I will disagree with you on one thing: Longlegs is extremely rewatchable for me. I saw it twice in theaters. It was so much better the second time, and I still want to watch it again.
Same! I saw it twice in cinema and was wayyy better on the 2nd watch! Recently re-watched on streaming and loved it just as much! I think it's a modern classic that will stand the test of time for sure!
I TOTALLY agree. One of the most rewatchable movies in a very long time. I wouldn’t even say I loved it by any means. But there’s enough there writing wise and also cinematography wise for me to definitely revisit it. Cuckoo I will absolutely not be revisiting. What an absolute messy slog.
I didn't like this movie much but I'd rather support a weird, creative movie like this in the theaters, rather than some generic, forgettable Blumhouse movie. A unique movie that misses the mark like this one, is still better than a movie that only succeeds at being generic.
This film landed at middle of the road for me. I loved the first two acts, but my biggest issue came with the explanation in the third act. I felt the explanations were happening while the action was happening. So while I was trying to just sit back and experience the tension of the scenes, characters are trying to give you the reasons. And so because I’m trying to comprehend what those reasons are, it’s taking away from me paying attention and enjoying the action. This was a situation where I felt the film would’ve been benefited by being more ambiguous, and I felt that the attempt at bring the audience some clarity made the film all more confusing, when it could’ve just not explained itself and be the batshit crazy movie it was. In my opinion, I believe that was a studio executive decision to have the explanation and exposition dumps added in. I had the same feeling with Longlegs, which is disappointing because I feel like Neon has been putting itself out there to be the next A24, yet the two films that could’ve been just weird art house horror films, ended up feeling like exposition and explanations were being shoehorned in to appease general audiences and movie goers.
Yeah, that'll be the day lol. That would require being creative and Blumhouse has their generic formula, and they'll stick to it as long as not-so-smart people keep paying to see their trash. The fact that a movie like Imaginary or Night Swim made back 3-4x it's budget perfectly encapsulates Jason Blums stranglehold on the marketplace for generic, mainstream horror
@@onephatdudeI loved Longlegs. I've been wanting to see a movie effectively blend crime/horror for awhile, being that one of my favorite movies is Se7en, and I thought Longlegs, while not perfect, was pretty damn good. Maika Monroe was great and I also loved Nicolas Cage in the movie, even though he's never been one of my favorite actors.
i did watch this filmmaker's previous movie, Luz, and i personally thought it was absolutely fantastic. Now it definitely isn't for everyone, given it is an experimental horror that is very weird, very abstract and refuses to overexplain things to the audience, giving the viewer all the puzzle pieces but refusing to arm the full puzzle for us, but if you just go with it, you'll find it very provoking and fascinating. There's still no release date for Cuckoo in my country, but i hope we do get it. After loving Luz i'm so excited to watch it!
This movie isn't for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. Favorite of the year so far, and liked it more than anything last year. I watched Luz - I think it was on Plex for free. The ads really interrupted the flow and it's much slower, but there are some really interesting ideas. I didn't like it as much, but it did some things I have never seen before.
I'm happy to hear that you liked it! For me, Cuckoo was quite a mixed bag. The cast, especially Hunter Schaffer, was terrific, and several visual and sonic choices effectively empathize with the protagonist's isolation and distrust of her surroundings. (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers). Longlegs is actually a great analogue because both films are at their most compelling when they're withholding information from the audience, and it's when they start filling in the gaps where things get shaky. Christy Lemire wrote in her review that Cuckoo "gets more confusing the more it explains itself", and, that perfectly captured my feelings about how it faltered towards the end. At the climax, when the film explicitly tells the audience what it's about, it's more befuddling than captivating. That's because very little of what we saw on screen before that moment supports the film's central thesis and we're left with questions like, "Wait, what?" or "huh?" Maybe that's just me, and I might change my mind if I revisited the film.
I fucking LOVED this movie and was genuinely surprised when, while walking out of the theater, I checked to see what the letterboxd reviews were saying and saw that it was sitting around 3 stars! Second time this year (first time was with The First Omen) that I can hardly find a single thing to critique. The movie felt unique in the time/era ambiguous way you mentioned, the acting and character dynamics seemed realistic, the horror elements were EXTREMELY cool imo, setting and sound was great, pacing was awesome, it didnt spoonfeed you. Only thing I wasnt 100% on board with at first was the somewhat charicatured vibe of the antagonist, but by the halfway point it all came together in style and I was into it. I do think a couple of the main reasons maybe that a lot of people weren't as into it was because it WAS so ambiguous and they didnt go into great depth to explain everything that was happening, or fully wrap it up with a lot of explanation of the creature at the end? For me, as long as it's realistic for the movie's own universe, it's my favoeite experience to follow the protagonist and only know what they know. I think it makes it so much more unsettling to also not have any idea what is going on. Idk, I truly LOVED this film and definitely will be rewatching every year or so!
I had way more fun and enjoyed this movie way more than long legs (which was my last movie going experience) so I was so happy with cuckoo, I hope hunter Schafer gets more horror movie roles she was fantastic
I did like this movie, but for me, Oddity is still the best horror movie of the year so far! I did have problems with this movie, but it was still ok. I like longlegs better than this movie as well. But great review as always! ❤
I absolutely loved this movie and may go back to the theatre to rewatch! I also completely agree with what you said about Hunter Schafer, she needs to be the next Scream Queen immediately!
I love hearing your thoughts. We have such different ideas of what we consider rewatchable hahaha I think I might like Cuckoo more on a second watch etc. It was very different from what I was expecting Edit: I really enjoyed Luz and am excited to see more from this writer/director
Interesting to me that I liked Longlegs and Cuckoo about the same, they had the same distributor, and have similar critic scores. Yet Longlegs crushed at the box office, over 10 times larger returns. Longlegs had a better release date and I'm not sure if marketing budgets were the same, It's just interesting that audiences decided to show up for one and not the other.
i think part of the problem with cuckoo is bad distribution. here in the uk i only managed to see the movie because i went to a cineworld (same company that owns regal cinema in the US) secret screening where you don’t know what you’re seeing until it plays on screen. i was able to sus out from the genre and age rating that it would probably be cuckoo which is why i went and im so glad i did. the film is meant to officially release in the uk on the 23rd which is less than a week away but there are no listings of the film posted at all, which is strange considering the crow and blink twice also come out that day and they are listed. so it seems like cuckoo might not be getting a wide distribution in the uk.
@@cherrynoodles5516 hey fellow Brit! I wouldn’t stress about distribution for cuckoo over here. Universal have it. Blink Twice and The Crow are bigger films, and as such are on presale. But the full showtimes for a week never come up fully till the Monday night of that week. So if you search tomorrow, Cuckoo should be up.
I watched the intro of this video and decided to go today. Slightly disappointed with it - I feel like they could have taken everything a lot further. There was nothing I hated, but I feel like things didn’t really go many places. I’d say 3/5 for me. Excited to watch the rest of this review though!
Literally I saw the pics and the original teaser, I didn’t watch any more trailers and OMG it was fucking amazing, and it was also basically my fave horror movie of the year, it was phenomenal
I really enjoyed it. I loved Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens in the movie. There's some issues I had but they didn't ruin the experience for me and I plan to watch it again soon!! Now to wait til Friday to see the new Crow film!!
disappointed to say this one wasn’t for me. it didn’t scare me at all, i feel like there was a lot of missed opportunities for character development. the first half was more interesting in my opinion, the creepiness of being a hotel clerk with windows showing complete blackness outside and your manager tells you to lock all the doors. i really wanted to see more of gretchen and ed, but it felt like the movie forgot about her and then used her in the ending scene but with no dialogue at the end. character development could’ve saved my rating for this movie a little bit. i’m also not really into sci-fi so i wish i would’ve seen that this movie was sci-fi before i decided to watch this. but i just thought it was extremely underwhelming. the screeching lady didn’t scare me at all, she just started to get annoying. i get it was supposed to be confusing but once i got lost, i never found my way back. i was able to find long legs easier to understand.
The biggest gripe I have with this movie is the same issue as NOPE, and that’s that either you don’t fully reveal the monster/antagonist, and if you do, then it better be damn scary. This was more scary when you couldn’t pinpoint the monster and what it was, and then they revealed it to just be a regular looking woman. And also the ease of killing the monster just felt too easy for a creature that is supposedly “ancient” and one of the strongest of its kind.
Your fault. Movie has literally been in the theatre for 2 months now and is available on demand. You clearly didn't care enough about the movie to have watched it by now
Oof. Yeah, i didn't care for this one at all. I thought the story and premise felt a little bit underdeveloped, I didn't quite understand what the motivations for the any of the characters were. By the time the 3rd act began I was just ready for the movie to be over. The movie didnt have that much tension and the best moments were spolied in the trailer. There were no surpises and overall the movie just felt like a letdown.
alot of the movie didn't make sense to me aswell as the reveal of what everything was, was kind of dumb to me.. i liked the atmosphere though and hunter was amazing!
i just got home from watching Cuckoo & was waiting to see your review! i was delighted by going in not knowing much, and seeing all the wild turns. BRILLIANT.
I liked/didn’t love the movie but I think upon rewatches it’ll be more enjoyable + Hunter Schafer is a brilliant final girl, I thought she was easily the best part of the movie.
I was in the mood to go see a movie last Sunday so I checked the listings and this was what I decided to see. I went in totally blind, only a 2 sentence description and it was labeled as a straight "Thriller". I had no Idea it was gonna be a horror movie and that made it even better. I tend to avoid trailers in general but not seeing a trailer for this really added to the experience.
Ending dragged way too long it was like 3 movies put into one. Also I thought longlegs was way more rewatch able then this once you know what’s going, on all the suspense is gone. Great movie though very unique “horror” movie.
Oh, I was waiting for your review. This movie kicked ass. Love love loved it. It seems like the story really does confuse people and I don’t quite understand why; and believe me it’s not because I’m smarter than anyone. I’m the one constantly asking friends to explain things I missed in movies. There’s obviously something different going on in this film because some people seem to get utterly lost while others can’t imagine how. Super curious why that is.
It kind of had a tone problem for me. I feel like the resort owner was in a different movie. My audience also laughed like crazy when sunglasses lady got snatched bald and the wig was dropped between the ex-cop and the resort owner.
@@PossessedbyHorror Don’t get me wrong there’s things I love about it, but I found that the further it keeps going or unraveling itself it just gets more and more confusing. I knew it was gonna be a crazy cool disorientating mess just based off the trailer, but I found it plain out sloppy, and disorganized especially with pacing. Definitely an original idea which added to my somewhat likeness to it. But I just think hunter schafer could only take the movie so far.
I thought it was a fun movie, but a little silly in some places. ****Vague Spoilers: I did enjoy the bike shadow scene, but the audience kept cracking up at the over the top resort owner, that stab to someone and wig toss moment, the protagonist gesturing wildly at the evil owner to her dad, the lesbians deciding to run away after an hour... it was kind of like Longlegs for me. Some creepy elements but the editor needed to tell somebody No a few times. I would watch it again. I loved the injury makeup, the themes of grief and found family, and the acting was great from our protagonist (and delightfully unhinged from the owner and that ex-cop).
I hardly go to the movie theater nowadays. However, this one seem interesting and I went to check it out last night. The stand out was Hunter Schafer. The lady freaky me out so much. Dan Stevens is great at playing the antagonist/ felt unsettled as soon as he show up in the screen. The story overall wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed many other elements about it. I am glad you enjoy it Sarah.
this is also one of the best movies of the year imo! didn’t think it was that scary until i walked home and jumped when i saw my shadow 😭 the bike scene was definitely effective
I agree with your review. I'm giving a talk at a horrorcon coming up in September where I am going to discuss the state of the horror genre today. And, I'm going to bring up the last three films I've seen, Longlegs, Oddity, and then Cukoo. All three films I thought were terrific and, in fact, I enjoyed these three consecutive films more than any other three in my horror movie watching history. There is plenty of creativity out in this genre. I mean, I feel horror is coming up with new stuff (still too many remakes, regurgitation of previous films/stories). But I felt those three were seriously interesting and legitimate films that kept me entertained the whole time. Horror is clinging to originality in general. However, I'm not sure I'll see the new Alien, that story has already been told. And speak no evil is a remake from a Netflix movie, no point in seeing it, so horror does tumble into the remake abyss too.. I think Oddity stuck with more than Longlegs or Cukoo though. It's jump scares were awesome. But Cukoo was very good, and the bike chase scene was very well executed.
Luz was a very very interesting movie. Kind of a love it or hate it. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the acting was quite good. Soundtrack was on point too. Very short film and worth a watch
I saw it last weekend. And it's confusing. The 3rd act completely ruined any good momentum the first acts had built up. This movie didn't know it if wanted to be deep, abstract, quirky, campy, horror or sci-fi. The tone of the movie kept switching. I think the acting made up for a complete trash plot. And i think that's why so many people are having their own individual mixed reviews. This movie falls into a category that i like to call well-made trash.
I saw it in theaters, enjoyed the first half more than the second! I think my order of ranking for recent psychological horror is oddity > long legs > cuckoo even tho I thought they were all good. I’m glad you enjoyed this one a lot and that we are in an era where enough horror comes out in one summer to be able to have rankings like this😂
I really need to rewatch this movie like this movie is one of those movies where you need to rewatch it to understand it. I liked it but it’s definitely not one of my favorites of the year. I will say that lady with the glasses scared tf out of me every time she was on screen. 6.5/10
I find it's a giant mess but in a way I absolutely adore. HS, Dan Stevens and the rest of the cast are all really fun in it. I loved Schaffers wtf is this shit reactions.
I thought the story was a bit of a disappointment but I enjoyed the horror elements. It's just too bad all of those moments are spoiled in the trailer 😂
@@jada5229Lol well in the original version of your comment before you edited it you said it was "disappointing" to you that other people didn't like it, that's why I asked.
Loved watching Cuckoo at the cinema and found the same kind of dread I felt watching Longlegs. One of the best of 2024 for sure. The jump scares in this were on point!! The 'monster' in this is truly terrifying!!! Hunter Schafer was phenomenal!
Luz is a great movie !!! I love it !! It's a one place one shot horror possession movie !!!! Obsessed!!!! It's similar to this one, but even a bit more interesting.
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie and have been waiting for it to come out. Didn't even know it was already out since I haven't heard anything about it! Apparently it's only at like 4 AMC theaters around me, and they are all a long drive from my house - how is everyone seeing this since it apparently has a limited release?? Guess I will have to wait to see it till it comes out on Hulu 🙁
After seeing the score for it on IMDb and letterboxd, I was concerned. But after seeing this review I had to give it a fair chance. I’m so glad I did. I can understand why it won’t be liked by some, but I absolutely ate it up. Some of the content was a bit challenging for me but I enjoyed thinking more about it after watching. I will definitely get this on blu ray.
This was also one of my most anticipated films of the year along with Longlegs and Alien Romulus. Although I do have a few criticisms, I was happy with the film. I love how it builds up to that crazy third act. I also wish they went a little further with the horror, but both the mystery and the themes the film touches on, especially Gretchen's arc I find very interesting. Plus Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens in a weird horror movie seems intentionally done to appeal to me. 🙏
I saw it today and.... I was disappointed. I feel like I need to see it again to have a real opinion. It was just.... boring to me. Confusing, what was the point?
I was waiting for you video about this. I really liked it. I do think some of the story was a little confusing and I'm wondering if a second watch through would help me out a bit. I would agree there were certain parts that were funny. Mostly the part where she tried to open the door a few times, gave up, and then her sister opened the door on the other side. I think this was a good touch because the comedic element to this allowed for a feeling of release after an incredibly intense moments of the film. The detective and the German resort owner were also odd characters that maybe some could describe as funny, but again I feel that their characters allowed a release of tension. I don't find a lot of things scary, but I did find this film to be scary. Not knowing what was going on and the overwhelming sound effects made it feel more scary to me than other movies. Interesting how different things scare different people.
My 2024 horror films ranked so far. 1. Late Night with the Devil 2. Long legs 3. Alien Romulus Triangle 4. Abigail 5. The Stangers: Chapter 1 6. Cuckoo
I agree with the last critic reveiw you read. It was *beautifully shot*, but made me wish it was more like Planet Terror in terms of camp level. Instead, all exposition was blurted out at once during a tense scene. Weird and disappointing. I wish the plot was thought through a little better.
man i wanted to love this movie so much but it just wasnt for me, maybe a bit too out there. longlegs is still my top from this year. love that hunter is in a horror flick tho
You mention how this film seems stuck in a time warp. My fave scene is with Gretchen and Ed running/driving away, which features a song - Inside Out - from the 80s. A great touch that emphasizes that point. And I love this movie so much. Very unique story full of amazing characters and scares. And Hunter rocks every scene she’s in. Definitely a new star. Thanks for the great review and glad you enjoyed it.
Great vedeo review spoilers free I luv all ur videos been a subscriber for years keep doing great movies and reviews am definitely going to go enjoy this movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 such great review
Everyone I saw this with was confused by it, no one got it or understood what was going on even after the exposition dump at the end but I don’t really get the disconnect?? You end up knowing as much as Hunter’s character does by the end and I think the choices she makes in the end, without fully knowing what’s what, kind of make the ending more impactful? That’s my take anyway.
It has some good atmosphere and one hell of a bike sequence. Hunter is a compelling lead. On the other side I think Dan Stevens was miscast. A couple too many needle drops and, although I like most of the individual elements, the movie doesn't hang together as a whole like it should. Still I'd probably go ★★★½.
I would LOVE to see Hunter explore all different kinds of horror in the future! like I need to see her in both disturbing “elevated”/Ari Aster-esque nightmare fuel, but also a campy no budget found footage passion project, etc. etc.; I just know she would slay in every horror style and subgenre and I am READY 😩🤌🏻
This year had so many movies that I had been expecting for a while that let me down. I was getting really bummed about not seeing a film I want to go back to the theater for. Then I saw Cuckoo. What a delight. It is absolutely amazing. My favorite of the year as well. I had been waiting your review to see what you thought and am very happy your expectations were met and that you loved it like I did.
@@light-bearer-1Don't waste your time with Alien: Romulus either. Go see Oddity or Longlegs if you haven't already. And even if you have go see it again lol
Fun and quite unsettling at times. It's a pretty unique film overall. The only downside is that it's pretty confusing overall and near the end, it has to hastily explain what the heck has been going for an hour and a half. 7/10
I really enjoyed Cuckoo too! Very creepy premise. I'm curious if you have also seen Vivarium? The two movies have kind of a similar thing going on I think
I asked you and found fix review Luz because if you don't like this you won't like Luz because it's the same as far as his director styled . Luz is such a mystery but yet it was so beautifully shot it was just so confusing and like what is going on but I want more of what this is
Just saw it. I'm shocked it's such mixed reviews. Feeling there's aspects a tad campy because it's a little surreal. And seems otherwise grounded, which I think it's difficult to just embrace a big oddity among a very grounded setting for people. Audiences need to be introduced into more fantastical horror. People need to be a little open to realistic worlds with a very freaky threat that isn't that imposing but threat is how off it is. This would be like more mature goosebumps. Like you say, horror that may not actually scare, but IS horrific. It's more horrifying to be in it, but interesting to watch our protagonist get through. And please keep Dan Stevens coming in these roles. I shouldnt in most of his roles, but... 🥵
I loved this movie so much just saw it today. It was decently scary but the biggest thing was how stressful it was. That movie from minute 15 is constant anxiety and dread I constantly felt like I was having a panic attack
As a German I was a bit worried that the film was directed by a German director, luckily the film has apparently been dubbed properly. German movies are absolutely not watchable for me 💀
I will disagree with you on one thing: Longlegs is extremely rewatchable for me. I saw it twice in theaters. It was so much better the second time, and I still want to watch it again.
I was shocked she said cuckoo was rewatchable over longlegs!
Same! I saw it twice in cinema and was wayyy better on the 2nd watch! Recently re-watched on streaming and loved it just as much! I think it's a modern classic that will stand the test of time for sure!
I TOTALLY agree. One of the most rewatchable movies in a very long time. I wouldn’t even say I loved it by any means. But there’s enough there writing wise and also cinematography wise for me to definitely revisit it.
Cuckoo I will absolutely not be revisiting. What an absolute messy slog.
I didn't like this movie much but I'd rather support a weird, creative movie like this in the theaters, rather than some generic, forgettable Blumhouse movie. A unique movie that misses the mark like this one, is still better than a movie that only succeeds at being generic.
Oh absolutely agree!!
Great take!
Agreed I didn’t like it but I can appreciate different and creative. I won’t forget this movie 😂 especially that piercing noise
completely agree
Loved it! Had so much fun in theater viewing
This film landed at middle of the road for me. I loved the first two acts, but my biggest issue came with the explanation in the third act. I felt the explanations were happening while the action was happening. So while I was trying to just sit back and experience the tension of the scenes, characters are trying to give you the reasons. And so because I’m trying to comprehend what those reasons are, it’s taking away from me paying attention and enjoying the action. This was a situation where I felt the film would’ve been benefited by being more ambiguous, and I felt that the attempt at bring the audience some clarity made the film all more confusing, when it could’ve just not explained itself and be the batshit crazy movie it was.
In my opinion, I believe that was a studio executive decision to have the explanation and exposition dumps added in. I had the same feeling with Longlegs, which is disappointing because I feel like Neon has been putting itself out there to be the next A24, yet the two films that could’ve been just weird art house horror films, ended up feeling like exposition and explanations were being shoehorned in to appease general audiences and movie goers.
NEON is hitting it out of the park this year. Blumhouse oughta take note.
Yeah, that'll be the day lol. That would require being creative and Blumhouse has their generic formula, and they'll stick to it as long as not-so-smart people keep paying to see their trash. The fact that a movie like Imaginary or Night Swim made back 3-4x it's budget perfectly encapsulates Jason Blums stranglehold on the marketplace for generic, mainstream horror
Seriously
Longlegs has to be the most over-rated movie of the year. What was so great about it!? 😂
@@onephatdudeI personally thought the story was compelling. I liked the performances, and I also thought it was creepy.
@@onephatdudeI loved Longlegs. I've been wanting to see a movie effectively blend crime/horror for awhile, being that one of my favorite movies is Se7en, and I thought Longlegs, while not perfect, was pretty damn good. Maika Monroe was great and I also loved Nicolas Cage in the movie, even though he's never been one of my favorite actors.
i went in blind and unfortunately really disliked it! really happy other people enjoyed it though!
i did watch this filmmaker's previous movie, Luz, and i personally thought it was absolutely fantastic. Now it definitely isn't for everyone, given it is an experimental horror that is very weird, very abstract and refuses to overexplain things to the audience, giving the viewer all the puzzle pieces but refusing to arm the full puzzle for us, but if you just go with it, you'll find it very provoking and fascinating. There's still no release date for Cuckoo in my country, but i hope we do get it. After loving Luz i'm so excited to watch it!
Ohh I've been meaning to watch Luz. It's on Tubi I think
Luz is also on Shudder too, FYI. 🙂
This movie isn't for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. Favorite of the year so far, and liked it more than anything last year. I watched Luz - I think it was on Plex for free. The ads really interrupted the flow and it's much slower, but there are some really interesting ideas. I didn't like it as much, but it did some things I have never seen before.
I'm happy to hear that you liked it!
For me, Cuckoo was quite a mixed bag. The cast, especially Hunter Schaffer, was terrific, and several visual and sonic choices effectively empathize with the protagonist's isolation and distrust of her surroundings. (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers).
Longlegs is actually a great analogue because both films are at their most compelling when they're withholding information from the audience, and it's when they start filling in the gaps where things get shaky. Christy Lemire wrote in her review that Cuckoo "gets more confusing the more it explains itself", and, that perfectly captured my feelings about how it faltered towards the end.
At the climax, when the film explicitly tells the audience what it's about, it's more befuddling than captivating. That's because very little of what we saw on screen before that moment supports the film's central thesis and we're left with questions like, "Wait, what?" or "huh?" Maybe that's just me, and I might change my mind if I revisited the film.
I fucking LOVED this movie and was genuinely surprised when, while walking out of the theater, I checked to see what the letterboxd reviews were saying and saw that it was sitting around 3 stars! Second time this year (first time was with The First Omen) that I can hardly find a single thing to critique.
The movie felt unique in the time/era ambiguous way you mentioned, the acting and character dynamics seemed realistic, the horror elements were EXTREMELY cool imo, setting and sound was great, pacing was awesome, it didnt spoonfeed you. Only thing I wasnt 100% on board with at first was the somewhat charicatured vibe of the antagonist, but by the halfway point it all came together in style and I was into it.
I do think a couple of the main reasons maybe that a lot of people weren't as into it was because it WAS so ambiguous and they didnt go into great depth to explain everything that was happening, or fully wrap it up with a lot of explanation of the creature at the end? For me, as long as it's realistic for the movie's own universe, it's my favoeite experience to follow the protagonist and only know what they know. I think it makes it so much more unsettling to also not have any idea what is going on.
Idk, I truly LOVED this film and definitely will be rewatching every year or so!
I had way more fun and enjoyed this movie way more than long legs (which was my last movie going experience) so I was so happy with cuckoo, I hope hunter Schafer gets more horror movie roles she was fantastic
I did like this movie, but for me, Oddity is still the best horror movie of the year so far! I did have problems with this movie, but it was still ok. I like longlegs better than this movie as well. But great review as always! ❤
I absolutely loved this movie and may go back to the theatre to rewatch! I also completely agree with what you said about Hunter Schafer, she needs to be the next Scream Queen immediately!
I love hearing your thoughts. We have such different ideas of what we consider rewatchable hahaha
I think I might like Cuckoo more on a second watch etc. It was very different from what I was expecting
Edit: I really enjoyed Luz and am excited to see more from this writer/director
Interesting to me that I liked Longlegs and Cuckoo about the same, they had the same distributor, and have similar critic scores. Yet Longlegs crushed at the box office, over 10 times larger returns. Longlegs had a better release date and I'm not sure if marketing budgets were the same, It's just interesting that audiences decided to show up for one and not the other.
Longlegs def had better marketing.
LONGLEGS has an easier logline and pitch too. Which helps generate better marketing. Cuckoo is difficult to explain concisely
Nicholas Cage... He wasn't stuck in there with them. They were stuck in there with him!
i think part of the problem with cuckoo is bad distribution. here in the uk i only managed to see the movie because i went to a cineworld (same company that owns regal cinema in the US) secret screening where you don’t know what you’re seeing until it plays on screen. i was able to sus out from the genre and age rating that it would probably be cuckoo which is why i went and im so glad i did. the film is meant to officially release in the uk on the 23rd which is less than a week away but there are no listings of the film posted at all, which is strange considering the crow and blink twice also come out that day and they are listed. so it seems like cuckoo might not be getting a wide distribution in the uk.
@@cherrynoodles5516 hey fellow Brit! I wouldn’t stress about distribution for cuckoo over here. Universal have it. Blink Twice and The Crow are bigger films, and as such are on presale. But the full showtimes for a week never come up fully till the Monday night of that week. So if you search tomorrow, Cuckoo should be up.
I watched the intro of this video and decided to go today. Slightly disappointed with it - I feel like they could have taken everything a lot further. There was nothing I hated, but I feel like things didn’t really go many places. I’d say 3/5 for me.
Excited to watch the rest of this review though!
Literally I saw the pics and the original teaser, I didn’t watch any more trailers and OMG it was fucking amazing, and it was also basically my fave horror movie of the year, it was phenomenal
I really enjoyed it. I loved Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens in the movie. There's some issues I had but they didn't ruin the experience for me and I plan to watch it again soon!!
Now to wait til Friday to see the new Crow film!!
disappointed to say this one wasn’t for me. it didn’t scare me at all, i feel like there was a lot of missed opportunities for character development. the first half was more interesting in my opinion, the creepiness of being a hotel clerk with windows showing complete blackness outside and your manager tells you to lock all the doors. i really wanted to see more of gretchen and ed, but it felt like the movie forgot about her and then used her in the ending scene but with no dialogue at the end. character development could’ve saved my rating for this movie a little bit. i’m also not really into sci-fi so i wish i would’ve seen that this movie was sci-fi before i decided to watch this. but i just thought it was extremely underwhelming. the screeching lady didn’t scare me at all, she just started to get annoying. i get it was supposed to be confusing but once i got lost, i never found my way back. i was able to find long legs easier to understand.
The biggest gripe I have with this movie is the same issue as NOPE, and that’s that either you don’t fully reveal the monster/antagonist, and if you do, then it better be damn scary. This was more scary when you couldn’t pinpoint the monster and what it was, and then they revealed it to just be a regular looking woman. And also the ease of killing the monster just felt too easy for a creature that is supposedly “ancient” and one of the strongest of its kind.
Spoliers from Longlegs? WTF girl!!!
that movie is Older than u 😂 spoil?
Your fault. Movie has literally been in the theatre for 2 months now and is available on demand. You clearly didn't care enough about the movie to have watched it by now
Oof. Yeah, i didn't care for this one at all. I thought the story and premise felt a little bit underdeveloped, I didn't quite understand what the motivations for the any of the characters were. By the time the 3rd act began I was just ready for the movie to be over. The movie didnt have that much tension and the best moments were spolied in the trailer. There were no surpises and overall the movie just felt like a letdown.
Luz is very experimental, but it's excellent.
I liked it! It was so weird!
alot of the movie didn't make sense to me aswell as the reveal of what everything was, was kind of dumb to me.. i liked the atmosphere though and hunter was amazing!
I loved the performance but felt like leaving the theater early I was so bored. And the screeching hurt my head
i just got home from watching Cuckoo & was waiting to see your review! i was delighted by going in not knowing much, and seeing all the wild turns. BRILLIANT.
I loved every second. It’s a type of horror that just resonates with me. Loved the setting, the atmosphere, the performances…
I just realized how many subs you have now! I’ve been here for so long and WOW I’m proud of you henny ❤
Omg thank you!
I liked/didn’t love the movie but I think upon rewatches it’ll be more enjoyable + Hunter Schafer is a brilliant final girl, I thought she was easily the best part of the movie.
I really liked Luz. It’s a bit of a slow burn and unconventional, but I enjoyed it.
I was in the mood to go see a movie last Sunday so I checked the listings and this was what I decided to see. I went in totally blind, only a 2 sentence description and it was labeled as a straight "Thriller". I had no Idea it was gonna be a horror movie and that made it even better. I tend to avoid trailers in general but not seeing a trailer for this really added to the experience.
That would definitely be the ideal experience for this movie what a great way to see it!
Ending dragged way too long it was like 3 movies put into one. Also I thought longlegs was way more rewatch able then this once you know what’s going, on all the suspense is gone. Great movie though very unique “horror” movie.
Oh, I was waiting for your review. This movie kicked ass. Love love loved it.
It seems like the story really does confuse people and I don’t quite understand why; and believe me it’s not because I’m smarter than anyone. I’m the one constantly asking friends to explain things I missed in movies.
There’s obviously something different going on in this film because some people seem to get utterly lost while others can’t imagine how. Super curious why that is.
I loveeed this movie, I definitely felt that I needed more but I really enjoyed it. 🙌
I cannot wait for your review on Strange Darling. I saw an early screening the other day- it's gonna be a classic.
I’m not sure I will do a dedicated review but I will be watching it hopefully in theaters!
@@PossessedbyHorror After your viewing I'm sure you'll feel compelled to! Either way, enjoy it! And as always, I love your content!!
@@PossessedbyHorroryes!!! regardless u must watch, you’ll absolutely LIVE for it
@@PossessedbyHorrorI haven’t seen it but I think it’s worth a review just for our horror daddy Kyle Gallner!
Can’t wait for that film
I did not like it and I was so excited for it. maybe I need to rewatch 🥺
What didn’t you like??
same it was a mess
It kind of had a tone problem for me. I feel like the resort owner was in a different movie. My audience also laughed like crazy when sunglasses lady got snatched bald and the wig was dropped between the ex-cop and the resort owner.
Same. I was pretty disappointed.
@@PossessedbyHorror Don’t get me wrong there’s things I love about it, but I found that the further it keeps going or unraveling itself it just gets more and more confusing. I knew it was gonna be a crazy cool disorientating mess just based off the trailer, but I found it plain out sloppy, and disorganized especially with pacing. Definitely an original idea which added to my somewhat likeness to it. But I just think hunter schafer could only take the movie so far.
I thought it was a fun movie, but a little silly in some places.
****Vague Spoilers: I did enjoy the bike shadow scene, but the audience kept cracking up at the over the top resort owner, that stab to someone and wig toss moment, the protagonist gesturing wildly at the evil owner to her dad, the lesbians deciding to run away after an hour... it was kind of like Longlegs for me. Some creepy elements but the editor needed to tell somebody No a few times.
I would watch it again. I loved the injury makeup, the themes of grief and found family, and the acting was great from our protagonist (and delightfully unhinged from the owner and that ex-cop).
I hardly go to the movie theater nowadays. However, this one seem interesting and I went to check it out last night. The stand out was Hunter Schafer. The lady freaky me out so much. Dan Stevens is great at playing the antagonist/ felt unsettled as soon as he show up in the screen. The story overall wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed many other elements about it. I am glad you enjoy it Sarah.
I was definitely disappointed with this one. I'm glad you enjoyed it though.
me too.
Me three.
Me four, the plot holes were crazy and none of it made sense
i enjoyed it a lot i don’t get why so many people didn’t like it
@wigglewaggle3606 Just curious, what plotholes are you talking about
this is also one of the best movies of the year imo! didn’t think it was that scary until i walked home and jumped when i saw my shadow 😭 the bike scene was definitely effective
I agree with your review. I'm giving a talk at a horrorcon coming up in September where I am going to discuss the state of the horror genre today. And, I'm going to bring up the last three films I've seen, Longlegs, Oddity, and then Cukoo. All three films I thought were terrific and, in fact, I enjoyed these three consecutive films more than any other three in my horror movie watching history. There is plenty of creativity out in this genre. I mean, I feel horror is coming up with new stuff (still too many remakes, regurgitation of previous films/stories). But I felt those three were seriously interesting and legitimate films that kept me entertained the whole time. Horror is clinging to originality in general. However, I'm not sure I'll see the new Alien, that story has already been told. And speak no evil is a remake from a Netflix movie, no point in seeing it, so horror does tumble into the remake abyss too.. I think Oddity stuck with more than Longlegs or Cukoo though. It's jump scares were awesome. But Cukoo was very good, and the bike chase scene was very well executed.
Luz was a very very interesting movie. Kind of a love it or hate it. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the acting was quite good. Soundtrack was on point too. Very short film and worth a watch
I saw it last weekend. And it's confusing. The 3rd act completely ruined any good momentum the first acts had built up. This movie didn't know it if wanted to be deep, abstract, quirky, campy, horror or sci-fi. The tone of the movie kept switching. I think the acting made up for a complete trash plot. And i think that's why so many people are having their own individual mixed reviews. This movie falls into a category that i like to call well-made trash.
I saw it in theaters, enjoyed the first half more than the second! I think my order of ranking for recent psychological horror is oddity > long legs > cuckoo even tho I thought they were all good. I’m glad you enjoyed this one a lot and that we are in an era where enough horror comes out in one summer to be able to have rankings like this😂
I really need to rewatch this movie like this movie is one of those movies where you need to rewatch it to understand it. I liked it but it’s definitely not one of my favorites of the year. I will say that lady with the glasses scared tf out of me every time she was on screen. 6.5/10
word for word, what I thought
idk why so many ppl didn’t like it!! i LOVED it. Hunter did great and i was actually scared. this is what i like in a horror movie
I find it's a giant mess but in a way I absolutely adore. HS, Dan Stevens and the rest of the cast are all really fun in it. I loved Schaffers wtf is this shit reactions.
I thought the story was a bit of a disappointment but I enjoyed the horror elements. It's just too bad all of those moments are spoiled in the trailer 😂
Who cares if people don't like a movie you do, it shouldn't effect your enjoyment of it.
@@WoahLookAtThatFreak who said it affected my enjoyment 😂😂people can like and dislike whatever that won’t change how i feel ab it
@@jada5229Lol well in the original version of your comment before you edited it you said it was "disappointing" to you that other people didn't like it, that's why I asked.
Loved watching Cuckoo at the cinema and found the same kind of dread I felt watching Longlegs. One of the best of 2024 for sure. The jump scares in this were on point!! The 'monster' in this is truly terrifying!!! Hunter Schafer was phenomenal!
Antlers was the last one I remember waiting for...and it was good enough. I hope this is better. I'm hopeful!
Luz is a great movie !!! I love it !! It's a one place one shot horror possession movie !!!! Obsessed!!!! It's similar to this one, but even a bit more interesting.
6:31 okay great we agree that they shouldn’t have showed that scene in the trailer! also, i appreciate how it was a nod to her character in euphoria
Yes it was so familiar! I loved that aspect too
Totally average film. I was soooo let down. Longlegs is the far better neon horror film
That's how I felt about Longlegs lol. Like this one more
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie and have been waiting for it to come out. Didn't even know it was already out since I haven't heard anything about it! Apparently it's only at like 4 AMC theaters around me, and they are all a long drive from my house - how is everyone seeing this since it apparently has a limited release?? Guess I will have to wait to see it till it comes out on Hulu 🙁
Love that Dan Steven's is going back to his "the guest" acting vibes
After seeing the score for it on IMDb and letterboxd, I was concerned. But after seeing this review I had to give it a fair chance. I’m so glad I did. I can understand why it won’t be liked by some, but I absolutely ate it up. Some of the content was a bit challenging for me but I enjoyed thinking more about it after watching. I will definitely get this on blu ray.
This was also one of my most anticipated films of the year along with Longlegs and Alien Romulus. Although I do have a few criticisms, I was happy with the film. I love how it builds up to that crazy third act. I also wish they went a little further with the horror, but both the mystery and the themes the film touches on, especially Gretchen's arc I find very interesting.
Plus Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens in a weird horror movie seems intentionally done to appeal to me. 🙏
wasnt a fan myself
I love the weirdness of this one. It would be great to have recommendations of movies (and books) similar to this! ♥️
I saw it today and.... I was disappointed. I feel like I need to see it again to have a real opinion. It was just.... boring to me. Confusing, what was the point?
bloody loved it, its up there with my favourite films of 2024!
The way ima go watch Luz now because ugh this movie made me so stinking happy!! Grateful you can appreciate this one like I do :,)
I was waiting for you video about this.
I really liked it. I do think some of the story was a little confusing and I'm wondering if a second watch through would help me out a bit.
I would agree there were certain parts that were funny. Mostly the part where she tried to open the door a few times, gave up, and then her sister opened the door on the other side. I think this was a good touch because the comedic element to this allowed for a feeling of release after an incredibly intense moments of the film.
The detective and the German resort owner were also odd characters that maybe some could describe as funny, but again I feel that their characters allowed a release of tension.
I don't find a lot of things scary, but I did find this film to be scary. Not knowing what was going on and the overwhelming sound effects made it feel more scary to me than other movies. Interesting how different things scare different people.
My 2024 horror films ranked so far.
1. Late Night with the Devil
2. Long legs
3. Alien Romulus Triangle
4. Abigail
5. The Stangers: Chapter 1
6. Cuckoo
I agree with the last critic reveiw you read. It was *beautifully shot*, but made me wish it was more like Planet Terror in terms of camp level. Instead, all exposition was blurted out at once during a tense scene. Weird and disappointing. I wish the plot was thought through a little better.
So good loved it 4/5
man i wanted to love this movie so much but it just wasnt for me, maybe a bit too out there. longlegs is still my top from this year. love that hunter is in a horror flick tho
Woah! It’s crazy how much you loved this movie. I thought it was average at best. Glad you enjoyed!
Good review and cool video Sarah!👉🏼🙂👈
Good thing I didn’t watch the trailer . Will def eventually check this out when I can !
Yeayy I love it too🥰 as always nice review..can't wait your review on romulus too
You should definitely check out his other movie Luz! Its very strange and for barely being an hour long it makes great use of its storytelling.
You mention how this film seems stuck in a time warp. My fave scene is with Gretchen and Ed running/driving away, which features a song - Inside Out - from the 80s. A great touch that emphasizes that point. And I love this movie so much. Very unique story full of amazing characters and scares. And Hunter rocks every scene she’s in. Definitely a new star. Thanks for the great review and glad you enjoyed it.
I really liked this too, I can’t stop thinking about the needle drop midway through when she goes for a ride with the other girl. Incredible song
Great vedeo review spoilers free I luv all ur videos been a subscriber for years keep doing great movies and reviews am definitely going to go enjoy this movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 such great review
It was such an amazing watch! Cant wait to rewatch it.
It's still not out in the UK were waiting I'm looking forward to this one
I was so excited to see this in theaters but it wasn’t playing anywhere near me 😭
Where can I get your shirt???? I'm in love
This movie had a couple good scares, but it’s one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me. I couldn’t wait for it to end 😭
I liked a lot, but i know i need to rewatch it to understand better some things
Everyone I saw this with was confused by it, no one got it or understood what was going on even after the exposition dump at the end but I don’t really get the disconnect?? You end up knowing as much as Hunter’s character does by the end and I think the choices she makes in the end, without fully knowing what’s what, kind of make the ending more impactful? That’s my take anyway.
I really liked it! I felt the story was a little weaker than I expected ( like Maxine ) but the acting, setting and antagonist kept me into the film.
Love your shirt !!!!
It has some good atmosphere and one hell of a bike sequence. Hunter is a compelling lead. On the other side I think Dan Stevens was miscast. A couple too many needle drops and, although I like most of the individual elements, the movie doesn't hang together as a whole like it should. Still I'd probably go ★★★½.
I enjoyed this movie a lot except the ending. I was just super confused about it but it was still pretty good. 7.3 /10. 💯👍🏾
I really like how you include negative reviews in your videos about movies you liked
Your new channel pic looks so good
Thanks for posting this video
Seeing it Monday w my sister for my bday 🎉
How would you rank the three Neon movies from this year?
I would LOVE to see Hunter explore all different kinds of horror in the future! like I need to see her in both disturbing “elevated”/Ari Aster-esque nightmare fuel, but also a campy no budget found footage passion project, etc. etc.; I just know she would slay in every horror style and subgenre and I am READY 😩🤌🏻
i’m not sure if you take video recs but can you do a video on horror movies with a happy/satisfying ending?
This year had so many movies that I had been expecting for a while that let me down. I was getting really bummed about not seeing a film I want to go back to the theater for. Then I saw Cuckoo. What a delight. It is absolutely amazing. My favorite of the year as well. I had been waiting your review to see what you thought and am very happy your expectations were met and that you loved it like I did.
Haven’t seen this… but your intro makes me want to. 💯👏🏽
Don't waste your time, go see Alien Romulus instead.
@@light-bearer-1Don't waste your time with Alien: Romulus either. Go see Oddity or Longlegs if you haven't already. And even if you have go see it again lol
Fun and quite unsettling at times. It's a pretty unique film overall. The only downside is that it's pretty confusing overall and near the end, it has to hastily explain what the heck has been going for an hour and a half. 7/10
This movie was SOOOO weird but I loved it. This and Longlegs have been my favorite horrors of the year so far.
I really enjoyed Cuckoo too! Very creepy premise. I'm curious if you have also seen Vivarium? The two movies have kind of a similar thing going on I think
I absolutely love this movie!
I asked you and found fix review Luz because if you don't like this you won't like Luz because it's the same as far as his director styled . Luz is such a mystery but yet it was so beautifully shot it was just so confusing and like what is going on but I want more of what this is
The movie just confused me
Just saw it. I'm shocked it's such mixed reviews. Feeling there's aspects a tad campy because it's a little surreal. And seems otherwise grounded, which I think it's difficult to just embrace a big oddity among a very grounded setting for people.
Audiences need to be introduced into more fantastical horror. People need to be a little open to realistic worlds with a very freaky threat that isn't that imposing but threat is how off it is.
This would be like more mature goosebumps. Like you say, horror that may not actually scare, but IS horrific. It's more horrifying to be in it, but interesting to watch our protagonist get through.
And please keep Dan Stevens coming in these roles. I shouldnt in most of his roles, but... 🥵
I loved this movie so much just saw it today. It was decently scary but the biggest thing was how stressful it was. That movie from minute 15 is constant anxiety and dread I constantly felt like I was having a panic attack
As a German I was a bit worried that the film was directed by a German director, luckily the film has apparently been dubbed properly. German movies are absolutely not watchable for me 💀