Cuckoo
Writer/Director: Tilman Singer
There are so many facets to the animal kingdom that are
fascinating and extremely horrifying at the same time – and I love it when
genre films dive into them.
CUCKOO is not the first genre film to borrow from the cuckoo
bird’s unique reproduction tendencies. The 2019 film VIVARIUM instantly comes
to mind.
But what VIVARIUM couldn’t achieve in terms of a well-paced
story and characters you root for, CUCKOO absolutely nails.
In this Fantasia International Film Festival Montreal premiere,
the last thing teenager Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) wants is to be taken from her
divorced mother’s home in the states and dragged halfway around the world by
her father and his new wife. Yet she winds up with Luis (Marton Csokas), Beth
(Jessica Henwick) and Beth’s mute preteen daughter Alma (Mila Lieu) in the
Bavarian Alps, where her dad and stepmom are redesigning a local resort.
They’re working for Herr König (Dan Stevens), an odd bird
who initially comes across as friendly, and gives Gretchen a desk job at his
hotel. From her first night on the job, however, unsettling things begin to
happen to and around her, particularly random attacks by a freakish, screaming
woman—yet Gretchen has no idea just how bizarre and dangerous things are going
to get.
Within the first 10 minutes of the film, the viewer learns a
lot about Gretchen. For starters, she is sitting in the front seat of the
moving van with two German male movers as opposed to sitting with her family in
their roomy car. Gretchen mentions the woman is Beth, and the young girl Alma,
is not her sister. There is a clear divide in this family and Gretchen is the
token, unwanted outsider.
Viewers get even more clarification on this abusive family
dynamic as the film moves on with the most heartbreaking scene of Gretchen
listening to the answering machine tapes from her deceased mother’s house – the
only items her father felt were okay to keep as he sold Gretchen’s home and one
place to escape to.
The family drama is palpable and is what keeps this wild ride
of a genre film grounded. With all the crazy things Gretchen experiences, the
audience watches, and Herr König confirms, the family aspects hit home and
allow the viewer to grapple with a mix of emotions and not just dread at the “token”
monster (which is actually horrifying).
The ending of this film is touching and lingers long after the
credits roll.
Bizarre is great word for this film but it encompasses so
much more on a deeper level. Take a chance on the various layers of this film
and decide for yourself if it deserves a place in your nest of recommended films.
I think you may be pleasantly surprised.
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