‘Cuckoo’ Ending Explained: Yeah, It’s Nuts

“Cuckoo” is here.

The new film from German director Tilman Singer, whose thesis film “Luz” became a sleeper hit, is absolutely bonkers. It follows Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), who, following the death of her mother, moves with her father (Marton Csokas), stepmother (Jessica Henwick) and young half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu), to a retreat in the Bavarian Alps. Her father and stepmother are meant to help the director of the retreat (Dan Stevens) on a new project. Of course, far more sinister implications begin to emerge, as Gretchen is chased one night by a mysterious woman, who also thwarts her attempts to escape with a guest of the hotel named Ed (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey).

What is really going on at the seemingly serene retreat? And will Gretchen make it out alive?

Let’s break down the ending of “Cuckoo.” Major spoiler warning, of course.

What’s the deal with the scary woman?

Apparently that woman isn’t a woman at all, but a mysterious race of creature who live in the area of the retreat. Stevens’ Herr König has been experimenting with the creatures for years – specifically implanting their eggs in fertile human hosts and allowing those creatures to come of age. (The movie’s cold open is an adolescent version of the creatures escaping her human family.) Herr König considers himself a preservationist, determined to help the creatures survive and breed, using the retreat to lure in couples who will be viable hosts. The creatures have an ungodly shriek which destabilizes time and other nasty business.

Okay but why does this woman want to hurt Gretchen?

Basically, because she sees her as a threat.

What does this have to do with Alma?

Alma, as it turns out, is a young creature. Gretchen’s dad and step-mom had their honeymoon at the retreat, where her step-mom became pregnant with Alma. Toward the end of the film, we learn that she was implanted with the egg from König and his conspirators. And that they are still doing it today. Incredibly, Alma is mute, so her shrieking hasn’t properly been displayed. But as soon as she gets to the retreat, and is in close proximity to her biological mother, things, of course, start to go haywire, with Alma suffering from seizures and winding up in the hospital (also on the retreat’s property).

How do things escalate?

Gretchen ends up getting help from Henry (Jan Bluthardt) whose wife was killed during one of these artificial insemination attempts. He’s looking for revenge and assists her in her quest. Gretchen is happy to help, at first, but then Henry makes his intentions known – he not only wants to kill the creature and König but Alma too.

Gretchen flees but is chased by the creature, while Henry and König end up in a shootout. Gretchen rescues Alma (who earlier in the movie she dismissed as “not her actual sister”) and attempts to flee the resort.

Do Gretchen and Alma escape?

Yes, actually. Gretchen kills the creature and Alma covers Gretchen’s ears, letting out one of the shrieks long enough to disorient Henry and König. (They end up shooting each other moments later.) Gretchen and Alma go outside, where they are greeted by Ed, who we (the audience) previously thought had been killed by the creature. As they drive away, Alma is asleep in Gretchen’s lap and she notices Alma’s ear start to twitch slightly (a characteristic of the creature). But they are together and they will figure out what comes next as one. König had warned that the creatures are native to that area (where the retreat is located) and shouldn’t leave. Why listen to him now?

Anything else?

“Cuckoo” definitely trades in some elliptical storytelling and dreamlike (or is it nightmare-like) plotting, so things tend to get a little fuzzy. A lot of this you should take away with it what you wish. There are obviously elements to the story that seem to be metaphoric stand-ins for the trans and queer experience (Schafer has said that was part of what drew her to the project), explorations of sisterhood and reproductive issues, and there are countless homages to European horror movies and mad scientist pictures. Not everything is quite so literal, so take that as you will!

“Cuckoo” is in theaters now.

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