2024 has been jam-packed with horror releases, despite the Halloween season still being months away.FromMaxxxinetoLonglegs, the jump scares and bloody deaths seem to be far from slowing down, especially with two other thrilling films arriving on the big screen this week. In addition toAlien Romuluscoming out,Hunter Schaferleads another suspenseful project that is releasing in theaters.
Cuckoois set in the German Alps, where Gretchen goes to live with her father, stepmother, and stepsister. Far from home and finding it hard to adjust to the new setting, the protagonist will soon notice that nothing is what it seems in the resort that she is living in. After clocking in that her father’s boss (played byDan Stevens) isn’t as kind and welcoming as he set himself out to be, Gretchen does her best to prove to everyone that something is inherently wrong with him and their surroundings.
Before catching the horror movie directed byTilman Singer, which is now playing exclusively in movie theaters this weekend, here is a handy guide to help you get familiar with all the characters and cast members.
After moving to the German Alps with her father and his new family, Gretchen begins to experience disturbing events. As she uncovers the town’s dark secrets, her father’s enigmatic boss, Mr. König, reveals a sinister interest in her mute half-sister, Alma. Tilman Singer directs this psychological horror featuring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens
Hunter Schaefer
Gretchen is a 17-year-old who is still uncertain whether she can truly adapt to the resort in the German Alps, where she’s recently moved in with her father and her stepmother. As she settles into the new place, the protagonist gets a job and begins to observe some unusual behavior from the people in her midst. Soon enough, Gretchen also gets plagued by noises and visions, furthering her suspicions that something is awfully wrong with her surroundings.
Hunter Schafer’s breakout role inEuphoria, playing a transgender high school student named Jules Vaughn, is still her most well known acting credit to date. However, last year she had the chance to star in her first feature film,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, aHunger Gamesprequel focused on President Snow’s backstory. Despite that movie coming out before this one,Cuckoowas Schafer’s official introduction to working on a movie set and being part of a horror production. She also made a cameo inYorgos Lanthimos' latest dark comedy,Kinds of Kindness.
Although some have referred to Schafer as a “scream queen” following the film’s early screenings at the Berlin Film Festival and SXSW, she believes there is still a long way ahead for her to earn this label.In an interview with IndieWire, she opened up about feeling uneasy about the matter:
“Honestly, I mean, just from like a terminology perspective, I feel like a scream queen title is for people who have done multiple horror movies and this is my first horror movie. I don’t know if I feel very deserving of it yet. It’s very sweet, the intention, and obviously, it’s a fun word to say, but I would not call myself that cool.”
Dan Stevens
Herr König
Gretchen’s father works for an enigmatic hotelier named Herr König, who soon becomes a little too drawn to her mute half-sister, Alma. He also happens to be the main character’s boss after she begins to work at the resort, and his enigmatic presence will further Gretchen’s concerns over the strange activity in the region.
Dan Stevensplays Mr. König inCuckoo, which marks another horror performance of his just this year. In April, the actor starred as Frank inAbigail, an ex-corrupt cop who is leading a group of kidnappers. Aside from the gory ballerina project, Stevens was also part of theGodzilla x Kong: The New Empireensemble.In a recent interview with Collider’s ownChristina Radish, theDownton Abbeyalum shared more about how German men that he met growing up helped to shape his performance in Singer’s film:
“There are all sorts of German men who I’ve met that fed into it, and German men that Tilman knew. I speak German. I’ve spent a lot of time in Germany since I was a child. It’s a country I know quite well. It’s a culture I’ve grown to know and love very well. So, when Tilman and I put our heads together, talking about the kind of man he was, initially I pitched him with, “This is what I would do with it. If you want that, then great.” And he was like, “Yes, exactly. More of that.” So, we talked about different kinds of men that we’ve met, and this guy is a particularly single-minded scientist.He’s a preservationist who is very singularly devoted to his craft, maintaining the legacy of this scientific endeavor, the wonder and awe that he finds in that, and the perverse beauty that he finds.”
The actor might be having a busy year thus far with the release of three movies, but he is already booked for several other projects. Two of them are expected to come out in 2025, one being Season 3 ofThe Terrorand the other being an exorcism horror entitledThe Ritual.
Jan Bluthardt
As Gretchen begins to fear her environment, she tries to tell her father and even Mr. König about what is going on. However, none of the adults believed her, except for a local police detective called Henry. The investigator takes matters into his own hands to prevent the protagonist from experiencing further harm.
Jan Bluthardtreunites with filmmaker Tilman Singer, after the two last collaborated on the director’s feature debut,Luz. Aside from playing detective Henry here, he also starred inImmaculata, a 2024 short film that follows a woman named Derya as she suddenly finds out that she is pregnant without ever having slept with someone before. Aside from these two projects, the actor also participated in an episode ofTatort, an anthology series that is centered on homicide detectives across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Jessica Henwick
Beth is Gretchen’s stepmother, and she has a daughter of her own named Alma. As previously mentioned, Alma is mute, which means that Beth often uses sign language to communicate with her.
Jessica Henwickportrays the young mother onscreen, and she had the chance to tap into several well-known franchises prior to joining this horror flick. From playing X-wing pilot Jess Pava inStar Wars: The Force Awakenstoher role inRian Johnson’sGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the actress has slowly garnered the support of various fandoms.Cuckoois her first spooky contribution, and it took Henwick a while to accept the role given her own fear of jump scares. Yet, inan interview with Hunger, the actress did leave the door open for further acting credits within the horror genre, and she knows exactly what type of character she would like to play next in this universe:
“I would want to be the killer! I think you want to be the villain rather than the protagonist, especially in horror films. It is so often just the ingénue woman, and you end up crying and screaming for 30 days of the 31-day shoot. I think it’s more fun [to be the villain] and you may save your vocal cords!”
Marton Csokas
Luis is Gretchen’s father, who takes her with him to live in the Alps with his new wife and stepdaughter. As his daughter begins to listen to strange sounds and progressively gets injured, Luis doesn’t seem to be fazed by her struggles, given that the reasoning behind these mysterious attacks is somewhat linked to the family.
Marton Csokasplays Luis, and his filmography is filled with action movies.FromThe EqualizertoxXx, he is usually drawn to roles that are physically challenging. However, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t occasionally attach himself to more anxiety-inducing projects. Earlier this year, the actor was featured inSleeping Dogs, a thriller that follows a former homicide detective suffering with Alzheimer’s who believes he might’ve closed a case without putting the right person behind bars. Csokas' next film contribution will beHouse of Spoils, playing oppositeAriana DeBose.
Cuckoowill arrive in theaters on August 01, 2025.
Showtimes and Tickets
