Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Dan Stevens, Greta Fernández
103 min
TLDR
Hooded woman, why would you bother to do all this, though?
What it's about
After the death of her mother, grieving 17-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves her American home to move to a resort in the Bavarian Alps with her father Luis, and the new members of their family– stepmother Beth and mute half-sister Alma. Overseeing the resort is Herr König, and while he welcomes them warmly, Gretchen discovers the sinister secrets thie resort is hiding.
The take
When your parent decides to marry another person with kids, it can feel like you’re not really part of the family, more so, if you’re forced to move to a completely different country altogether. This is the unsettling feeling that drives Cuckoo, directly inspired by the way some cuckoo species engage in brood parasitism, or rely on other birds to raise their young. It’s an interesting concept, and the feeling of exclusion and being out of place is evoked expertly by Hunter Schafer of Euphoria fame, but why Gretchen’s antagonists would bother to do all of this is over-explained yet still feels quite nonsensical. For horror fans willing to go on this bizarre ride, Cuckoo is visually inventive, unnervingly scored, and decently performed, and would be enjoyable, as long as you don’t really think about the logistics of this strange parenting situation.
What stands out
Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens are excellent here.