An aggressively weird German/American chiller, Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo really lives up to its name! Yes, this is an odd one, but in a good way. There’s actually a lot going on here - more than you’d think. And while the answers to all your questions don’t come easy (and some not at all), it always remains fascinating – even when it’s frustrating. But even though this is an elevated indie horror, there still remains a lot of genre cliches at play. Not a bad thing necessarily, just surprising given the peculiar narrative. It starts as an atmospheric slow burn thriller but quickly becomes almost an X-Files-like WTF creature feature by the end. The bonkers proceedings won’t be for everyone though, as things admittedly do get a bit too loopy. Helping things along however, are the excellent performances at play – namely Hunter Schafer in a tumultuous turn full of injury and paranoia. Dan Stevens also does his creepy schtick to perfection, while the rest of the cast play their parts well. It’s also full of effective jump scares and trippy visuals to keep us on our toes. As for themes, there’s actually plenty – from motherhood to acceptance to dealing with grief, Cuckoo gives us lots to chew on. Maybe a little too much at times, but it’s nourishing, nonetheless.