Cuckoo (2024)

Germany

Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Hollywood Movies, English Movies

Waypoint Entertainment, Fiction Park, NEON, 100 Zeros

Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, Mila Lieu, Greta Fernández

Tilman Singer

Tilman Singer

Taglines: Fear its call.

germany, stepmother, grief, female protagonist, scientist, dead mother, sign languages, half sister, trippy, mountain resort, lesbian, mute character, german alps

After reluctantly moving to the German Alps with her father and his new family, Gretchen discovers that their new town hides sinister secrets, as she's plagued by strange noises and frightening visions of a woman pursuing her.

Reviews:

Author: Geronimo1967
Dan Stevens had a chance in "I'm Your Man" (2021) to hone his German impersonation skills for this rather weak mystery. He owns a sprawling resort in the Bavarian countryside that's visited by the teenage "Gretchen" (Hunter Schafer) and her family. Her father "Luis" (Martin Csokas) is to design a new complex for "Herr König" who kindly offers the young woman a job in his hotel. It's when she cycles home after a very quiet shift one night that she is pursued by a mysterious woman with bright red eyes. Luckily, she can take refuge in the local hospital, but of course nobody believes her far-fetched tale. Meantime, her mute step-sister "Alma" (Mila Lieu) seems to be experiencing some serious inexplicable traumas and ends up in the same hospital. Might the incidents be connected; just what has their enigmatic host got to do with things and what's the agenda of the outwardly friendly ex-cop "Henry" (Jan Bluthardt)? Auteur Tilman Singer has a good go at creating something a little off-the-wall with this film, but sadly the really mediocre acting talent on display here let's the potential quirkiness of the plot down quite badly. There's far too much meaningless dialogue, dysfunctional familial drama and the pace, presumably designed to build a sense of menace, rather builds one of ennui and inevitability as the "cuckoo" theory is disappointingly undercooked and the denouement quite rushed. It's watchable enough, but I'm sure I'll never remember it,