As a seasoned gamer and film enthusiast who’s seen more than his fair share of mind-bending narratives, I must say that “Cuckoo” left me scratching my head more often than a particularly challenging puzzle in a video game. The enigmatic marketing strategy from Neon, which worked so well for “Immaculate” and “Longlegs”, seemed to have backfired here.
Titled and helmed by German filmmaker Tilman Singer, “Cuckoo” is set to hit theaters following its distributor, Neon, achieving impressive box office successes with two top horror films of the year: “Immaculate” and “Longlegs.” The former’s success can be attributed largely to Sydney Sweeney embracing a substantial “final girl” role, while “Cuckoo” provides Hunter Schafer, Sweeney’s co-star from “Euphoria,” an analogous opportunity. The resemblances between “Cuckoo” and “Longlegs” mainly stem from Neon’s enigmatic marketing strategies, which involve intriguing yet cryptic trailers that hint at terrifying scenes without revealing much about the actual storylines of the films.
The big difference that’s sure to hold “Cuckoo” back from “Longlegs”-level success is that this time, keeping the whole plot in the dark isn’t just a marketing strategy but a filmmaking one. In the film’s press notes, Singer describes his process as trying to “find two secrets,” and deciphering those secrets would take work. This supremely strange horror film takes an hour to reveal the “first secret” of its premise, and rather than clicking all the mysteries into place to clarify the “second secret,” its big reveals just raise more questions. I’m glad I’m not writing an “Ending Explained” feature about this movie because I wouldn’t know where to begin, both in terms of what (if anything) actually happens and what (if anything) it actually means.
Even though there are moments of confusion, it can still be enjoyable at times. Dan Stevens shines as the flamboyant, creepy German motel owner Herr König, while Schafer manages to make her high-and-mighty character Gretchen both charismatic and sympathetic, despite her unpleasant qualities. The visuals are stunning, and the audacity of the plot twists can be amusingly dark. However, after watching “Cuckoo,” I often find myself wondering what aspect I’ve missed that would help me understand and truly engage with it better.
Big trouble in rural Germany
In simpler terms, “Cuckoo” is about a family managing a mountain inn in Germany. The protagonist, Gretchen, a 17-year-old girl, longs for her homeland and is not particularly fond of her father, stepmother, and younger stepsister. She starts working as a receptionist but finds the place quite peculiar, with several women experiencing unexplained vomiting and time appearing to loop. There’s also a mysterious figure, a woman in a hood with glowing red eyes, who adds to the eerie atmosphere. However, to avoid spoilers, I won’t reveal more about these strange occurrences.
As time goes by, uncovering the strange terrors initially provides a bit of fun entertainment. The sound effects create some genuinely shocking moments. Paul Faltz’s 35mm cinematography is visually appealing, using a mix of lush greens and warm oranges to create striking suspense-building scenes (one particularly notable instance being the gradual emergence of the hooded woman’s shadow behind Gretchen’s bicycle shadow). Actors Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens deliver performances in starkly different styles, but their contrasting portrayals of cynical realism and over-the-top villainy complement each other well – on an acting level, the combination of disparate tones proves effective.
As a fan, I found myself pondering König’s hidden truths. The question arises: Should Tilman Singer have chosen a clearer path? Is the film’s semi-veiled theme, hinted at by its title, meant to be taken seriously or as pure entertainment? Great horror films can straddle both realms, but “Cuckoo” fails to fully commit. Instead, it finds itself in an oddly unengaging middle ground. For a movie to resonate, whether it’s the profound or the absurd, clarity is crucial – even for stories that are intentionally complex or abstract. Unfortunately, on my first watch, “Cuckoo” seemed lacking in this department.
What does it mean?
In essence, “Cuckoo” appears to be weaving a tale with feminist undertones. Gretchen’s warnings are consistently ignored due to the disregard society has for young women’s voices. King’s intentions may not be fully clear, but his frequent mentions of “reproduction” suggest that he values women primarily for their reproductive abilities. As a lesbian, Gretchen defies this narrow perception of womanhood, though it is unspecified whether Gretchen identifies as cis or trans; however, actress Hunter Schafer has expressed her desire to move beyond playing trans roles. This interpretation presents another challenge to King’s patriarchal viewpoints. I look forward to exploring more feminist perspectives on the film from writers who have a comprehensive grasp of its narrative, allowing for more substantial analysis.
Alma communicates using a combination of typed messages and sign language, is nonverbal, and suffers from seizures. It’s challenging to determine if her connection to the thing in the story reinforces ableist tropes in horror cinema or challenges them. The ending suggests the latter, but the ambiguous narrative makes me uncertain about this interpretation. There’s also a related discussion about why many silent characters in films tend to be of Asian descent and the potential stereotypes associated with this.
My general feelings towards “Cuckoo” are a blend of puzzlement and detachment. I appreciate odd films, and I don’t always require every aspect to be explicitly clear, but in this instance, my confusion prevented me from forming an emotional bond with the movie. There’s a possibility it could become clearer if I rewatch it, but I’m uncertain whether I’ll find the drive to do so again.
“Cuckoo” opens in theaters on August 9.
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2024-08-07 17:00