Title: Cuckoo
MPA Rating: R
Director: Tilman Singer
Starring: Hunter Schafer, Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

What It Is: Gretchen (Schafer) is a young woman who’s just moved to Germany with her father, his new wife and their young daughter Alma (Mila Lieu). They are living in a hotel run by a rather shadowy figure named Herr König (Stevens) who is a strange figure that Gretchen doesn’t fully trust. When Gretchen begins to experience some odd goings on she suspects that there is definitely something strange going on. She has no idea the can of worms she’s just opened up.

What We Think: This is a creature feature the likes of which we haven’t seen in some time. That being said, it’s also one I didn’t particularly enjoy. First and foremost, the motivations behind Stevens’ Herr König aren’t as clear as I’d like. In fact, we’re still left wondering why he’s doing what he’s doing beyond his vague statement that “they deserve to exist.” Who are “they,” and why do they deserve this? Quite frankly, this is my biggest issue with the film—the entire catalyst feels unnecessary and nonsensical.

On a positive note, Hunter Schafer truly shines, and Dan Stevens is absolutely unhinged in his role. Those performances definitely work, even if the film around them doesn’t.

Our Grade: C-, This one wasn’t for me. It’s a creature feature that doesn’t offer enough to hold your attention. There are more compelling films of this kind that we’ve yet to review but will soon. If we’re being honest, the film doesn’t quite meet the standard of NEON’s usual excellence. Whatever Tilman Singer was trying to achieve here gets lost in the secrecy and confusion of his own script. Horror fans might find enough to like, but probably not enough to love.