Cuckoo
Cuckoo
After reluctantly moving to the German Alps with her father and his new family, Gretchen discovers that their new town hides sinister secrets, as she's plagued by strange noises and frightening visions of a woman pursuing her.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
This is my Lady Bird
Hunter Schafer final girl has arrived.
Did not know what to expect and I definitely did not expect that. The film holds its mystery pretty close to the vest. There’s obviously something very strange going on with this Bavarian Alps resort town, but the film takes its time unfurling its secrets and beating the hell out of Schafer’s Gretchen in the mean time. Dan Steven’s is wonderfully smarmy as Herr König, the enigmatic owner of the secluded resort. The rest should be left up to your own discovery. While I don’t really love what resorts actual secret is, it was certainly fun getting there. And there are some thematic layers to dig into regarding family dynamics, grief (of course) as well as women’s health (bodily autonomy) which could allow the aspects I didn’t love to grow on me. Loved the atmosphere and the sounds design. There’s a great sequence where Schafer rides her bike down a wooded lane that is really well executed utilizing lighting, moving shadows, framing, etc. Strong 3.5, but I waffled between 3.5 and 4. (Edit: I’m going with 4 now. Lots of shots keep replaying through my head.)