Cuckoo is a tension-laced roller coaster ride from beginning to end, filled with a strong lead and a strong villain.
Synopsis of Cuckoo
Cuckoo Synopsis: After moving to a resort in the German Alps with her father (Marton Csokas) and his new wife (Jessica Henwick), Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), an American teenager begins to notice strange and suspicious things in and around the resort. Soon, Gretchen winds up in a cat-and-mouse chase for survival as she begins to learn more about the resort and its owner Herr König (Dan Stevens).
Tension, Tension, Tension in Cuckoo
German-born writer/director Tilman Singer makes his American feature debut with Cuckoo. One in which Singer and company crafts a tense thriller. While also combining aspects of sci-fi and horror. This all mixes into a straight-laced roller coaster ride that echoes the paranormal thrillers from the 70s and 80s. Furthermore, Singer and cinematographer Paul Faltz construct the lighting with shadows and ambiance. On top of that, Faltz also balance the day and night scenes with a sense of menace. Production designer Dario Mendez Acosta highlights this divide. Especially with the resort, as Acosta displays it as a 1950s-esque resort.
Costume designer Frankie Friel’s costumes make this work by placing some characters in certain types of clothing. In turn, this resulted in Friel blending aspects of the modern day with influences from the past. Composer Simon Waskow’s score echoes into the sound design. On top of that, courtesy of the film’s music supervisor Rupert Hollier, the soundtrack contributes to the isolated nature of the film. The tension can also be felt through Terell Gibson and Phillip Thomas’ editing. Through this, the pair are able to emphasize the emotional parts of the actors’ performances. However, a side effect of this is that the film’s pacing becomes impacted. Namely in the last five to ten minutes, as the film starts to drag.
Performances in Cuckoo
Speaking of the actors, Hunter Schafer leads the cast with precision as Gretchen. A sullen teenager, who’s dealing with the loss of her mother, Schafer plays the role with a sense of relatability and pathos. Schaefer also balances vulnerability with determination and gumption. This extends to her chemistry with her co-stars. Particularly with Marton Csokas’ Luis and Jan Bluthhardt’s Henry. The former, Csokas, is playing against type. As Luis, Csokas delivers as someone, who has accepted their past and is moving on with their life. This creates a contrast with Bluthbardt. As Henry, a detective investigating the resort, Schaefer and Bluthbardt display solid partner-like chemistry.
However, the one performance from the cast that is lacking is Jessica Henwick. As Beth, Henwick does deliver a solid performance. But, the script sadly pigeonholes the character into the disapproving stepmother archetype. Which renders the character into two-dimensional territory. By comparison, Csokas’ Luis gets more screen-time to flesh out his relationship with Gretchen. Finally, when it comes to the standout, it’s Dan Stevens. As Herr König, Stevens brings an intense, but gleeful-like nature to the role. Therefore, contributing to the tension. Stevens also manages to deliver menace, complete with a solid fierceness.
Final Thoughts
For his American feature debut, Singer made Cuckoo into a tense thriller. One that starts its tension at minute one. Singer and company manage to balance the horror with major sci-fi elements. Additionally, Schafer leads the cast with ease. But, Stevens is the standout, displaying menace with glee. Overall, Cuckoo is a tense debut filled with a good lead and a good villain.
