Heads up, movie aficionados, ‘Cuckoo’ has just landed in theaters and it’s a dish of subtle, artful terror that’s rich enough to keep you chewing all night. Visceral jumpscares don’t frequent this neon delight, rather it’s the subtle, creeping fear that lingers like soup on a moustache long after you’ve left the table. The feeling that something is tailing the protagonist, Gretchen, played by Blade Runner 2099’s Hunter Schafer, is alarming enough. Gretchen, a 17-year-old newbie in the German Alps with her emotionally distant family, unwittingly stumbles into a scheme involving a resort owner named Herr König (performed by Dan Stevens).

Director Tilman Singer keeps it real by steering clear from outlandish imagery to carry the plot of Cuckoo. The movie stays relatable, subtly infusing metaphoric twists about birds and human children. Singer was keen to keep body horror on a low flame, the main source of inhuman effects boiling down to ear twitching and of course, The Hooded Woman’s screeching siren. Singer spilled the beans to CBR about how he cooked up Cuckoo from start to finish while sprinkling some fun Easter eggs involving the music in this indie horror, which includes a fresh piece belted out by Schafer.

Where the Twist Gets Twisted

The cuckoo bird documentary served as the inception point for ‘Cuckoo.’ It stirred memories for Singer from his childhood when he learnt about the ruthless flights of survival – that a cuckoo bird slips its eggs into the nests of other bird species and lets them foster its offspring. In the end, the offspring of the host parents die, a rather gruesome process that Singer found very impactful. Weeks after watching the documentary, Singer mulled over his thoughts. He ultimately hopped on to the idea of weaving a plot around humans.

When asked if he aimed at inciting a widespread fear of birds through ‘Cuckoo,’ he confessed to his newfound realization about people’s genuine fear of birds. For Singer, birds are a fascinating species but concedes that they can come across as daunting with their unusual movements and demanding stares, especially crows. Yet, he empathizes with spectators’ discomfort with birds being a pivotal part of the movie’s narrative.

Of all the elements in ‘Cuckoo,’ the one that underwent a notable change from inception to completion was the pacing. While the structure of the story barely changed gears, the first draft was far more stretched out and leisurely paced which eventually evolved into a more tightly knit narrative.

When probed about the challenging scenes, Singer dished out details about shooting the sequence wherein Gretchen’s cycling and the shadow slowly creeps up behind her. This scene was a race against time due to the limited hours of darkness available when shooting in summer in Germany. The sun was up shortly, leaving just four hours to capture this critical sequence, under the constraints of budget and a looming sunrise. Despite the grueling process, the team managed to pull it off just in time.

The Fine Art of Sound Design in Horror

Body horror was lightly sprinkled across the movie and well-integrated into the story. Singer ensured the use of elements such as blood, sweat, and vomit without leaning into the revolting or grotesque. It’s more of a generational conflict, a representation of the structure of a family over time. The story’s foundation lies in its coming-of-age part deeply imbibed in Gretchen’s character, making it more relatable for viewers.

The fright-factor in the film is turned up thanks to the intelligent sound design. The siren-like call or song in the movie acts as an eerie connection between the diegetic sound design and the movie score, almost like it has infected the film. Composed with the aid of vocal artist, this uncanny singing was a creative highlight in ‘Cuckoo.’

The music that Gretchen listens to as a defense against the siren is a thoughtful part of the narrative. One of the songs is an Easter egg, a punk song written by Singer years ago, which found its way into ‘Cuckoo.’ The actors, each imbibing the story and carrying their personal touches into their performances, spruced up the characters. According to Singer, it’s always a delightful surprise to see how real-life actors transform the characters.

So if you’re up for some cinematic chills sans the usual creaks and shrieks, ‘Cuckoo’ is sure to serve your palate. Bon Appétit!