Cuckoo (2024 film)

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Cuckoo
Cuckoo (2024 film) poster.png
Teaser poster
Directed by Tilman Singer
Written byTilman Singer
Produced by
  • Markus Halberschmidt
  • Josh Rosenbaum
  • Maria Tsigka
  • Ken Kao
  • Thor Bradwell
Starring
CinematographyPaul Faltz
Edited by
  • Terel Gibson
  • Philipp Thomas
Music bySimon Waskow
Production
companies
  • Neon [1]
  • Fiction Park
  • Waypoint Entertainment
Distributed by
Release dates
  • February 16, 2024 (2024-02-16)(Berlinale)
  • August 8, 2024 (2024-08-08)(Germany)
  • August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)(United States)
Running time
103 minutes [2]
Countries
  • Germany
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

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 in the German Alps but becomes disturbed by strange occurrences, as her father's boss embroils her family in a sinister plot.

Contents

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 the following day.

Cast

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. [1] 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". [3]

Cuckoo is a co-production with Germany's Fiction Park and the United States' Waypoint Entertainment. [3] 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. [4] [5]

Release

2024 festivals

Cuckoo had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Specials section on February 16. [6] It also screened at South by Southwest on March 14 and at the Overlook Film Festival on April 4. [7] [8] It opened at London's Raindance Film Festival on June 19 as part of the festival's special focus on Germany. [9] The film screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 30, 2024. [10]

Theatrical

The film is scheduled to be released in Germany by Weltkino Filmverleih on August 8, 2024. [11] The film was originally set to be released in the United States by Neon on May 3, 2024, [12] but the release date was pushed back to August 9, 2024. [13] It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures on August 23, 2024. [2]

Reception

German critic Dieter Osswald writes, "Tilman Singer pours out his fantasy cornucopia of horrific sequences with obvious pleasure and elegant nonchalance." [14]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 81% of 36 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. [15] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [16]

Schafer and Stevens' performances were praised. [17] [18] [19] BJ Colangelo of Slashfilm wrote, "Schafer's strong-willed, straight-shooting, absolutely sensational performance is the anchor in this chaotic storm. ... Schafer commands every scene." [18] Adam Solomons of IndieWire called Schafer's performance "impressive" but gave the film a C- grade, writing, "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". [19] 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." [17] Jessica Kiang of Variety called the film "an energetically outlandish fusion of stylish atmospherics, old-school reproductive horror and pro-flickknife advertorial". [20]

The Hollywood Reporter 's 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". [21]

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References

  1. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 31, 2021). "Hunter Schafer, John Malkovich, Gemma Chan & Sofia Boutella Board Neon Horror Pic Cuckoo". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Cuckoo (15)". BBFC . June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Ravindran, Manori (July 8, 2022). "Hunter Schafer Horror Cuckoo Adds Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick, Wraps Production in Germany". Variety . Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Cuckoo: Cast, Plot, Filming Details, and Everything We Know So Far". Collider . April 17, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2023). "Sierra/Affinity Selling Foreign On Neon's Hunter Schafer Horror Movie Cuckoo At Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (December 20, 2023). "Adam Sandler's Spaceman & Riley Keough-Jesse Eisenberg Pic Sasquatch Sunset Set For Berlinale Specials Line-Up". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ Complex, Valerie (January 10, 2024). "SXSW Lineup Sets The Fall Guy, 3 Body Problem Among Fest's 2024 World Premieres As First Titles Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ Grobar, Matt (March 6, 2024). "Universal Vampire Flick Abigail Set To Close Out Overlook Film Festival – View Full Lineup". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Tabbara, Mona (May 20, 2024). "Tilman Singer's Cuckoo starring Hunter Schafer to open UK's Raindance, full line-up revealed (exclusive)". Screen Daily . Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Fantasia's 28th Edition Awards Filmmaker Mike Flanagan, Closes with the World Premiere of André Forcier's Ababouiné". Fantasia International Film Festival . Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Cuckoo - 2024". Spielfilm.de (in German). Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  12. ↑ Squires, John (February 5, 2024). "Hunter Schafer Horror Movie Cuckoo Dated for May 2024 Theatrical Release". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ Navarro, Meagan (March 28, 2024). "NEON's Horror Movie 'Cuckoo' Gets New Poster, New Release Date". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Cuckoo". doppelpunkt.de. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Cuckoo". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Cuckoo". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  17. 1 2 Daniels, Robert. "Berlin Film Festival 2024: Small Things Like These, Crossing, Cuckoo". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Colangelo, BJ (April 5, 2024). "Cuckoo Review: Hunter Schafer Soars In This Screeching Ride Of Repulsive Sci-Fi Body Horror [Overlook 2024]." Slashfilm . Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Solomons, Adam (February 16, 2024). "Cuckoo Review: Hunter Schafer Can't Save a Nonsensical Horror Movie That Drives Itself Insane". IndieWire . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  20. ↑ Kiang, Jessica (February 16, 2024). "Cuckoo Review: A Superb Hunter Schafer is Menaced by a Loopy Dan Stevens in a Stylish, Enjoyably Incoherent Horror Romp". Variety . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  21. ↑ Rooney, David (February 16, 2024). "Cuckoo Review: Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens Keep You Glued Even When This Reproductive Horror Careens Off the Rails". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
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