I watched a new movie last night. I watch new movies a lot, ideally in theaters. It's expensive, yes, but I love it. The sound, the screen, the cheering, the excited chattering afteward. It can't be replicated at home. I also think a lot about how American socialization began dropping precipitously when every household acquired a TV set. People didn't spend as much time on their porches or walking in the park. Granted, I'm a recluse. I have no business bemoaning the loneliness epidemic or decrying technology when I spend 90% of my time in my apartment dreading the reality that I will, at some point, have to leave. But when I do venture out, the world feels a little more barren than I remember it being. Am I tripping? Probably. I can't shake the feeling though.
As I was saying, I watched a new movie last night. It was "Cuckoo" with Hunter Schafer. Yes, she was every bit as delightful as a grief-stricken punk teen as you would imagine. The plot was weird and spooky, especially during the first half of the film. I've been finding, especially with horror films, that the more things are explained in a movie, the worse the movie becomes. I'm discovering I don't like plot twists because to have a plot twist, the plot demands to be explained. Field dressed and splayed out for the viewer so they get it. They know how cool and clever the story is and how much effort was put into ensuring the story in intelligible pre- and post-twist. More than anything, twists provide closure. And I don't think I like closure. I don't like knowing exactly what the evil guy was trying to accomplish or why the monster exists or why it preys on humans.
Cuckoo relies on exposition for the entire second half of the movie. The first half features ear splitting screeches, time warping, Hitchcockian chases shown mostly through shadow, and a family dynamic that adds a lot of tension and exigency to the Hunter Schafer's character Gretchen. In other words, it's interesting. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I even jumped a little at the first monster reveal! That's fun! But the story gets mired in this desperate need for it to make sense. The viewer needs to know exactly what's happening, apparently, so characters point at literal pictures of other characters and explain their relevance. They record voice memos outlining the absolute basics of the monster despite seemingly having studied the monster for years. Who is that memo for? Do researchers recount the basic facts before key observations/experiments? It feels condescending to the viewer.
None of this is to say these complaints ruin the movie. Cuckoo is fun! So much of the interesting bits of horror were used up in the first half of the movie, which is a shame, but it is still a fun watch. I really liked the minimalist monster design. Using close-ups and contacts and eerie costuming can create a more terrifying creatures and millions of dollars of CGI. Nothing will ever be as scary as our imaginations. I appreciate a filmmaker can create so much with so little.
Like all of my posts so far, this is mostly just word vomit. I love stories and thinking about why I love them. What separates a movie I love from a movie I hate? What tricks can I steal from those storytellers as I try to write? It feels overwhelming. At times. Often. Always. People create so many interesting stories with surreal premises that I would have never considered. How many good ideas can really be left? What if i'm simply not smart enough to create a story that I would enjoy reading? I'm daunted. Maybe this will help.
Cuckoo is a fun movie. Consider watching it if horror is your thing and you don't mind some third act silliness. If it isn't your type of movie, that's okay. Go to a movie theater and watch something you do think you'd enjoy. Support the few spaces remaining in our modern life where you can experience something with other people (if you can and/or feel comfortable, of course).