Cuckoo

Horror-thriller neither frightens nor thrills, is mostly just weird.

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Neon is one of the coolest and most distinguished distributors going right now. They’ve won the past five Palme d’Ors at the Cannes Film Festival with the likes of “Parasite,” “Titane,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Anatomy of a Fall” and this fall’s “Anora.” They’ve also made a name for themselves in the horror realm with titles that score (“Infinity Pool,” “Longlegs”), bore (“She Dies Tomorrow”) and are neither/nor (“Immaculate”). As such I was stoked for the shingle’s latest genre offering “Cuckoo” (in theaters beginning Friday, Aug. 9). Unfortunately, the title doesn’t glow in a way that’s reflective of the studio’s pedigree.

Hunter Schafer stars as Gretchen, a teenage girl who’s just lost her mother and must move from the States to a resort in the Bavarian Alps that’s owned by Herr König (Dan Stevens) with her father Luis (Márton Csókás), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick) and half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu).

Luis and Beth are looking to partner with König on the property and he offers Gretchen a job working the motel’s front desk alongside Trixie (Greta Fernández). The resort is pretty much its own self-sustaining community with medical treatment being provided by Dr. Bonomo (Proschat Madani) and policing in the form of Erik (Konrad Singer) and his silent partner (Johannes Benecke). Not all of the cops fall in line, however, as Henry (Jan Bluthardt) has an axe to grind against the resort since his wife mysteriously died there.

Gretchen isn’t happy with her familial situation nor her professional station and sees guest Ed (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) as a way out. Unfortunately, things … mostly a hooded woman (Kalin Morrow) … begin going bump in the night, things aren’t alright and they’re all in for a fright.

As written and directed by German filmmaker Tilman Singer (“Luz”) “Cuckoo” is a horror-thriller that neither frightens nor thrills. It’s mostly just weird, but that’s not to say it’s entirely unaccomplished. It’s well-acted by Schafer, Stevens (who seems to be having a ball in genre pictures this year between “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Abigail” and this) and Bluthardt. It’s well-shot and edited by Paul Faltz (reuniting with Singer after “Luz”) and Terel Gibson and Philipp Thomas – especially during a cool, concluding shoot-out. There’s also an appreciated emotional depth that’s gained via a reveal concerning Lieu’s Alma midway through the picture.

Singer just makes a lot of choices that confound. The mythos isn’t clearly established so much of it’s less mysterious and more confusing. Almost all of the violence takes place off screen, which results in set up after set up with little to no payoff. Gretchen’s family is shown to have a dog during the first act, but it’s never seen again. Luis and Beth’s stories are unsatisfactorily never concluded.

“Cuckoo” is pro-switchblade – as am I – so at least it’s got that going for it.