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Those eager to see how Oz Perkins and Neon follow up the success of Longlegs don't have to wait long...
The Horror Thread (3 Viewers)
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Speaking of Neon Studios, Cuckoo is the final installment of the triumvirate of horror films they have heavily promoted for 2024, following Longlegs and Immaculate. The latter is particularly noteworthy as it marks Neon’s first collaboration with Tilman Singer, the German filmmaker who made a killer debut with 2018’s Luz.
Cuckoo stars Hunter Schafer and the always excellent Dan Stevens. Schafer delivers a solid performance, while Stevens is exceptional, and most notably, he seems like he's genuinely having fun here. As a fan of the bizarre camp-fest that was Luz, I was pretty excited to see what Singer would cook up with Cuckoo. In many ways, the film doesn’t disappoint. It shares that same uneasy, truly absurd atmosphere that is clearly Singer’s hallmark. Fans of quirky 80s horror will likely find a lot to love here, especially when the film dips its toe into the dark comedy pool.
However, Cuckoo starts to lose its grip as it begins to unfurl. The narrative becomes somewhat muddled, and even now, I'm not entirely sure I understand it all. It’s worth noting that Luz had a concise 70-minute runtime, which seemed to work in its favor, allowing the film to rest more on the aberrant moments instead of necessitating a focused plot. In contrast, Cuckoo stretches to 103 minutes, and the additional runtime may have hurt the film a bit narratively, causing it to meander in places where Luz stayed sharp.
Despite this, when Singer leans into those moments of pure uneasiness that he seems to create so effortlessly, it’s clear that he has a unique talent. There’s still a lot of room for Singer to grow as a filmmaker, and that’s what makes his work so exciting. Cuckoo might not be perfect, but it’s a thrilling glimpse into the future of a director whose best work is likely still unwritten.
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I remember reading that short story in Skelton Crew. I can't remember exactly what it was about, but I do remember enjoying it. I also remember that when Monkey Shines came out I initially thought, based on the movie poster, that it was an adaptation of this story, and ended up being disappointed to find out that wasn't the case.
Sun Wukong
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I am, too. I've wanted a good back to basics alien movie for a while. Won't get around to seeing it until next weekend but I'm really encouraged by early reviews.
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me too
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I liked Alien: Romulus but I'd say that it was more saved by the final act than it was elevated by it. Overall a worthy entry to the franchise, and definitely better than some other preceding sequels.
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‘Crystal Lake’: Brad Caleb Kane Set As New Showrunner For Peacock’s ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series From A24
The 'Crystal Lake' series has set Brad Caleb Kane as its new showrunner following Bryan Fuller's exit from the Peacock project announced back in May.
deadline.com
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‘Salem’s Lot’ – First Look Images Preview This October’s Straight-to-Max Release
The long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot from director Gary Dauberman (Annabelle Comes Home) is finally seeing release later this year, with a Vanity Fair preview piece today revealing that it’s going straight-to-streaming on Max in October 2024. Check out a series of first-look...
bloody-disgusting.comLooking forward to this!
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And a couple films opening this weekend I'm equally excited for.
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I finally got to watch In A Violent Nature last night, now that it's on Shudder. The kill scenes absolutely live up to the hype, but the acting is painfully bad. While the kills are fun, I’m not sure they justify how the movie drags at times. It could have really benefited from tighter editing or just cutting the runtime by 15-20 minutes altogether.
Monolith is essentially a bottle film, starring Lily Sullivan as the only on-screen actress. It's more horror-adjacent than a true horror movie, but it's an impressive exercise in building tension and a schizophrenic sense of eeriness. If you're someone who enjoys the journey more than the destination, this film is for you, as the payoff doesn't quite land. It touches on some interesting, weighty topics but never fully follows through on them. Still, it's a fun watch overall and is currently streaming on Prime.
Monolith is essentially a bottle film, starring Lily Sullivan as the only on-screen actress. It's more horror-adjacent than a true horror movie, but it's an impressive exercise in building tension and a schizophrenic sense of eeriness. If you're someone who enjoys the journey more than the destination, this film is for you, as the payoff doesn't quite land. It touches on some interesting, weighty topics but never fully follows through on them. Still, it's a fun watch overall and is currently streaming on Prime.
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I admit I wasn't really looking forward to Maxxxine, as I was okay with finishing the story at Pearl, and I thought the studio picked a really stupid weekend for it to open. But I've heard enough people talk positively about it that I'm back in. That said, I'm going to wait until it streams on Max in October.
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The Forest Hills Trailer: The Late Shelley Duvall Returns To Acting After 22 Years In Indie Horror Movie
Duvall plays a complex mom in the horror movie.
screenrant.comI never would have recognized Shelley Duvall. I'm not sure of the proximity of the filming of this to her death, but by the looks of it, I'd say it was pretty close.
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