After moving to the German Alps with her blended family, troubled Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) soon learns her picturesque surroundings hide frightening, twisted secrets involving a seemingly murderous woman in Tilman Singer's "Cuckoo". Helped along by Hunter Schafer's powerhouse lead performance (assisted by Dan Stevens' wonderfully weird supporting turn as hotelier Herr Konig), the movie generally relies on mood and mystery, with a few strong moments of horror sprinkled throughout to make up for its slacker stretches, ultimately being worthwhile despite some frustrating developments in the resolution of a "mystery" it gives away just a little too early. Personally, I'd have liked to see it flaunt more overtly horror elements rather than take the (admittedly endearingly freaky) thriller route it settles on, but that's just me. What's truly great about this film is the performances of its cast - especially Schafer and Stevens - and it'd take a lot more flaws to make me dislike a movie where the acting goes this hard.
