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 – The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023)

Trace every key event in The Cuckoo’s Curse (2023) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

House swap arranged for Schwarzwald vacation

Marc and Anna arrange a house swap with Hans and Olga from Freiburg so they can vacation in the Schwarzwald before their first baby is born. The plan is meant to give them a quiet break, but it depends on strangers hosting them in a different country. This setup relocates the couple into a tense, unfamiliar environment that drives the story.

Before departure Madrid, Spain
2

Arrival in Freiburg; suspicion whispered by Hans

Upon arrival in Freiburg, Hans hints at a possible liaison back in Spain, casting doubt on Anna's faithfulness and Marc's paternity. Marc becomes unsettled by the insinuation, triggering early tensions between the couple. The trip immediately takes a darker turn.

Afternoon of arrival Freiburg, Germany
3

Marc crashes Hans's Maserati and injures his leg

That evening, Marc crashes Hans's Maserati GT while driving, injuring his leg. He announces he will return to Spain the next day, leaving Anna alone to manage the situation. The accident sets a physical and emotional barrier between them.

Evening Hans's house, Freiburg, Germany
4

Marc's mood shifts; forgets the return plan

The next morning, Marc forgets his plan to go home and appears upbeat and cheerful instead. Anna senses something is off as his demeanor shifts dramatically. The new mood hints at deeper changes underway.

Morning Freiburg, Germany
5

Mysterious warning woman; Capgras link

A middle-aged woman appears at the house, fiddling with taps and warning Anna to leave because she is pregnant, saying Anna will be 'next'. Anna cannot understand her warning because the woman does not speak German. The police later identify the woman as a dangerous psychiatric patient with Capgras syndrome.

Evening Hans and Olga's house, Freiburg
6

Police and ambulance involvement

That evening, the events lead to police involvement and Anna's transfer to an ambulance, underscoring the danger surrounding the hosts. The incident adds to the sense that nothing about the stay is as it seems. Anna is left to piece together what she can from fragments of memory.

Night Hans and Olga's house, Freiburg
7

Fastnacht carnival; vertigo and memory gap

During the Fastnacht carnival, Anna experiences a sudden vertigo and collapses, later waking up at home with no recollection of the events in between. Marc's behavior remains inscrutable in the aftermath. The memory gap intensifies the couple's paranoia and fear.

Night Freiburg, Germany; carnival location
8

Runic tattoo and rebirth symbol

After the carnival, Anna notices a Fehu rune tattoo on Marc's back and learns he calls it 'Freyja', symbolizing rebirth. He claims the tattoo represents renewal for both of them. The discovery deepens the sense that their identities have been altered.

After carnival night Freiburg, Germany
9

In Spain, Olga and Hans embrace ritualistic life

In the Spanish apartment, Olga and Hans spend their days in loose robes, reciting incantations and behaving ritualistically. The atmosphere contrasts with the couple's fragility, hinting at a malevolent influence behind the swap. Anna's suspicion grows as the house seems to take on a life of its own.

After returning from Germany Madrid, Spain
10

Olga murders Hans

Olga murders Hans by stabbing him in the throat in the Spanish apartment, turning the home into a crime scene. The betrayal reveals the true danger posed by their hosts. The surviving couple reels from the sudden escalation.

Evening Spain apartment
11

News from Spain; tattoos; German language

Anna receives news from Spain that the German guests behaved unusually, intensifying her concern. She also discovers the same runic tattoo on her shoulder, and Marc claims they were both tattooed last night as a symbol of renewal. Marc's demeanor continues to shift as he starts speaking German, a language he did not know before.

Shortly after murder Spain
12

Anna finds secret room with photos

Anna discovers a secret room in the house containing photographs showing Olga and Hans with height differences, and one image includes the warning woman. The photos reveal the deception behind the swap and the true identities of their hosts. Anna realizes the danger is far from over.

Later Spain (house)
13

Anna attempts to flee; Marc drowns her

Anna attempts to flee to the airport in a taxi, but Marc stops her and attempts to drown her in a bathtub. She regains consciousness and finds herself under Marc's control, mirroring his earlier altered behavior. The crime-laden atmosphere tightens as their dynamic becomes a mirror of the dangerous household.

Following the attempt Hans and Olga's house
14

German identity takes over; a new dynamic

Following the near-drowning, Anna and Marc adopt a German-speaking dynamic, signaling a complete shift in their identities. Marc's behavior becomes orderly and precise, mirroring Olga's influence. Anna's alignment with German speech marks a total transformation of their relationship.

After the drowning incident Germany
15

Olga's regime culminates in birth and tragedy

Back in the Spanish apartment, Olga regains a moment of clarity and uses confinement and manipulation to control the situation. She traps Marc in the cellar and accelerates Anna's childbirth using oxytocin, delivering the baby with careful tenderness. In a final struggle, Olga fatally stabs Marc and bludgeons Anna with a blender, muttering that she never liked her nose, before leaving as the police arrive.

Ending Spain apartment

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

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