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Cuckoo
Germany / USA 2024
produced by Thor Bradwell, Markus Halberschmidt, Ken Kao, Ben Rimmer, Josh Rosenbaum, Maria Tsigka, Jeff Deutchman (executive), Ryan Friscia (executive), Tom Quinn (executive), Emily Thomas (executive), Jason Wald (executive) for Fiction Park, Neon, Waypoint Entertainment
directed by Tilman Singer
starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Greta Fernández, Sydney LaFaire, Proschat Madani, Mila Lieu, Jan Bluthardt, Lesley Jennifer Higl, Konrad Singer, Kalin Morrow
written by Tilman Singer, music by Simon Waskow, special makeup effects by Julian Hutcheson, Juliette Ruetz, prosthetics by Tamar Aviv
review by Mike Haberfelner
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After her mother has died, teenaged Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) finds
herself pretty much forced to move to the Bavarian Alps with her dad
(Marton Csokas), his second wife Beth (Jessica Henwick) and her
half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu), and to make enough money to pay for her trip
back to the USA she's quick to accept an offer to work as receptionist at
Mr. König's resort (Dan Stevens), with König having also been the one
who lured the family to Bavaria with a bit architectural project. For some
reason, König's adamant for her to never travel home at night on her
bicycle, and when she does so one night, she's suddenlty chased by a weird
hooded woman (Kalin Morrow), a chase that causes an accident and lands
Gretchen in Dr. Bonomo's (Proschat Madani) hospital, where that very same
night Alma's admitted to for seizures. Back at work, Gretchen's more
determined than ever to make it back to the States, so she empties the
cash register and hitches a ride with a guest (Astrid Bergčs-Frisbey) she
has befriended, but due to the hooded woman again they have a car accident
and again land in hospital. These experiences lead Gretchen to the
conclusion that something's seriously not right in these parts of the
woods, but the only one who believes her is washe up detective Henry (Jan
Bluthardt), who tells her a story about the hooded woman and more of her
"species" who apparently haunt the countryside and have killed
his wife (Lesley Jennifer Higl). They actually experience one such
creature at a stake-out attacking a work colleague of Gretchen's (Greta
Fernández). Gretchen decides to confront König with this, but König at
first plays her "understanding" friend, even promises to give
her money and drive her to the next train station - but is of course quick
to betray their friendship as he proves to be a keeper of this new human
"species" that relies on normal humans to carry their offspring,
and somehow this species has also turned on us humans. What's even more,
Alma might actually be one of these creatures. But what's even more
worrying König has now made her and Henry his prisoners, and wants them
eliminated by these new humans ... Truth to be told, the first
twenty or so minuted, this movie meanders a bit and puts too much effort
into detailing the dynamics of Gretchen's family, including some elements
that don't really serve the story as it progresses in any way. But once
the film gains traction and adds absurdity upon absurdity (in a very
plausible way), it actually gets entertaining as heck, with plenty of
suspense, jump scares, action and also the occasional grotesquerie thrown
into the mix. And Hunter Schafer carries the thing rather beautifully,
supported by a very solid ensemble, helping to make this one cool piece of
genre entertainment.
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