Back in 2018, German director Tilman Singer released his first film, “Luz”, into theatres, where it got a significant amount of acclaim. What was so incredible about the film, which is a very weird take on a possession tale, was that the film was actually Singer's thesis film, which distributors were so impressed by, that they released it out to the public. Personally, I was not the biggest fan of “Luz” as a whole, but I really appreciated the way Singer was able to generate significant atmosphere by using very little, and his visual style and camera sense was very obvious to see. Because of this, I thought Singer was someone to keep an eye on in the future, and he finally has now released his second film, “Cuckoo”, which I recently saw at MIFF.
Right off the bat, let me get this out of the way and say that “Cuckoo” is absolutely bonkers crazy; it is so bloody weird, but the film has been so well put together that you cannot help but be entertained by it.......even when you have no idea what the hell is going on for most of it. Like the aforementioned “Luz” though, director Tilman Singer does an excellent job of setting up a creepy atmosphere and location for his characters to inhabit. In fact, the whole situation is so odd and not-quite-right that you have to question why no one in the family other than Gretchen feels so freaked out by the whole scenario at play here. The backdrop of the Bavarian Alps is stunning to behold, but the small hotel underneath it just gives off bad vibes from the start.
When you are dealing with a story so out there and original, like the one we get from “Cuckoo”, there are two ways to play it, incredibly straight or with a tongue planted firmly in your cheek. There is no doubt that the decision to play it so straight is what makes “Cuckoo” work so well, because whilst the object of fear may be ridiculous when you sit back and analyse it intellectually later on, there is no doubting that that fear is real to Gretchen and her family. Hunter Schafer is extraordinarily good as Gretchen, fully committing to the trauma in front of her from “the hooded woman”, as well as the emotional trauma of just losing her mother, whose death she still hasn't fully processed. The scenes where Gretchen calls their old phone number just to hear her mother's voice on the answering machine are quite heartbreaking, but Shafer is equally as impressive in the physical nature of her role when she is being chased, bashed and bruised. She takes quite a battering in the film, but is determined to never give up until she finds out what is exactly going on. Dan Stevens plays the mysterious Herr König, and let's just say that his character is the one that deals with the most weird elements of the film and then makes them believable for the audience. He does a good job at it, whilst being playful and at times intimidating in the role. I must say that director Tilman Singer must have balls of steel or unwavering confidence in his story to have a character pull out a flute and blow a little tune, that it wouldn't look ridiculous but rather instead signify something creepy. I must admit that the first time Dan Stevens put that flute to his mouth, I thought WTF?!!? but it makes more sense as the story progresses. Marton Csokas and Jessica Henwick, who play Gretchen and Alma's parents, are both underused, but I loved that Singer brought back actor Jan Bluthardt, who was also in “Luz”, to play Henry, a character who has a history with both König and his resort.
Initially I was going to mention that I thought that the script was underwritten and needed more work because so much of the film makes little sense when you are watching it. However since my screening, the film has stayed with me, and my brain has pieced together the story in a fashion that definitely makes sense; it is still as weird as hell, but it makes sense. In that regard, I guess Singer has left enough clues for the audience to work out just what is going on without stopping his film dead with useless scenes of exposition. This confusion (whilst you are watching the film), also helps with the mysterious atmosphere of the story as it keeps the viewer unbalanced, so whilst originally I thought that the script may have been underwritten, I am now leaning towards the fact that it was a deliberate decision.
As I mentioned above, one thing that was apparent from “Luz” was that Tilman Singer knew his way around a camera and had a fantastic visual sense. He further proves this with “Cuckoo” and goes well beyond what he showed in his thesis film. It is a beautifully shot film and Singer and his cinematographer Paul Faltz (who was also his cinematographer on “Luz”) have come up with a number of intricate camera moves and unusual camera angles which all help in the building of suspense or during the payoff of such a sequence. The handsome and professional look to the film is really what keeps you engaged, particularly early when the bizarre nature of the film appears almost listless. Due to how well “Cuckoo” has been shot, it gives you a little more trust in the filmmakers that they do know what they are doing and so you stay with the film longer than you normally might. One thing that helps immeasurably with lush look of “Cuckoo” is that Singer and Faltz made the decision to shoot it on 35mm film stock. Hallelujah!!! I know I am sounding like an old fogey but I really miss the look of movies shot on actual film; there is an organic quality to it that just makes everything look that much better. While watching “Cuckoo”, I kept feeling the influence of one film in particular, namely Dario Argento's “Suspiria”. Story wise the two films have nothing in common, but many times I saw visual cues taken from this earlier film. One example is when a character is running through the forest and it is very similar to the early scene in “Suspiria” when Suzy is in the taxi, it is pouring with rain outside, and she witnesses a woman running for her life in the forest.
One final thing I want to mention before I wrap this up is Singer's use of sound and music in his film; both which play enormous roles in the film. Without giving too much away, the “hooded woman” has an ability to create an ear-piercing sound which distorts reality and sends it into a weird time loop for a couple of seconds (did I mention this film is bloody weird?). Herr König seems to be able to control this......um..... whatever-the-hell-it-is with the sounds from his weird-arse flute, while Gretchen herself used to play in a band, and thus music is a huge part of her life. Not to mention that later on in the film, she also uses music as a form of defence to save her life. Let's also not forget her step-sister Alma who happens to be mute. What does this lack of sound mean? I'm not telling, but you always know that if a character in a film cannot speak for whatever reason, there may be a call back to it in the finale.
Overall, whilst it is not perfect by any means, I still liked “Cuckoo” a hell of a lot, if nothing more than it was so original. It will not be for everyone, as not everyone will be able to let go and give in to the craziness of the story, but for those that can, I am sure you will enjoy it. It is batshit crazy, filled with great scares and has an impressive lead performance from Hunter Schafer. If you are struggling with the film a bit, the title of the film is a clue to what is going on, as it references both the bird (and it's weird nesting habits), as well as the fact that the word is often used for someone who is losing their mind. My advice is turn off your brain and just go along for the bonkers ride that it is, and then work it all out later because “Cuckoo” is a whole lot of fun.
3.5 Stars.
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