After good notices at Berlin and SXSW, the horror sensation Cuckoo finally comes to theaters. The film earned a reputation for being truly bonkers, especially in its final stretch. I unfortunately missed it at DIFF due to an issue with the print, but I'm excited to see it this summer.
Euphoria star Hunter Schafer gets a big chance to become a leading lady - or at least a new scream queen - here. She stars as the bored American daughter forced to relocate to the Alps. Her father has agreed to be the caretaker of a resort. She has to adjust to her new surroundings and her stepfamily. But as usual, the biggest problem seems to be the locals, who don't appear too friendly to outsiders. The creepiest of these residents is definitely Mr. Konig, played by Dan Stevens, who's once again savoring every bite of scenery. Originally slated for John Malkovich, it seems Stevens is bringing a much different flavor to this character. Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections) also stars.
Check out the bloody trailer below. Cuckoo opens in theaters on August 9.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
