“Cuckoo", directed by Tilman Singer, ventures into complexities that end up creating more confusion than gripping its audience. As the film tries to decipher its outlandish thriller-focal point, it loses its intriguing charm.
In its effort to make sense of the paradoxical mystery, the film inadvertently diverts the audience's attention leading to a major recovery hiccup. It would have been better to leave the audience with a sense of either more clarity or ambiguous curiosity. A sense of looming darkness created by Singer could have been enough to arrest the viewer's attention, but sadly they ended up veering from intrigue to confusion.
Despite the complex narrative, the strong performances by Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens manage to sustain audience interest. Both actors showcase distinct characters, their contrasting actions adding humor and tension to the narrative. Stevens exhibits his characteristic deceptive charm, while Schafer, playing the role of the only character aware of the lurking dangers, evokes empathy.
Schafer portrays Gretchen, an American teenager mourning her mother's death and navigating her life in a new picturesque yet ominous setting. Sent to a resort in the Bavarian Alps, she finds herself caught in an unsettling situation where the sinister proprietor, Herr König, played by Stevens, is in a beneficial agreement with her father.
Gretchen's grief makes her reality difficult to distinguish from the trauma-induced manifestations, adding an element of sorrow and unease to the narrative. The audience ends up empathizing with Gretchen, thanks to Schafer's emotionally accessible performance.
However, as the film tries to unravel the truth behind all the mystery, it fails to deliver a clear message. It hints at a potential dark tale emphasizing women's bodily autonomy, but the chaotic narrative obscures it. Regardless of whether viewers achieve understanding or not, “Cuckoo” might infuriate its audience with its complex plot.
