CUCKOO (2024) – Going bonkers in the Alpine mountains

This movie comes across as something that is not typical of the usual horror movies we are accustomed to. It has a bizarre story that I have to admit I find difficult to make any sense of, but at the same time, it is totally mesmerizing thanks to its uniqueness and a plot that is so bonkers, you are kept in suspense wondering what will happen next.

I can try and summarise the plot, but it would be futile as it is quite indescribable. What I can say is that it takes place in an isolated resort town somewhere in the German alps where strange things seem to be going on in the background and dark. Much of the film’s success lies in the way director, writer Tilman Singer lets the story unfold using a captivating visual style and unusual characters. Credit to Tilman, a German director who has only one or two other movies under his belt. To be fair, Cuckoo is not something that would be for everyone. Its offbeat story would probably put off many audiences who are used to more conventional movies. But more open-minded viewers would appreciate the style of David Cronenberg, and David Lynch which we so prevalent and popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Like horror movie of that era, much of the thrills come from not knowing what will happen next rather than the bombardment of violence and obscenities in lesser horror fare.

It helps of course to have a cast that delivers. Young actress Hunter Schafer does an excellent job as the lead, as the teenager struggling to adjust to her father’s new wife and family, and uncovering a demented program in the resort involving some sort of breeding experiment on a rare cuckoo bird species. The film’s title can also cleverly be associated with the craziness of the people and experimentation happening there. Another delight is watching the multi-talented Dan Stevens in another quirky and wild performance as a “cuckoo” mad scientist of sorts. You are not sure whether to laugh or be terrified!

Perhaps the only gripe I have is that the story could have been more coherent. The confusion escalates as the story progresses to its final act, losing much of the promise it has built up in the earlier portion. Nevertheless, Cuckoo is a rewarding watch for fans of the genre simply for its wacky originality and cult like appeal.