Cuckoo – Review | Fantasia (3/5)

CUCKOO is a bizarre horror thriller starring Hunter Schafer. It has a supernatural twist, but the psychological vibe works better. For me anyway. Screening at Fantasia 2024. Read our full Cuckoo movie review here!

CUCKOO is screening at Fantasia 2024 and I can only imagine that the experience of watching it there makes it even better. It is already a good movie though I probably had my expectations set a little too high. Or just different.

This is a bizarre horror thriller with a supernatural element and gorgeous psychological horror moments. It stars Hunter Schafer in the key role, and Dan Stevens made a huge impact too. In a great way.

Continue reading our Cuckoo movie review below.

Deliciously bizarre

In Cuckoo, we meet teenager Gretchen (Hunter Schafer of Euphoria) as she moves from her divorced mother’s home in the States to Europe. She would probably say that she’s been dragged halfway around the world by her father and his new wife.

It’s not entirely wrong, as it’s difficult to see that they have time or space for her in their lives. They have a new daughter, who is mute and they’re trying to figure out if her “muteness” can be cured.

Gretchen isn’t nice to her younger sister, but we’ll come to see that she will protect and stand up for her when it matters.

The past and present merge

The reason Gretchen has to move with her dad and stepmom isn’t revealed at the beginning. Instead, you’ll get flashbacks as the past and present merge and tell you the full story.

Everything in Gretchen’s young life has been impacted by trauma and this move shows no sign of that changing. She does meet someone, who can help her forget her troubles for a short while, but you cannot run from trauma.

The cast of Cuckoo is wonderful with Hunter Schafer as the lead character Gretchen. For me, the other highlight was Dan Stevens as Herr König, who is the boss of her dad, but also seems very strange.

Also in key roles are Marton Csokas (The Equalizer), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections), and Mila Lieu (Dodger) as Gretchen’s mute baby sister. The move to the Bavarian Alps is impacting everyone in different ways.

Cuckoo screening at Fantasia 2024

Tilman Singer is the writer and director of Cuckoo. His movie Luz also screened at Fantasia in 2018, where it was a huge hit, so the return to this genre film festival makes perfect sense. This is his follow-up feature.

For this movie, he has a bigger budget and a more experienced cast, but the style is still very much Tilman Singer. As it should be! And still working with cinematographer Paul Faltz, production designer Dario Mendez Acosta, and composer Simon Waskow.

You’ll want to check out this movie for the psychologically twisted escalation. One that includes domestic tension, body horror, and perverted science. The latter served up by Dan Stevens sporting an eerie and perfect German accent.

Cuckoo is reviewed as part of our Fantasia 2024 coverage. It will also be released in US theaters on August 9, 2024.

Details

Director: Tilman Singer
Writer: Tilman Singer
Stars: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, Jessica Henwick, Mila Lieu