Don’t call Cuckoo ‘2024’s Hereditary,’ the director says

As a seasoned film enthusiast with over three decades of cinematic adventures under my belt, I must say that the description of “Cuckoo” has piqued my interest significantly. The comparison to Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “The Shining,” is not one to be taken lightly, especially when it comes to horror films. However, if Singer can deliver a similar level of suspense, atmosphere, and visual brilliance, I’m all for it.

Sam Levinson’s drama series “Euphoria” has catapulted several actors into the spotlight, such as Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi, who have seen their film careers skyrocket following the show’s debut. The latest “Euphoria” actor poised for cinematic success is Hunter Schafer, who landed her first leading role in the horror movie “Cuckoo,” produced by Neon. In this film, Schafer portrays Gretchen, a U.S. teenager who is hesitant to join her father, stepmother, and mute half-sister at a secluded German resort operated by an intensely unsettling man (Dan Stevens from “The Guest”). While his overly friendly demeanor may seem innocent, it’s clear that he harbors some ominous intentions.

The movie is quite enigmatic and filled with darkness, revolving around a protagonist who may seem unappealing at first, but as she endures increasingly harsh physical hardships and the challenges multiply, it becomes nearly impossible not to support her. Given the noticeable disparity between the initial trailer’s portrayal of the film and its actual content, Cuckoo is likely to be a striking deviation from expectations for many spectators. (Rest assured, no spoilers are included here.)

Film director Tilman Singer, who hails from Germany and is working on his second full-length project following the 2018 horror-mystery film “Luz,” revealed in an interview with TopMob that he had cast Angelica Schaffer for the movie years before the debut of the first season of “Euphoria.” However, when COVID-19 caused production delays, Singer was pleasantly surprised to see her gaining a fan base through the series. Despite the fact that “Cuckoo” is an R-rated film, Singer quietly hopes that teenagers under the age of 18 might somehow manage to sneak into a theater and watch it.

“We delayed [production] once more due to Euphoria filming its second season, which was incredibly popular. This timing benefited us greatly, as it increased excitement. It made me delighted because I realized Euphoria has a massive following of younger fans. These young viewers might be interested in our peculiar movie. As a teenager, the first strange films I watched left an impact on me, even though I didn’t grasp them fully at the time. I cherished those experiences. I hoped that similar experiences would happen for other young people with our film.”

Although the first screening of “Cuckoo” was likened to movies such as Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” by several reviewers, director Singer prefers not to label it as “2024’s Hereditary”. Instead, he wishes people would refer to it as “2024’s movie that some young viewers managed to catch before the official release date.”

The artist fondly recalls films he watched prematurely, such as Alex Cox’s 1984 cult classic “Repo Man.” He expressed his affection for the movie, saying, “I was 14 when I first saw it. My uncle gifted it to me on VHS in English, and my English wasn’t great at the time. But I was into punk music, so I watched it repeatedly, even though I had no clue about its content. Looking back, those movies, like “Repo Man” and David Lynch’s “Lost Highway,” which I also saw around the same age, significantly broadened my horizons.” Such an experience is truly wonderful.

He compares the sensation of this kind of formative, often illicit cult-movie experience to having your heart or brain torn open. “Sometimes, something hits you with a force, because you’re not used to hearing or seeing [anything like] that, and it just cracks open your skull,” he said. “[…] I think that’s one of the most formative and beautiful things.”

As a gamer, I can’t help but wonder if “Cuckoo” will leave young viewers spellbound like it did me. This horror movie is one-of-a-kind, brimming with unexpected plot twists, an outstanding central act by Schafer that’s both intense and emotional, a captivating enigma surrounding Stevens’ character, and visuals that linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

The artist acknowledges that ‘The Shining’ was one of the many factors inspiring his work on ‘Cuckoo’, and he admits to having watched it countless times. He exclaims this with a laugh, adding that when they were scouting locations for their production, he was captivated by a large hall they converted into the hotel reception lobby, which reminded him intensely of ‘The Shining’. He felt an immediate compulsion to shoot there, saying, “We must shoot here! We absolutely have to shoot here!” His production team initially expressed concerns about the state of the location, but the artist was convinced by the existing patina, stating that they didn’t need to do much, as the atmosphere was already perfect.

The singer notes that there’s often a sense of eeriness about older hotels, and films set in such locations tend to stir memories of classic horror movies for longtime enthusiasts, particularly Kubrick’s work. However, he also wants viewers who appreciate horror to spot the other inspirations in his production called “Cuckoo” as well.

“When it comes to this film that appears to openly draw inspiration from others, he remarks, ‘That’s simply my approach.’ He admits to writing in an unconscious manner, delving into his subconscious thoughts and allowing them to flow freely. Later, he shapes these ideas with the actors, creating a flood of images, sounds, and structure that seemingly gush out from his mind.”

One thing he approaches a little more consciously, though, is a conviction that horror movies need some sense of hope. “I wanted to make a horror film, or a thriller with horror elements, or however you want to call it, that is not as grim, and not as spiraling down into an absolute doomsday scenario,” he told TopMob. “I think horror is a very beautiful genre, because horror is effectively forcing you to face death, or all the incarnations of death. It could be violence, sexual violence, all of this stuff? And the only remedy to death is a form of religion.”

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “Let me make it clear, I’m not attacking any specific religion like Christianity or Islam. What I’m referring to is a deeper understanding for humans, particularly the concept of dealing with mortality. You could label it ‘love’, ‘music’, or anything that resonates. For me, the game Cuckoo carries this theme beautifully – we can conquer death, or at least learn to coexist with it. I won’t ruin the ending for you, and if you describe it as I just did, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But that final scene in the game is, for me, the heart of the entire experience.”

Cuckoo is in theaters now.

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2024-08-09 23:49