Cuckoo

Mourning the death of her mother, Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is forced to live in a Bavarian resort town with her negligent father, his wife, and her mute half-sister. They are there to aid in the construction of a new hotel, overseen by Herr König (Dan Stevens), who may not be what he appears. Nicely filmed and well-acted, Cuckoo is a flawed but engaging film. Schafer is a talented actor and having Stevens as the bad guy is simply delightful. For someone who knows what the title implies, the reveal isn't surprising but even so I found the creatures eerie.

No, just no. The trailer hooked me in, it seemed like a fun and splashy horror movie, but I can’t even remember the plot of this movie. Like seriously what even was the point of this? The start was kinda good and moved linearly and rationally but then it just fell all over the place. I wouldn’t even put this into the horror category because what was scary about this? Yeah there was that one car crash scene, but that’s it? I watched this for almost two hours and every time I was waiting for something scary or unexpected to happen but it never did. Do not recommend, maybe one of the worst ways to spend your time.

The plot is original, sure, but its also confusing at the same time

(CASTELLANO) A veces uno se acerca a una película sin grandes expectativas, pero con la esperanza de que al menos sorprenda. En este caso, ni eso. Cuckoo es un intento de mezclar géneros, atmósferas y rarezas que termina siendo una mezcla sin rumbo, ni fuerza ni alma. La historia arranca con cierta intriga, pero pronto se pierde en un ritmo lento y una sucesión de escenas que no generan tensión ni interés real. Cuesta conectar con lo que se cuenta, porque da la sensación de que ni siquiera la propia película tiene claro a dónde quiere ir. El mayor problema es que todo suena a ya visto. Hay ecos de otras cintas que lo hicieron antes y mejor, pero aquí se quedan en un ejercicio de imitación sin carácter propio. La fotografía intenta ser elegante, la música busca incomodar, y los giros pretenden desconcertar… pero nada de eso funciona. Todo parece más una colección de intenciones mal resueltas que una obra con identidad. Incluso los momentos que deberían impactar, acaban pasando sin dejar huella. Lo único que ha salvado mínimamente la experiencia ha sido volver a ver a Jessica Henwick, una actriz que siempre aporta presencia y credibilidad. Desde Iron Fist no me cruzaba con ella en un papel principal, y me da pena que haya acabado en una película tan fallida. Tiene talento de sobra para proyectos mejores, y aquí se nota que intenta sacar adelante su personaje pese a lo poco que le ofrece el guion. Al final, Cuckoo es de esas películas que no molestan, pero tampoco dejan nada. Se ve con desgana y se olvida rápido. Ni entretiene ni provoca reflexión. Solo queda esa sensación amarga de haber perdido el tiempo, con el añadido de lamentar que actores como Henwick malgasten su talento en propuestas que no están a la altura. Una decepción. (ENGLISH) Sometimes you watch a film with low expectations but hope it’ll at least surprise you. Not this time. Cuckoo tries to blend genres, atmospheres, and weirdness, but ends up as a messy, aimless mix with no strength or soul. The story starts with a bit of intrigue, but it quickly drags into a slow rhythm with scenes that fail to build tension or interest. It’s hard to connect with anything because the movie itself doesn’t seem to know where it’s headed. The biggest issue is how familiar everything feels. There are echoes of other films that did it better, but here it just feels like an imitation with no personality. The visuals try to be stylish, the music wants to be unsettling, and the twists aim to be shocking… but none of it hits the mark. Even the moments meant to leave an impact just pass by without weight. The only thing that saved it slightly for me was seeing Jessica Henwick again. I hadn’t seen her in a lead role since Iron Fist, and it’s a shame to find her in such a weak project. She clearly has the talent for better things, and here she tries her best despite a script that gives her so little. In the end, Cuckoo is one of those films you forget as soon as it ends. It doesn’t entertain, it doesn’t move you, and it doesn’t leave anything behind. A disappointing experience—especially when actors this good are wasted on stories this hollow.

WTF well its strange and different and slow and odd. Like a C version of Stranger Things.

Cuckoo lures you in with a trailer packed with its most gripping and eerie moments, suggesting a horror film full of promise. Unfortunately, it’s a promise that ultimately falls short. Visually, the movie is a treat. The cinematography is genuinely impressive, capturing hauntingly beautiful landscapes that play well with the film’s unsettling tone. The score is equally compelling—melancholic, atmospheric, and evocative. But while the surface is polished, what lies beneath is far less refined. The performances often feel uninspired or emotionally disconnected. There’s a confusing stiffness to many scenes, as if the actors themselves weren’t quite sure what they were reacting to. The horror elements rely heavily on bizarre and uncomfortable situations rather than real tension or dread, which can feel more perplexing than frightening. At its core, Cuckoo seems to revolve around a central idea that never fully comes together. Instead of building toward something coherent, the narrative drifts, leaving viewers to piece together fragments that don’t quite fit. At times, it feels more like a student film with a sizable budget than a professional production—ambitious but lacking in direction. There are moments that stretch on too long, making the film feel not only confusing but tedious. For some, this might come off as slow-burn arthouse horror. For others—myself included—it’s simply exhausting. Cuckoo isn’t for everyone. Despite its alluring packaging, it’s a film that struggles to deliver on its own promises.

This movie had potential… Then fell flat.

Gretchen moves to the German Alps to live with her father in a resort run by a sinister man. The owner is a radical preservationist who leads an underground research facility where women are forced to impregnate to create hybrid species, half human and half bird. "Cuckoo" is a creative approach to the body horror subgenre as it subverts women's reproductive functions with a perverse touch. The lead protagonist plays the role of the heroine destined to destroy the corrupted evil created at man's hands. Outstanding performance from Hunter Schafer.

The suitable amount of crazy, Cuckoo has plenty of eerie visuals en route to a twisted and entertaining finale.

Better than I thought it would be. The gore, the scares, all of it was amazing. The woman has a kind of uncanny valley feel as she is both human yet not. The movie also has a great plot twist and some great character development as well as we can see Gretchen become nicer to her “sister” by the end of the movie. Overall I hoped it would be good and was scared but it turned out to be amazing.