clunky as the third act provides some sort of insight into what is going on at this resort. 

Cuckoo is an enjoyable ride because of the performances. Schafer instantly becomes the scream queen of her generation with a delicious performance as a paranoid, awkward girl just trying to find her place in her family and the world at large. She keeps Gretchen always stiff and uncomfortable until she’s filled to the brim with desperation longing for someone to truly see and hear her. It’s a remarkable performance that confirms her as an actress that needs to lead a million more films. As usual, Stevens is an incredible menace with another iconic accent adding to his collection of performances as a sort of freak. He’s entirely evil and theatrical but Stevens is a master at keeping the tonal balance required within the film. It’s absolutely electric to watch Schafer and Stevens go head to head. The delicious tension between the two actors makes Cuckoo entirely worth the watch. The balance of the supporting cast unfortunately doesn’t get much to do and feel left behind as their scenes come to an end. 

As the film progresses, it becomes much more about Gretchen coming to terms with her father’s rejection. The emotional beats at the end of the film wash up over you as the film has been so focused on the creepy lore of the woman attacking Gretchen, which feels disappointing as it isn’t fully explained and doesn’t feel like enough of a creepy pay off. The themes of sisterhood and acceptance may have snuck up on me but feel completely earned due to the performances at the center from both Schafer and Lieu. 

Singer’s Cuckoo never fully comes together, most questions go unanswered and the plot isn’t quite as ‘weird’ as you may think, but the writer/director’s brilliant world building, masterful tonal balance, and the performances make it an enjoyable ride. It’s easy to not care that the certain beats are left behind to move the story ahead when the film is this fun.

Grade: B

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Best Cinematography, Best Sound

Release Date: August 9, 2024
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters