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Cuckoo
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01:42
Cuckoo
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- 2024
- Tilman Singer
- 102 mins
- 15
Summary
Horror mystery starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick. Bereaved American teen Gretchen is sent to live with her estranged father and his new family in a Bavarian resort, whose owner Herr König seems decidedly strange. Something is increasingly off-kilter in the idyllic surroundings, and an encounter with a hooded woman prompts an abortive escape attempt as the resort begins to yield terrifying secrets.
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Review
A star rating of 3 out of 5.
Matt Glasby
When homesick 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) and her family retreat to an Alpine resort run by creepy Herr König (Dan Stevens), something is clearly amiss. Finding out exactly what is half the fun of this 1970s-inflected horror from German writer/director Tilman Singer (Luz). During their stay, Gretchen is repeatedly attacked by a strange bird-like woman. Meanwhile, her little half-sister (Mila Lieu) suffers unexplained seizures, and random women wander the compound, confused and vomiting. Although the pace is slow, Singer ensures it's never boring, using saturated colours, banshee wails on the soundtrack and bugged-out performances to create a dreamlike mood, with frequent nods to the films of Dario Argento, most notably Suspiria and Phenomena. Schafer (Kinds of Kindness) impresses in the demanding lead role, Stevens seems to be enjoying himself mightily, and the result is a strange, almost hallucinatory experience. For some, the studied weirdness will try the patience, but others will dig the indelible imagery, kooky characters and febrile atmosphere. Either way, it's a trip worth taking.
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5.6/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameGretchenHunter SchaferHerr KönigDan StevensBethJessica HenwickLuisMarton CsokasEdAstrid Bergès-Frisbey
Show more
Crew
rolenameDirectorTilman Singer
Details
Theatrical distributor
Universal
Released on
2024-08-23
Languages
English | German | French
Guidance
language, violence
Formats
Colour
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