A girl is forced to stay with her dad and his new family at a resort where nothing is what it seems.
Energetic, paranoid, allegoric, and daring, but overly confusing. Cukoo is the kind of cinema that raises a significant question: Who are the films made for? Is it the studios? Is it the director? The festivals? The audience? If it’s the latter, do the filmmakers know their intended audience?
Writer/director Tilman Singer said he got the idea for his film from the cuckoo bird, which lays its eggs in other birds’ nests. The film explicitly states this, so no spoilers here. The story surrounds that notion, and its development creates an intriguing yet convoluted plot. The information is laid to the audience: “You blink, and you miss it.” Some of it is said, some shown. Then, some of what you hear does not reflect what you see. Hence, the convolution. Lastly, the script’s ending leaves this sense of unfulfillment even though it concludes the heroin’s journey. That is primarily due to the complex narrative that proceeds it. Now for the visuals and sounds…
Seizures, shrieks, pulsating upper chests, perked-up ears, red eyes, and… time loops(?) are only but a few exciting visuals and sounds that get and hold your attention. The “what-am-I-watching” feeling becomes “I-don’t-know-what-I’m-watching-but-I-enjoy-it” due to the dark photography and frenzied editing. What enhances those utterances and actions is the wild acting of Hunter Shafer and Dan Stevens. The main cast also comprises the impressive Márton Csókás, Jessica Henwick, and child actress Mila Lieu.
Back to the original question: Who is this film for? Singer’s directing vaguely resembles Strange Darling (2023): https://kaygazpro.com/strange-darling-2023/. The main difference is that Strange Darling makes sense, whereas Cukoo needs a lot of thought to make some. And that thought is put while you are trying to watch it, and you miss even more, and it makes even less sense.
I definitely recommend it, regardless of the intended audience. Whether you like it or not is not guaranteed, but it’s a great cinematic experience nonetheless.
Thank you for reading!
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