Cuckoo (2024 film)

Cuckoo is a 2024 horror-thriller film written and directed by Tilman Singer. The film stars Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, Jessica Henwick, and Dan Stevens. It follows a teenager who moves to live with her father at the German Alps but becomes disturbed by strange occurrences, as her family gets embroiled by her father's boss in a sinister plot.

Cuckoo had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in Germany on August 8, 2024, and in the United States on August 9, 2024.

Cast

 * Hunter Schafer as Gretchen
 * Dan Stevens as Mr. König
 * Jessica Henwick as Beth
 * Jan Bluthardt as Henry
 * Marton Csokas as Luis
 * Greta Fernández as Trixie
 * Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Ed
 * Konrad Singer as Erik
 * Proschat Madani as Dr. Bonomo
 * Kalin Morrow as The Hooded Woman

Production
It was reported in August 2021 that Tilman Singer would be writing and directing his second film for Neon, with Hunter Schafer, John Malkovich, Gemma Chan, and Sofia Boutella set to star. In July 2022, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csokas, and Greta Fernández joined the cast, while Malkovich and Chan dropped out due to "timing issues".

Cuckoo is a co-production with Germany's Fiction Park and the United States' Waypoint Entertainment. Principal photography took place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, over a span of 35 days from May to July 2022 and was shot on 35mm film.

2024 festivals
Cuckoo had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Specials section on February 16. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 14 and at the Overlook Film Festival on April 4. It opened at London's Raindance Film Festival on June 19 as part of the festival's special focus on Germany. The film is set to play at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 30, 2024.

Theatrical
The film is scheduled to be released in Germany by Weltkino Filmverleih on August 8, 2024. The film was originally set to be released in the United States by Neon on May 3, 2024, but the release date was pushed back to August 9, 2024. It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures on August 23, 2024.

Reception
Adam Solomons of IndieWire gave the film a C- grade, writing: "Yet the biggest crime of Cuckoo is that it won't lean into being a B-movie, something it might've been good at. The performances — especially Stevens' — are silly and sincere, and the action competent enough for Cuckoo to have worked as pure pulp. But this film takes itself too seriously and pokes fun at its own silliness, a fatal combination". RogerEbert.com's Robert Daniels also praised Stevens, noting, "Every choice Stevens makes as Mr. König doubles as a lampoon and a threat, as equally hilarious and sadistic." Jessica Kiang of Variety called it "an energetically outlandish fusion of stylish atmospherics, old-school reproductive horror and pro-flickknife advertorial".

The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney ended his review with, "It's ultimately too silly to be truly chilling, but with Neon behind it, Cuckoo might just be cuckoo enough to draw some cult attention".