As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for the macabre and the bizarre, I must say that “Cuckoo” has certainly piqued my interest. The film’s blend of horror, mystery, and family drama is a unique cocktail that I can’t help but be intrigued by.
Title character Hunter Schafer (renowned for her role as Jules Vaughn in Euphoria) appears in “Cuckoo.” In the story, Gretchen, an American teenager, relocates with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and silent half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu), to a resort in the German Alps following her mother’s demise. The movie made its debut at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024, and was distributed in the U.S. on August 9, 2024. Critics have generally praised the film, with particular focus on Schafer’s and Dan Stevens’ acting performances.
The movie, titled Cuckoo, was crafted by the German filmmaker Tilman Singer, who also served as its director. This is his second film, with his first one being Luz, which premiered in 2018 and was actually his thesis project. Variety praised Luz as a “modestly scaled yet slick and conceptually audacious endeavor that deserves attention,” and the same could be said for Tilman’s second film, Cuckoo.
What is Cuckoo About?
Soon after my arrival at the resort, I find myself unsettled by a series of bizarre incidents that seem to follow me around. Alma experiences seizures, guests are retching in the lobby, and most terrifyingly, I’m being pursued by The Hooded Woman, whose haunting presence is amplified by her glowing red eyes. As each day passes, my fear grows, especially towards Mr. König (Dan Stevens), the resort owner who invited my family here initially. After a harrowing car accident that leaves me and my beloved Ed (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) injured, I join forces with Henry (Jan Bluthardt), a former detective, who believes The Hooded Woman is responsible for at least one murder. From there, things only become more enigmatic.
In one of the resort’s cottages known as The Lover’s Nest, Gretchen and Henry observe an unsettling incident: The Hooded Woman assaults Gretchen’s coworker Trixie (Greta Fernández), followed by an attempt to inject her with a puzzling goo. When Gretchen confronts König about this, she is dismissed and perceived as bothersome, given that Alma has been hospitalized. Later, König misleads Gretchen by offering to drop her off at a train station to escape, but instead traps her in his own home. This marks a significant shift in the narrative. König unveils that The Hooded Woman belongs to a humanoid species that employs brood parasitism, which involves implanting eggs into a surrogate host. This practice is reminiscent of the cuckoo bird, although it’s not eggs in nests but rather goo in this case. When the child matures, the mother will reappear to claim her child and continue raising it as her own. König tries to impregnate Gretchen with another humanoid using a flute to hypnotize her, but fortunately, Henry arrives in time to rescue Gretchen. The two then rush to the hospital to find Alma.
How Does Cuckoo End?
It transpires that Alma is indeed the daughter of The Hooded Woman. This revelation comes from an event during Beth and Luis’ honeymoon at a resort, where The Hooded Woman secretly implanted Alma into Beth. As a result, Alma cannot speak and only produces confusing, repeating shrieks, typical of her kind. König, together with Dr. Bonomo (Proschat Madani), are on a mission to reunite Alma with her biological mother for the purpose of integrating her into The Hooded Woman’s species. Both Gretchen and Henry aim to prevent this union but find that Gretchen’s efforts may lead to the demise of both The Hooded Woman and Alma, as Gretchen realizes that Henry intends to kill them both. In an attempt to protect Alma, Gretchen is misunderstood, causing Alma to run away. A confrontation in a library ends with Gretchen fatally wounding The Hooded Woman, after which she manages to connect with Alma and assure her that she means no harm. Together, they devise an escape plan from Henry and König.
At Its Heart, Cuckoo is About Sisterhood
The movie Cuckoo demands a significant amount of audience’s willingness to set aside reality, yet its emotional heart is solid. Initially, Gretchen brushes off Alma as her sister due to Alma being Luis’s daughter from his recent marriage and finds Alma’s inability to speak annoying. Overwhelmed by the loss of her mother, Gretchen often communicates with her mother’s answering machine as a means to maintain contact and release her frustrations. The revelation that Luis sold their mother’s house and returned only one box of belongings to Germany infuriates Gretchen. Later, she discovers a message on the answering machine, generated by text-to-speech, from Alma, asking for their mother to visit because she misses her. (Alma is unaware that Gretchen’s mother has passed away.) This moment marks a shift in their relationship. If there’s one family member who still cares for Gretchen, it’s Alma.
Gretchen goes the extra mile to safeguard Alma at the movie’s conclusion, as they walk past Henry and König who are pointing guns at one another. In this scenario, Gretchen shields Alma from Henry, who aims to fire since she is a bird-humanoid, while Alma guards Gretchen from König, whom she perceives as an obstacle. Eventually, it’s Alma who rescues the day when she covers Gretchen’s ears, allowing her to emit the same shriek as The Hooded Woman, which disorients Henry and König for a crucial moment, enabling the girls to flee and the men to shoot each other. Afterward, the sisters reunite with Ed, who is still in a hospital gown, and they depart from the resort.
Despite its unusual bird-woman insemination storyline, it offers chilling suspense and carries a heartfelt message. As the movie progresses, Gretchen grows to embrace her younger sister with all her quirks, mirroring Alma’s longing for acceptance. At times, family can be a teenager, an older European girlfriend, and a bird-like offspring, and that’s quite beautiful.
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2024-08-14 03:04