In the new stylishly odd horror film Kuku, Hunter Schaefer plays an American teenager who reluctantly moves with her family to a mysterious resort in the German Alps.

Her rebellious spirit clashes with the resort's handsome but creepy proprietor, played by Dan

Stevens.

When weird stuff starts happening, long-buried family secrets come to light and the resort's true nature stands

revealed.

I'm Glenn Weldon and today we're talking about Kuku on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. Joining me today and making her pop culture happy

our debut is B. A. Parker, you know her. She's one of the hosts of NPR's Code Switch podcast. Welcome to the show, Parker.

Oh, thank you. Also with us is Jordan Cruciola. You know her. She is a writer and producer and the host of the podcast Feeling Seen on Maximum Fun.

Welcome back Jordan.

Thank you so much for having me.

Always happy to be pop-culturing about horror.

That's a thing. Let's do it.

Kuku stars Euphorious Hunter Schaefer as Gretchen, a teenage girl mourning the death of her mother.

She's forced to join her father, stepmother, and young half-sister as they moved to work at the

spy resort where her father and stepmother spent their honeymoon.

The place is run by Herkurnish, played by Dan Stevens.

He seems kindly enough and even gets Gretchen a job at the resort, but he's also deeply

suss, as the kids say, and warns her not to go outside

after dark.

Soon Gretchen starts to notice strange things, the guests of the resort acting oddly,

her half-sister having mysterious fits, so she starts disobeying her parents and Herkunish, which puts her

and her family in great danger from the dark secrets that the resort is hiding.

...