From writer/director Tilman Singer comes a horror-thriller steeped in creepy oddity and a gloomy atmosphere. However, the movie takes a disappointing turn with a nonsensical twist that lacks a logical explanation. Singer, the crew, and the cast do an exceptional job building up a bizarre and eerie setting, leading to a bewildering reveal and a baffling conclusion. Despite its genuine strengths and high points, the movie ultimately falls short due to this nonsensical twist.
Hunter Schafer stars as Gretchen, a primarily stoic and occasionally rebellious teen forced to stay with her estranged father and his new family after the untimely death of her beloved mother. As a result, Gretchen must follow her father, Luis (Marston Csokas), his wife Beth (Jessica Henswick), and her younger half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) when they decide to move to a seemingly peaceful resort in the German Alps. Luis and Beth, who wish to open a resort of their own, accept the owner’s invitation, a strange but mild-mannered man named König (Dan Stevens), to stay at the property and learn from their experiences.
Bored and wishing she was back home, Gretchen reluctantly accepts a job offer from König to work the check-in desk during her stay. As she spends more time there, she begins to notice bizarre occurrences, along with experiencing some unexplained phenomena. Things take a turn for the worse when Gretchen gets attacked by a frightening and seemingly mentally disturbed lady on the property more than once.
In addition to the problematic story development, the movie reveals some peculiar and unnecessary editing choices. There are some moments in the film where the editing is very jumpy and chaotic, and I found this choice utterly distracting. Visually and stylistically, the movie has so much going for it. A smoother approach to the editing process and a better-realized script could have made this movie quite impressive, or at least more effective as a whole.
The performances by both Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens are genuinely exceptional. Hunter perfectly embodies the seemingly unflappable teen who gradually unveils her more vulnerable side as she encounters a series of terrifying and disturbing events. Dan Stevens is a delight to watch as the enigmatic yet confident Herr König. His portrayal is a wickedly villainous turn that skillfully dances between camp and menace. He is undeniably the most entertaining aspect of the movie. While everyone else delivers great performances, the main reasons to watch this movie are Schafer and Stevens.
Now, one might ask, “What about the great atmosphere and awesome build-up?” There are plenty of other horror movies that handle that aspect well but also deliver when it comes to the story and the characters. I would not recommend spending theatrical rates, at any level, to watch Cuckoo. This movie would be best enjoyed at home when it is available for streaming. And I only highly recommend it to Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens fans.