CUCKOO
****
Directed by Tilman Singer.
Starring Hunter Schaefer, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt.
Horror, US, 102 minutes, Certificate 15.
Released in cinemas in the UK by Universal on 23rd August
For those lucky enough to catch director Tilman Singer’s little seen debut LUZ, with its dreamlike, synth-laden, hallucinatory style, they may feel a step ahead and well prepared for whatever he would offer for a follow-up. That his second feature has been snapped up by a major US studio is one unexpected surprise as well as attracting such stars as Dan Stevens and the up and coming Hunter Schaefer is another. Also, any fears that Singer would feel the need to tone down his wild storytelling or come under studio pressure to do so can be squashed which is a further pleasant surprise.
The set-up for this mysterious horror involves American teenager Gretchen moving to the Alps with her father, stepmother and little step-sister Alma. The housing resort they are relocating to is run by Herr Konig, a benevolent figure played in sinister style by a flute wielding Dan Stevens. Gretchen accepts a job from Herr Konig as receptionist for the resort where she soon realises that something is very wrong with the other guests and are somehow involved with a mysterious woman in sunglasses and heavy coat who pursues Gretchen late one night.
To say anymore about the slow burn mysteries at the heart of this film would rob the viewer of the pleasure of discovering the wild and freaky twists and turns at the heart of it all. Close attention pays off in spades but there is still a lot to unpack after a single viewing. The dense plotting culminates in a trippy and action packed style that dares the viewer to keep up and hang on for its outrageous revelations. How much sense it makes may be debatable but lovers of cult cinema should lap up this expertly executed nonsense.
Singer's direction is slightly toned down from his debut but there is still much to admire and get lost in here. One sequence involving Gretchen riding her bike home at night, unaware that she is being pursued by a certain malevolent figure, plays out to supremely unsettling effect, paying off with a smartly executed scare.
The film also boasts the great double act of Schaefer and Stevens, playing off each other to great effect. Schaefer manages to elevate the cliched role of surly teen here with a near exasperated and at times sarcastic nature that keeps the lid on a deep sadness while Stevens is even more fun with his sinister, deadpan nature, further proving himself after this years ABIGAIL and GODZILLA X KONG how suited he is to genre cinema with his varied performances. They are supported by a cast who for the most part also make an impression but the film's busy climax short changes some characters who get lost in the chaotic climax.
In a year of, admittedly successful, reboots what a great pleasure it is to see another completely original horror getting the chance to make an impression with a wide cinema release. Like the recent LONGLEGS, also released by Neon, we are presented with yet another distinctive horror with an engaging double act at the heart of their respective sinister madnesses. As fun as it is mad, CUCKOO is one of the years most distinctive horror films you’ll get to see on a big screen this year. Heed its call.
Iain MacLeod
