There is a moment in Hokum where Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is sitting in a dumbwaiter and counting down. During these tense seconds, the camera’s focus switches between Ohm in the dumbwaiter and the dark corridor he is staring at. As you sit there, watching him count down, the anxiety starts to build. The use of sound in this scene intensifies the suspense, which ultimately pays off just as the dumbwaiter starts to go up. 

Get Ready for a Ride

Damian McCarthy has a knack for building suspense in his movies. In 2024’s Oddity, the audience was introduced to the “Wooden Man” in the beginning and knew it would do something before the movie ended. Hokum does the same thing. It introduces you to the evil early in the movie and slowly builds and reveals the mystery as the movie plays on. 

Ohm is a writer with some demons in him. He is having trouble finishing his latest book and decides to take a trip to the hotel where his parents honeymooned. While at this place, he tries to take care of some family matters and look into his family’s history. Ohm is not a likable character, which is a change of pace for Scott. The cynical writer is mean to those around him, and it is due to a traumatic event from his childhood.

Nods to his past

McCarthy drops Easter eggs throughout his movies that slowly reveal the real horror that awaits the protagonists. In Hokum, we hear stories about witches taking misbehaving children away to dark caves. We learn about the darkness in men that will do anything to keep their secrets private. We also see literal Easter Eggs from some of McCarthy’s other movies sprinkled in Hokum. As the real horror reveals itself, the audience might have already caught on to what it is or be surprised when it is revealed.

What Hokum does great throughout its time is brilliantly scare the audiences with images that will be seared into their minds. While jump scares are sometimes cheap ways to get the audience to scream, McCarthy spaces them out so they don’t feel overused or cheap. There were a few moments when the person next to me jumped, and I squirmed in my seat. What added to this fear is the sound used throughout the movie. Hearing the witch moan and cry as she got closer made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It is truly chilling to hear these noises in a dark theater with a dark screen in front of you.

Like most horror movies, the main monster is not shown too much. We barely get a good view of the witch in the movie. She is reduced to shadows or noises off-screen. When the big payoff happens, and we see her, it is worth the wait. One character that is only on-screen in the trailer for a second is Jack the Jackass (Will O’Connell). The image of his monstrous, large eyes is terrifying. This character is key to a plot point in the movie, but also makes you wonder what else this character knows.

Hokum is a slow burn that will reward those who stick with the journey to the end. For those who feel the movie is too slow and not scary enough, they might just want to check out of the hotel a little early.

Final Thoughts: Hokum is a fantastic slow burn in the same vein as Oddity that will reward those who stick with it. Adam Scott’s performance as a crumugdey writer slowly delves into madness but learns enough about himself to not go completely dark…but he does go there. Florence Ordesh as Fiona, the bartender, shows how intuition not only saves lives but is useful in tense moments. Damian McCarthy has delivered another brilliant ghost story that will be talked about for years to come.

Violence: This movie is rated R, and I would not recommend it for kids under 17. With the subject matter ranging from suicide, extramarital affairs, and gun violence, Hokum can be troublesome for younger viewers.

Kid-Friendly: As previously stated, this movie is not for younger kids, unless you think your kids can handle it.

A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.