Program Note
Gretchen arrives from the United States at a resort in the Alps in Bavaria, Germany, to live with her father's new family. She still misses her life in the States, and the quiet mid-century modern style resort is unfamiliar and strange to her. The resort owner, Mr. König, is friendly but somewhat creepy. As unexpected events continue and unfamiliar characters appear and dark secrets begin to be revealed. Now, Gretchen is plunged into a bloody struggle to survive. Cuckoo, the second feature by Tilman Singer who made a smash hit with his debut film Luz (2018), is full of attractions and numerous details that will be familiar to horror movie fans. The isolated mountain hotel and the crazy doctor's experiments meet any horror fan’s expectations. Starting off quietly, the film escalates madness with cuckoo characters, unexpected plot development and the final girl's survival action up until the climax. A strange yet exciting bricolage that weaves the fun and charm of horror styles. (Jin PARK)