Hunter Schafer’s horror debut screens at SXSW: “Cuckoo” review

By Grace Wartman

Music Journalist

Tilman Singer’s upcoming horror film “Cuckoo” had its national premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer leads the movie with teenage angst, a killer scream and a stellar performance – the most captivating element in the film. I left my Paramount theatre seat feeling many things, but nothing could shake how utterly impressed I was by Schafer’s acting in this. I don’t doubt this film will win her the title of the new scream queen, among a few other fresh faces we see with this title such as Jenna Ortega, Toni Collette and Mia Goth.

Following Schafer’s performance, the film’s textures are the next best thing it has going for it. The cinematography was stunning, and the fact that it was filmed in the countryside of Germany on 35mm film allowed it to be just that much more pretty. This worked hand-in-hand beautifully with the soundtrack, which consisted of tunes you’d hear in a club in the ’80s. The film was almost successful in achieving the full-throttle ’80s feel, but as soon as an iPhone appeared on the screen this sadly went out the window, creating distance between the visual elements of the film from the storyline and leaving its overall cohesion a tad rattled.

The essence of “Cuckoo” – its plot and themes – was well executed with a gist that is trending in recent horror but done in a way that is overall original and intriguing to watch play out: a gist that is similar to the one seen in “Barbarian.” It isn’t rich in the jump scares that emerged from the dead-silent, pitch-black basement seen in “Barbarian,” so I fell asleep just fine that night but still a horrifying watch, nonetheless. Its mystery element was extremely successful, carefully choosing which information it decided to reveal leading up to the big plot twist – a turn that wasn’t at all on the nose and left me unsettled and disturbed. This made the overall watching experience very enticing: the “Why?” factor stretched on for the perfect amount of time to leave me on the edge of my seat, eager to watch more.

Adding onto the time commentary, the movie’s pacing felt perfect for the point it was trying to get across. The only criticism I have for that would be that the ending felt a little rushed: certain scenes could have been sustained a little longer to build more suspense for viewers. This caused the last half hour of the movie to feel tiresome, and it seemed as though the production team was eager to wrap it up. The movie accomplished building suspense: something that grew at a steady rate, and I believe it to be done perfectly. However, that suspense grew, exploded and dropped jaws but then didn’t maintain that energy as the movie came to a halt.

Watching this in a theatre full of cinephiles who were extremely engaged with the film and had excellent audience etiquette was one of the most fun things I have ever done. This was my first early screening experience, and I hope it’s not my last. Hunter Schafer’s talent, charm, and status will bring in many Generation Z watchers to theaters for this, and I think the younger generation of movie enjoyers will get the biggest kick out of this film compared to other age ranges. That said, I’m excited to see how this does in theatres, and you can catch this on the big screen starting May 3. Regardless of age group, I think “Cuckoo” can be an entertaining watch for all.