Intriguing Ideas That Don’t Lead to Much

2024 has offered an array of ambitious horror movies that have sent us running to the theaters, and Cuckoo is no exception. Written and directed by Tilman Singer, this German-American co-production hit theaters in a limited release today, Aug. 9. The film features a twisty plot centered around an American teenager named Gretchen, portrayed by Hunter Schafer, who is forced to move to Germany to live with her father and his new family after her mother’s death.

Gretchen’s father, Luis, along with his wife Beth and their daughter Alma, are amid plans to relocate to the German Alps to build a new hotel. They plan to work with businessman Herr König, dragging Gretchen into their venture. However, Gretchen’s arrival complicates König’s plans for the resort. Strange events start occurring soon after their arrival, including Gretchen being stalked by a hooded woman. The looming questions—who is this mysterious woman, what are König’s intentions, and what dark secrets does the resort hold?—are answered by the end of Cuckoo.

As it happens, the hooded woman begins following Gretchen at night, terrifying her. One night, as she’s cycling home from work, she spots the mysterious woman chasing her. In a panic, she heads to the hospital but runs into a glass door, sustaining a minor head injury. The police dismiss her claims of being followed as a prank, leaving Gretchen feeling isolated and unsafe.

Another frightening encounter occurs when Gretchen tries to flee the resort with a hotel guest named Ed. They bond quickly, and Gretchen, after stealing all the money from the hotel’s cash register, decides to leave with him. However, their escape is cut short when a strange noise ensues, trapping them in a loop. The hooded woman appears once again, causing Ed to crash the car in an attempt to dodge her. These eerie events heighten Gretchen’s paranoia and anxiety. Her half-sister Alma begins having seizures, and Luis and Beth blame Gretchen for Alma’s condition.

Gretchen then meets a detective named Henry, who claims to be investigating the hooded woman. They work together until König tricks Gretchen by pretending to take her to the train station. Instead, he brings her to his home, where she learns that the hooded woman is a woman-bird creature, living parasitically like cuckoo birds who lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. König has been breeding this species and using human surrogates to raise the newborns until they reach maturity.

Alma is revealed to be one of König’s offspring, conceived at the resort eight years ago. König seeks to use Gretchen similarly, but Henry intervenes to save her. However, Gretchen discovers that Henry is a disgraced ex-police officer driven by personal loss—his wife was a victim of König’s scheme. Henry is committed to exposing the truth and destroying everyone involved, including the woman-bird creatures. Gretchen faces the dual threat of König and Henry, aiming to save herself and Alma.

While the climax builds, Gretchen kills the hooded woman but must still confront both König and Henry. Alma, using her woman-bird abilities, lets out a disorienting scream, allowing Gretchen the opportunity to escape the chaos. The sound of two gunshots suggests that König and Henry kill each other.

In the end, Gretchen and Alma manage to flee and find Ed in the parking lot, hitching a ride with him. The film closes on this note, leaving Gretchen’s future with Alma precarious. Questions linger regarding Beth and Luis’s fate, and the open-ended conclusion suggests a potential for more stories in this universe, even though a sequel may not be necessary.

While Cuckoo answers many queries, it leaves plenty of room for speculation about König’s sinister activities. Despite its engaging premise, the film falters in execution. It features strong performances and a compelling soundtrack but ultimately becomes convoluted and unsatisfying. The third act loses momentum, underscoring that Cuckoo might have functioned better as a shorter piece rather than a full-length film, making a sequel seem redundant.

Cuckoo is now playing in select theaters.

Source: 1428 Elm