Hokum — Ronin Reviews

Adam Scott in Hokum, directed Damian McCarthy (2026; Neon/Black Bear Pictures).

Hokum is the brand new horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy, starring Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, and David Wilmot. This is McCarthy’s third feature film release, after 2020’s Caveat and 2024’s Oddity. I have yet to watch Caveat, but did watch Oddity on Shudder shortly after it’s release in 2024. That was a film that, while I enjoyed, left me disappointed in the end. It had several excellent scenes of tension that felt undermined by the horror being taken to absurd levels by the end of the film. It left me hopeful of McCarthy’s future work, but altogether unimpressed. Hokum, however, left me with a significantly different outlook on the director’s future in the horror film space.

The base premise for Hokum is a seemingly jaded author visits the inn where his parents spent their honeymoon in order to spread their ashes. To avoid spoilers, this is as specific as I will get.

In the first several minutes of the film, something felt off. There were several instances in which the film felt insecure in itself to build the tension. There are multiple awkwardly paced scenes of horror at the beginning that could have been cut out entirely and the film would have been better for it. This led to a couple predictable scares that had little to no affect. Further causing issues was the musical score accompanying the scenes of horror. Hokum’s score is far from being bad, but I would say that it is generic and uninspired. During scenes of horror there are intense string instruments and loud sudden stings a-plenty. On top of all of this, the lighting in this film does it a great disservice, specifically during the daytime sections. Nothing felt natural, and I was reminded of many low quality horror short films. Things were not looking great for Hokum.

Past this point in the film, I am delighted to report that my initial concerns were proven to be false. At the head of the pack with highlights in this film is Adam Scott’s performance. When watching Severance, I knew that he had range, but I have never seen him in a role similar to that of the character Ohm Bauman. To put it bluntly, Ohm is a prick. Every time he has the opportunity to make an interaction more uncomfortable and hostile he will take it. He prods at other people constantly, he’s egotistical, he is a rampant alcoholic, and self loathing. If given to a worse actor, this role could have easily taken one of two avenues. Either this character would be played so comically rude and inappropriate, it would rip you out of the tone that the movie is going for. Or, he would lean so far into the mean-spirited side of the character that he was past the point of redemption, making you want to see him fail. Scott’s portrayal feels like such a lived in character with deep complexity and humanity. His facial expressions are so emotive, his changes in tones of voice so clearly portray his emotions, and no matter how much of an asshole he’s being, he is still able to win you back with his humanity by the end of the film.

Between this and Oddity, Damian McCarthy has proven himself to be a master of horror props and sets. Every single set present in this film is to die for with detail and atmosphere. Dusty surfaces, peeling wallpaper, caked walls, drapes so dirty you can smell them just by looking at them, and dank, dark basements, and bathtubs filled with murky water infest this movie. Nothing feels like a set, which adds to an incredible level of immersion during the horror set pieces that is hard to find. I was reminded of images of the decrepit and terrifying Wood Side Apartments from the video game Silent Hill 2. Stand out props throughout the movie are these small figurines meant to portray the story of a local witch and a horrifying clock (you’ll know it when you see it).

Finally, McCarthy proves in this that he is able to create effective horror set pieces without relying on cheap jump scares or elevating the scenes to a degree where it feels silly.

If you are a fan of horror and have some free time go and support this film while it is still in theaters. You will not regret it.

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOTH HOKUM AND ODDITY BELOW

Before stating the other many things I love about Hokum, I would be remiss if I did not express my frustration with the character of Fiona. She is a bartender at the inn who sparks a relatively quick acquaintanceship with the protagonist. Her character is notable as it is the most prominent female presence in the movie. She also saves our protagonist from his attempted suicide shortly after meeting him. My irritation began with how this character is eliminated more swiftly from the story than any other character. Furthermore, her fate and decisions made within the film are completely dictated by her male counterparts. It feels as if she was initially given interesting characterization and then unceremoniously killed by the “bad men” in order to spark the mystery for the other “good men” to solve. On top of all of that, she was murdered because she was pregnant with one of the antagonist’s children and did not want to get rid of the baby. While I do not think the handling of her character was sexist, but I do believe that many of her defining moments in the story were because she was the token woman of the story. By the halfway point it felt as if she was a prop in service of the male characters rather than a truly full fledged character with her own desires and agency. Giving her a more independent outcome or more agency within her parts of the story would have given it a more satisfying conclusion.

Shot from Oddity, directed Damian McCarthy (2024; Shudder).

Earlier in the review I mentioned Oddity rubbing me the wrong way by the end of it’s runtime and fearing that Hokum would take a similar route. What I was referring to with this was specifically the ending of Oddity where the wooden prop man comes to life. I was hoping throughout the film that that would not happen, but was sorely disappointed when it did. This raised the horror to absurdity for me and took me out of the film. Hokum dodges this problem with ease and McCarthy shows far more restraint for the climax of this film. No horror set piece felt cheap or absurd. The use of lighting in specifically the dark scenes was excellent. You could often barely see, and the horrors were often harder to pin out. There are many standout shots in this instance, but my personal favorite was the witch climbing up the dumbwaiter shaft as Ohm watches the darkness in horror, waiting for her to come after him. To add to this, the witch’s makeup and outfit are also fantastic. This is an old school witch based on Irish folklore, which could have easily looked absurd. Due to both clever camera placement and costuming, it never feels silly. You feel the terror that Ohm feels as it relentlessly comes for him.

So often in films, directors are eager to tell you information, rather than cleverly depicting it to the viewer in a way that truly takes advantage of the medium. McCarthy showcases masterful control over visual storytelling throughout this film, bloated Conquistador metaphor aside. In the first few scenes of the film, when it is not using awkward unearned horror stings, there is almost no expository dialogue. There is an inherent sense of trust put into the audience to understand what is happening by giving you the information and letting you piece it together. At the points in the film in which McCarthy does decide to tell while showing, he uses such clever and unique ways to explain the information. In the scene where it is revealed that Ohm is the one who accidentally murdered his mother as a young boy, it is show in this striking shot akin to a stage production. It is a head on, centered shot of a young boy with a light on top of him, acting as a spotlight. When the gun is mistakenly fired, the frame never leaves Ohm. Instead it remains in front of him as his mom drops to the ground behind him, while he continues to watch a show. Another scene where McCarthy’s storytelling chops are on full display are during a scene in which the show that Ohm was watching comes back to haunt him through an old CRT in the honeymoon suite of the inn. It is portrayed as a viewer write-in question, where the sadistic host mocks him and states that even though he was a child, it is entirely his fault. It is such a refreshing way to portray a character’s backstory, and gives me some hope that the film making medium is still alive and well.

All in all, this is a flawed, but absolute blast of a horror film that you absolutely should see in the theater if it is available in your area.