Review: Hunter Schafer is trapped in the enjoyably stylish European nightmare ‘Cuckoo’
As a seasoned horror enthusiast with over three decades of chilling experiences under my belt, I must say that Tilman Singer’s “Cuckoo” has left a hauntingly memorable impact on me. This film is not just a horror movie; it’s an artistic masterpiece that defies conventional boundaries and pushes the genre to its limits.
“Tilman Singer’s ‘The Cuckoo’ – A Unique Horror Experience That Harks Back to Its Roots While Creating Something Entirely New”
In “Cuckoo,” the singer immerses the audience so deeply that they feel complicit or guilty. The title references a chilling bird-themed horror film by Alfred Hitchcock. At a certain point, Dan Stevens addresses us directly through the screen, as if he’s speaking to a character on a security camera, yet his words are really meant for us, the audience. It feels like a mirror of the scene in “The Birds” where a character looks into the camera and suggests that we might be responsible for the terrifying incidents happening.
That participatory knowingness is imbued into the cinematography itself, executed by Paul Faltz on 35mm with a look that alternates between shadowy fear and gauzy fantasy. The prowling camera makes connections, showing us where to look, sneaking up on our hero, Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) when she least expects it. She’s a surly American teenager who has been dragged to the Bavarian Alps with her father, Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick) and young half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) in the wake of her mother’s death. Her parents are there to plan a new resort for a Herr König (Stevens) and Gretchen gets a job at his current place, a run-down and retro mountain hotel where bizarre things happen to young women with a disturbing frequency.
Gretchen stands out as an unconventional horror protagonist. She quickly grows wary of the mysterious events occurring around her and yearns to depart immediately. Riding her bike under the cover of darkness, she’s chased by a terrifying figure emitting eerie screams. When her concerns are disregarded, she attempts to find a ride to Paris with an attractive hotel guest named Ed (played by Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). However, Gretchen finds herself trapped in a cycle, unable to free herself from this ominous location and enduring more and more damage. After surviving a car accident, she spends the rest of the movie bandaged, battered, and injured, eventually accepting that she must uncover the truth about this place if she hopes to break free from it.
In this town, there seems to be an unusual occurrence of women vomiting, women swiftly moving through the forest, and the smooth, lewd behavior of Mr. König. This suggests that the questionable activities in the town are connected to the manipulation of female bodies, though the exact details may remain unclear. The story doesn’t provide a clear explanation (which is intentional), but the modern-day symbolism of male dominance over reproduction is strongly implied throughout, leaving room for various interpretations as the film unfolds.
The social relevance and numerous film references, ranging from westerns to “Psycho,” help anchor “Cuckoo” in the real world while allowing it to showcase its unique European fairy-tale charm. Schaefer gives her finest performance yet, and the ensemble cast is uniquely peculiar in their individual ways. At times, it seems as if each actor is starring in a different film, but the diverse styles harmoniously blend in the film’s chilling sound design and captivating cinematography to produce an unforgettable cinematic adventure. Singer proves himself to be a master of celluloid sensation, concocting a genre-bending creature from various influences, visuals, sounds, and feelings that will linger in your memory for quite some time.
Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.
Read More
- ZEX PREDICTION. ZEX cryptocurrency
- Adin Ross goes live with Donald Trump; Gives former US President a Cybertruck
- 2024 HoK Championship announced for October in Indonesia
- Clash of Clans Troops Tier List for August 2024
- UNI PREDICTION. UNI cryptocurrency
- G PREDICTION. G cryptocurrency
- SPEC PREDICTION. SPEC cryptocurrency
- Max releases first look at upcoming horror series Welcome to Derry and The Last of Us season 2
- Kate Mulgrew says a Dal/Gwyn romance is right for Star Trek: Prodigy
- When does NASCAR return (and when are the Olympics finished)?
2024-08-10 04:31