Hunter Schafer's New 78% Horror Movie Is What I've Been Waiting 5 Years For (2024)

I’ve been waiting for Hunter Schafer to get the leading roles she deserves since her breakout on Euphoria five years ago, and it’s finally happening with her starring turn in the acclaimed horror movie Cuckoo. While a lot of Schafer’s Euphoria co-stars, like Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney, have been landing major film and TV roles left and right, not everyone on the show has been so lucky. Barbie Ferreira had a lot of her scenes cut from Jordan Peele’s Nope and Alexa Demie hasn’t been in a feature film since 2020’s Mainstream.

Schafer is one of the finest actors in the Euphoria cast, bringing plenty of depth and nuance to the character of Jules. She even brought some of her own personal experience to the role when she co-wrote the Jules-centric special episode, “F*** Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob,” with Sam Levinson. Schafer should be a huge star, but for the most part, she’s had to settle for small parts in films like Kinds of Kindness and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. But that’s all changed with her first starring role.

Cuckoo Is Hunter Schafer's First Leading Role In TV Or Movies

Schafer has been more than deserving of leading roles since her Euphoria breakout

Ever since seeing Schafer’s incredible performance in Euphoria, I’ve felt that she deserves to be a major star with leading roles in movies and TV shows. But so far, I’ve been let down. Schafer has been relegated to supporting roles, like Tigris Snow in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, or even just cameo appearances, like Anna in Kinds of Kindness. Even in Euphoria, she’s technically a supporting player. Jules is essentially a protagonist of the series – and even got her own episode – but Zendaya is the lead and Rue is the lead character.

Despite being a talented and charismatic enough actor to anchor her own projects, Schafer never landed a lead role in a movie or TV show – until now. Writer-director Tilman Singer cast Schafer to play the lead role of Gretchen in his horror film Cuckoo. Gretchen is a teenager who moves in with her father in the German Alps and becomes increasingly disturbed by unsettling incidents that all seem to lead back to her dad’s mysterious boss. Cuckoo has finally given Schafer a chance to shine in a lead role.

Cuckoo Gives Hunter Schafer A Chance To Show A New Side As A Performer

Schafer gets to show off some range in a horror role

As Schafer’s first horror project, Cuckoo has given her a chance to flex a bit more of her range. One of the most badass things about Jules in Euphoria is that she’s practically fearless. Even when Nate Jacobs comes at her with a knife, she doesn’t panic; she just out-crazies him in front of everybody. Cuckoo has given Schafer a chance to play a character who is susceptible to fear and who does cower in the face of danger – and she’s just as authentic playing a frightened character as she is playing the fearless Jules.

And not only does Cuckoo give Schafer a chance to play a scared character in a horror setting; more broadly, it also showcases her ability to anchor a movie as the lead. There’s a big difference between playing a supporting role in a few scenes and carrying a whole project as the headlining star. Schafer was already well-versed in the former, but her widely praised turn in Cuckoo has proven that she’s just as adept at the latter, too.

I Hope Cuckoo Is A Tease Of Hunter Schafer's Post-Euphoria Career

With any luck, this is just the beginning of Schafer's movie star career

I really hope Cuckoo isn’t an isolated incident; I hope it’s just the beginning of Schafer’s post-Euphoria movie star career. I hope it leads to more starring roles for Schafer, and more opportunities to show other facets of her acting range. After starring in a horror movie, she could appear in more horror projects and work up a reputation as a scream queen. She could also jump to other genres and become an action hero or a comedy star – her complex, layered performance in Euphoria has demonstrated that she can pretty much do anything.

Although Euphoria season 3 is still on the docket for the foreseeable future, the actors are all advancing in age and it’s clear that the show is wrapping up. If season 3 does happen, it’ll likely be the end of the series. Hopefully, Cuckoo is just the first of many major opportunities for Hunter Schafer to headline notable projects and spread her acting wings.

Cuckoo (2024)

3.5

On a trip to the German Alps with her father and stepmother, Gretchen (Hunter Schafer from HBO’s “Euphoria”) discovers that the resort town where they’re staying hides sinister secrets, as she’s plagued by strange noises and frightening visions of a woman pursuing her. Soon, Gretchen finds herself pulled into a conspiracy involving bizarre experiments by the resort’s owner that echo back generations.

Director

Tilman Singer

Cast

Hunter Schafer , Dan Stevens , Jessica Henwick , Marton Csokas , Astrid Bergès-Frisbey , Greta Fernández , Kalin Morrow , Mila Lieu