Spoilers don’t do bird calls.

Some horror films I can watch without any hurry for the next scare. This feature creates an environment of uneasiness and creepyness that I can’t help by being captivated. Yes, this one is going to be recommended for those horror fans that love the subtle art of prevalent horror existing in the background. It’s not really a slow burn, but more of a room permanently on fire quietly out of focus.

(Credit: NEON)

Cuckoo (2024) is written and directed by Tilman Singer. Teenager Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is coming along with his father Luis (Marton Csokas) and his new wife Beth (Jessica Henwick) and their daughter Alma (Mila Lieu) who is mute as they move into a resort in the German Alps. There they meet the eerily creepy Herr König (Dan Stevens) who seems to be very interested in Alma, as well as being extremely patronizing to Gretchen. König offers Gretchen a job being a host at the resort’s reception. But as Gretchen decides to ignore his offer to drive her home at night and bike in the darkness, she is followed by a strange woman.

This is one of those films where the ambience and the world building create their own lore. Gretchen is the outsider, estranged from his father and new family and seemingly unwanted wherever she goes. When she gets followed and almost caught by the strange woman, neither her family nor the police seem terribly convinced. A stranger, Henry (Jan Bluthardt), approaches Gretchen identifying as a policeman conducting his own investigation. However as things go from weird to strange, Gretchen finds herself facing a horror that might be too close to home.

This is one that is going to vary for everyone. If you want everything particularly explained or a moment where the film stops to drop a ton of exposition, this ain’t it. To challenge things just a little more, there’s a time loop effect that makes things just a bit stranger. I particularly like the lack of the usual pauses for exposition as one strange event transitions to the next scene, but that might alienate some audiences. There are themes of estranged families all throughout the film.

Extremely recommended with slight reservations. It might not be your cup of tea as a horror film or as a thriller film. I found it rather enjoyable but definitely devoid of any exposition which will trouble the more casual audiences. That being said, I think it’s very much worth more than a single watch.

That will do for now.