The Cuckoo’s Curse

The Cuckoo’s Curse

Year: 2023

Runtime: 99 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Mar Targarona

DramaThriller

Be careful who enters your nest. Two couples, Marc and Anna, from Spain, and Hans and Olga, from Germany, swap their homes for vacation.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Freiburg im Breisgau, Black Forest, Spain

The story unfolds across two main locations: a modern house in Freiburg in the Black Forest region of Germany, and the couple's home in Spain. Freiburg sits at the edge of dense woodlands and is known for its historic old town and green urban culture; the Black Forest surrounding it provides a moody, wooded backdrop. The house swap turns a vacation in tranquil settings into a stage for deception, ritual, and danger.

🇩🇪 Freiburg im Breisgau 🌲 Black Forest 🇪🇸 Spain

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:48

Main Characters – The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023)

Meet the key characters of The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Anna (Belén Cuesta)

A pregnant obstetrician whose longing for a quiet vacation collides with suspicions and mind games. She experiences memory gaps and a surprising shift in allegiance, gradually adopting German speech and a renewed sense of self as events spiral. Her vulnerabilities become strengths as she navigates danger and manipulation.

pregnant vulnerable adaptive determined

Marc (Jorge Suquet)

An architect who fears paternity and crumbles under pressure, then transforms into a meticulous, rule-bound partner. His mood swings, insistence on order, and enchantment with German ritual hint at a deeper, dangerous change. He becomes as enigmatic as the couple hosting them across borders.

anxious controlling meticulous obsessive

Hans (Rainer Reiners)

A charming, older host whose cordial exterior masks a dark, ritual-minded fixation. He exerts an unsettling influence over the swapped arrangement and is eventually killed by Olga. His involvement helps drive the sense that appearances hide dangerous intentions.

host enigmatic dangerous manipulative

Olga (Hildegard Schroedter)

A seemingly kind German matriarch whose composure masks a predatory, ritualistic streak. She orchestrates violence and control, ultimately killing Hans and attempting to claim the newborn baby. Her calm demeanor makes the horror feel intimate and intimate in its brutality.

manipulative deadly ritualistic maternal

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:48

Major Themes – The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023)

Explore the central themes of The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪞 Dual Identity

The narrative toys with who we are as Anna and Marc begin to adopt each other’s languages, habits, and even tattoos. The Fehu rune tattoo on both lovers signals rebirth and a new, mirrored persona taking over. As memories blur and partners veer between affection and suspicion, the couple confronts the fragility of a single, stable self.

💍 Marital Trust

The trust between Anna and Marc is fractured by rumors of infidelity and the unsettling German household. The exchange of homes uncovers hidden desires and a web of manipulation, turning intimate space into a battleground. As control tightens and secrets surface, the line between love and danger becomes dangerously thin.

🕯️ Rituals

The plot introduces ritualistic elements, with incantations, a cryptic symbol, and the ominous atmosphere of the German household feeding an obsession with rebirth. Olga’s violence and the birth scene are framed as ceremonial in their precision and cold affection. The setting evolves from domestic comfort to a space where ritual governs fate and life.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:48

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The Cuckoo’s Curse Summary

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The Cuckoo’s Curse Summary

The Cuckoo’s Curse Timeline

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The Cuckoo’s Curse Timeline

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The Cuckoo’s Curse Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Cuckoo’s Curse

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