Among a top 10 list mostly populated by holiday films, this year’sCuckoohas claimed the fourth position onHulu’s most-viewed feature list. The horror landed on the streamer on December 17. The underrated flick, starringHunter Schafer(Euphoria) andDan Stevens(Legion), follows 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) who moves to the German Alps to live with her estranged father, Luis (Marton Csokas), and his young wife and their child. Once there, Gretchen realizes nothing is as it appears and soon finds herself ensnared in a dangerous game — one that often seems like a mind-bending nightmare — orchestrated by her father’s boss, Mr. König (Stevens).
Cuckoois a blendof psychological horror, family drama, and body horror, exploring themes of family, identity, and autonomy. Directed by German filmmaker Tilman Singer (Luz), the NEON film failed to impress at the box office, grossing only $6.7 million against a $7 million budget, but fared fairly well with critics. OnRotten Tomatoes, the surreal horror holds a 79% rating, falling slightly lower for audiences with a score of 59%.
Cuckoo Review: A Bonkers Vibe Thriller That Lives Up to Its Title
A reliably ludicrous Dan Stevens also highlights NEON’s latest boundaries-pushing retro-frightfest.
Critics praised the feature’s stellar performances — particularly Schafer and Stevens.In our review,MovieWeb’s Will Sayre writes that Schafer, “solidifies her leading-lady Hollywood status in this mind-bending treat” and also applauds Csokas, who shines as the mysterious and complex Luis:
“The real standout — apart from Schafer and Stevens, of course — is character actor Marton Csokas, whose past, reliably villainous demeanor has stolen the show in throwback flicks like ‘XXX’and ‘The Bourne Supremacy.’ Here, however, the talented performer is given a more vulnerable, delicate persona to tackle, an aging dad trying to give the whole starting-a-family thing a second go-around.”
The Problem with ‘Cuckoo’
Despite its impressive cast,Cuckoohas its faults. Some critics (including some who commend Schafer, Stevens, and the rest of theCuckoocast) find the story underdeveloped and confusing. Roger Ebert’s Christy Lemire,in a two-star review, writes:
“Trying to comprehend the hows and whys of this twisted mystery creates a distraction from which the film never recovers. Either we needed to know more, or we needed to know less. Ambiguity actually would have been preferable; Singer creates such a foreboding mood, it would have been enough to hold us in its spell. Instead, we go from ‘Whoa’ to ‘Wait, what?'”
Despite its narrative issues,Cuckoohas gained a strong following among genre fans and arthouse film lovers, who are drawn to Singer’s surrealist imagery.Cuckoostands out among Hulu’s Top 10 movie list, which is currently dominated by holiday cheer. At the top of that chart is the Will Ferrell-led comedyElf,followed by holiday featuresThe Polar Express, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Christmas Break, A Sudden Case of Christmas, Christmas with the Kranks, the Hulu exclusiveNutcrackers, andFred Claus. Cuckoois the list’s only horror feature, with the only other non-Christimas-centered flick being the survival thrillerNo Way Up(which currently sits at the number three spot).
Cuckoo, starring Schafer, Jan Bluthardt, Csokas, Jessica Henwick, and Stevens, is streaming on Hulu.
Seventeen-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves America to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps. Plagued by strange noises and bloody visions, she soon discovers a shocking secret that concerns her own family.
