Cuck (film)

Cuck is a 2019 American thriller film directed by Rob Lambert from a screenplay by Lambert and Joe Varkle.[1] It stars Zachary Ray Sherman, Timothy V. Murphy, Sally Kirkland and Monique Parent.

For the 2015 South African film, see Cuckold (film).

Cuck
Promotional release poster
Directed byRob Lambert
Produced by
  • Rob Lambert
  • Joe Varkle
Written by
  • Rob Lambert
  • Joe Varkle
Starring
Music byROOM8
CinematographyNick Matthews
Edited byMac Nelsen
Production
company
Rimrock Pictures
Distributed byGravitas Ventures
Release date
  • March 28, 2019 (2019-03-28) (CIFF)
  • October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) (United States)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box officen/a

The film had its world premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival on March 28, 2019 and it was released on October 4, 2019.[2][3][4]

Plot

Ronnie, a loner who lives with his possessive mother, is deemed unfit for military service due to his history of mental instability and petty crime. Retreating into the world of extremist internet groups, he creates a vlog channel, from which he decries what he describes as the downfall of "real America." Meanwhile, prompted by sexual frustration, he agrees to play the role of cuckold in a couple's homemade amateur pornography, unaware they are exploiting him. He buys an unregistered handgun and begins to spend time at firing ranges. He meets his online idol, a charismatic leader of the alt-right. However, when his identity as a "cuck" emerges, his macho persona is destroyed. Facing online shaming, Ronnie takes solace in his gun, which he regards as the only symbol of masculinity he has left.

Cast

Production

Development

Following several collaborative screenwriting projects, Lambert and Varkle set out to produce a feature film. Beginning in 2016, they outlined several projects that would support a close character study of an isolated individual. Inspired by headlines of mass shooters brainwashed by online hate groups, they opted to tell an "angry young man" story. The filmmakers researched online communities of self-described "red pillers" and "incels" in order to make their character realistic and relatable.[5]

Lambert and Varkle began writing the screenplay in May 2017. The first draft was completed in July 2017; the script was submitted to the Black List in September 2017. The script received polarizing reviews, with many critics divided over its frank portrayal of hate and sexuality. Lambert and Varkle were later interviewed by the Black List after the film began production.[6]

Casting

Lambert and Varkle screened actors who could balance vulnerability with volatility, ultimately settling on Zachary Ray Sherman, who gained forty-five pounds for the role.[7]

Release

On June 19, 2019, it was announced that Gravitas Ventures had acquired the North American distribution rights for the film.[1] The film was officially released in select theaters and through VOD services on October 4, 2019.[8]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 44% based on 16 reviews, with a weighted average of 4.81/10.[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

Variety praised the "strong performances and atmosphere" of the film but described Cuck as an "overlong" and "downbeat drama" with a "contrived" plot.[11] The Guardian writer Charles Bramesco favored Cuck to Todd Phillips' 2019 film Joker, calling it "more repellent, honest and astute than this week's odds-on box office champion."[12] The New York Times panned the film as "an ugly . . . and self-congratulatory wallow."[13]

Commercial response

The box office figures for Cuck have not been reported.[14]

gollark: Simple, replace this "crypto processor".
gollark: If you're going for USB nonsense here might as well just support a keyboard.
gollark: If it doesn't have a serial port, make one.
gollark: No, no, just type via the serial port.
gollark: You should clearly just make a command line. Simple.

References
  1. Wis≤eman, Andreas (June 19, 2019). "Gravitas Ventures Picks Up North American Rights To Alt-Right Drama 'Cuck'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  2. "Cuck". Cleveland Film. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  3. Roxborough, Scott (September 10, 2019). "Oldenburg Festival: 5 Oddball Films Not to Miss". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  4. Schager, Nick (September 14, 2019). "Forget 'Joker.' The Most Terrifying Incel Horror Film Is 'Cuck.'". Daily Beast. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  5. Fortune, Drew. "Joker Isn't the Only Movie Taking on Violent Loners This Weekend". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  6. Hagen, Kate. "The Black List Interview: Rob Lambert and Joe Varkle on CUCK". The Black List. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. Solem-Pfiefer, Chance. "An Oregon-Bred Actor Takes On One of the Most Challenging Roles of His Career". Willamette Week. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  8. Walsh, Cory (September 26, 2019). "With 'Cuck,' a Montana-raised director examines online rage". Missoulian. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  9. "Cuck (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  10. "Cuck Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  11. Dennis, Harvey. "Film Review: 'Cuck'". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  12. Bramesco, Charles. "Forget Joker: here's the film you should see about an extremist loner". The Guardian. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  13. Kenny, Glenn. "'Cuck' Review: When Bigotry Meets Pornography. Yes, It's That Bad". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  14. "Cuck (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. It has come to our attention that a previous version of this page with $0 in the Domestic Box Office field had been misinterpreted as meaning the film sold no tickets when it was released in theaters. As is common for the many independent releases, no box office was reported for this film, and a lack of a report at The Numbers does not have any implication for how much the film actually made. We have updated our pages to make it clear when no box office was reported for a film.
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