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Horror movies capture audiences' attention through their unique ability to resurface primal emotions while exploring the shadowy aspects of human psychology. Among recent additions to the genre, Tilman Singer's psychological horror film Cuckoo has attracted attention for its uneasy environment and mind-bending storyline.
The film's premise follows Gretchen (portrayed by Hunter Schafer), a young American woman compelled to move to the German Alps with her father and his new family.
At a mysterious resort, Gretchen encounters strange phenomena and a strange evil man known as The Cuckoo (portrayed by Dave Stevens), leading her to unfold disturbing secrets about her past and the facility's true purpose.
For viewers captivated by Cuckoo's blend of unsettling visuals, atmospheric dread, and psychological terror, other movies like Hereditary, Possession, and Saint Maud deliver similar compelling experiences.
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Hereditary, Possession, Saint Maud, and four other horror movies to watch if you liked The Cuckoo.
1) Hereditary
Ari Aster's debut film shares several thematic elements with Cuckoo, particularly in exploring family trauma and inherited darkness. Like Cuckoo, Hereditary focuses on a protagonist gradually uncovering disturbing family secrets with supernatural elements.
The film follows Annie Graham ( portrayed by Toni Collette) and her family as they experience escalating, terrifying events following the death of Annie's secretive mother. Both movies create an eerie atmosphere with inescapable dread and present protagonists who discover they have been trapped by sinister forces beyond comprehension.
Where Cuckoo uses disorientation and surreal graphics to unsettle viewers, Hereditary employs sinister forces that have manipulated them in their performances to create horror that lingers long after finishing the movie.
This film is available for viewers on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.
2) Possession
Andrzej Żuławski's Possession is a foundational work that likely influenced films like Cuckoo. This cult horror film follows a spy named Mark ( portrayed by Sam Neill) who returns home to find his wife Anna ( portrayed by Isabelle Adjani) behaving strangely, eventually discovering she's involved with a mysterious creature.
Both Possession and Cuckoo utilise European settings (Berlin and the German Alps, respectively) to create a sense of unfamiliarity and isolation.
The films share similarities with body horror and the blurring of psychological and supernatural horror elements. Possession features famously intense performances, particularly in the film's subway scene, that mirror a sense of psychological fracturing similar to what Gretchen experiences in Cuckoo.
Viewers who appreciated the surreal, nightmare-like qualities of Cuckoo will find Possession a compelling, if more intense, companion piece that similarly defies convenient interpretation. Surreal horror movies like Possession have helped shape the evolution of psychological horror over the years, establishing methods that contemporary horror movies continue to draw upon.
This film is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
3) Saint Maud
The premise of this film follows a young hospice nurse who becomes obsessed with saving her patients' souls, believing she has a divine potential.
Much like Cuckoo, this horror film centres on an isolated female protagonist whose grip on reality gradually unravels. Both films employ unreliable narration and leave viewers questioning what is real versus what exists only in the protagonist's mind.
The films share thematic elements of identity and the influence of powerful outside forces on vulnerable people. Saint Maud and Cuckoo build tension through psychological terror rather than relying entirely on jump scares, creating a strong sense of unease that develops in shocking physical horror.
Among recent horror movies, Saint Maud stands out for its unhinged portrayal of religious obsession and mental health issues, elements that many thoughtful horror movies explore.
4) The Lodge
This claustrophobic horror film from directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz shares Cuckoo's involvement with psychological manipulation and isolated settings. The Lodge follows Grace (portrayed by Riley Keough), a woman with a disturbing religious past who becomes locked in a remote cabin with her new partner's two children, who curse her for their mother's demise.
Both films use winter settings to enhance feelings of isolation and feature protagonists with increasingly challenging perceptions of what is real. Like Cuckoo, The Lodge explores themes of manipulation and gaslighting, with characters being pushed to their psychological breaking points.
The film's blend of psychological horror, religious trauma, and supernatural elements creates a viewing experience that will be relatable for fans of Cuckoo's unsettling atmosphere and exploration of broken identity.
Horror movies set in isolated locations like The Lodge show how effective environmental factors can be in escalating terror, a technique that the most effective horror movies utilize to increase the audience's discomfort.
This film is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
5) Suspiria
Luca Guadagnino's reimagining of Dario Argento's classic resembles Cuckoo. Both films are set in Germany and feature young American women encountering mysterious forces at isolated institutions.
In Suspiria, Susie Bannion (portrayed by Dakota Johnson) joins an elite dance academy in Berlin that hides a witch coven, while in Cuckoo, Gretchen discovers sinister purposes behind the resort where her father is employed.
The film uses disturbing body horror, explores themes of female agency, and features separate sound design that enhances the atmospheric dread. Both build toward the truth about their protagonists' real identities and connections to the institutions they've come to.
Suspiria's engaging visual palette and emphasis on movement as an expression of inner turmoil add to its scary elements in ways that will appeal to viewers who appreciate the sensory aspects of Cuckoo's horror experience.
Horror movies that include dance and movement, like Suspiria, show how horror movies can surpass traditional genre boundaries while maintaining intense impact.
The film is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
6) It Follows
Thus, while a supernatural horror film may seem visually different from Cuckoo, both share major elements that make them compelling horror movies. It Follows focuses on Jay (portrayed by Maika Monroe), who is pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter with her boyfriend.
Like Cuckoo, the film explores themes of bodily autonomy and features a protagonist facing a strong force tied to her identity and past.
Both horror movies use distinctive sound design and visual structure to create an uncanny ambience.
While Cuckoo uses camerawork and surreal imagery, It Follows creates tension through big shots and purposeful pacing, making viewers constantly scan the frame for approaching threats.
It Follows is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
7) Black Swan
While often known as a psychological thriller, Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan shares significant themes with horror movies like Cuckoo. The film follows Nina Sayers (portrayed by Natalie Portman), a ballet dancer whose desire for perfection leads to psychological problems and hallucinatory experiences.
Both Black Swan and Cuckoo feature female protagonists whose identities become increasingly complex as they move around high-pressure environments.
The films employ body horror to showcase internal psychological states and blur the line between reality and delusion. Both examine the exploitation of young women by authorities and institutions.
Black Swan's demonstration of duality and the darker aspects of creative expression complements its horror elements in ways that will resonate with viewers who enjoyed the psychological complexity of Cuckoo.
Black Swan is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
These are seven horror movies to watch if you liked Cuckoo. Let us know in the comments section which one was your favourite.
