Hokum Review: Adam Scott Finds Himself Stuck in Disappointing Horror Film

      Anyone acquainted with Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy's work is likely aware that he stands out as one of the most thrilling emerging voices in horror. His largely overlooked debut, Caveat, was a haunting ghost story that showcased his knack for crafting unsettling visuals and intensely suspenseful scenes, but it was his frightening second feature, Oddity, that truly garnered attention from genre enthusiasts. Following the creation of one of the scariest films in recent years, it’s unsurprising that McCarthy caught the eye of NEON, which got involved with his latest project, Hokum. This marks his largest production to date, further enhanced by Adam Scott stepping into the leading role, suggesting Hokum would provide ample opportunity for the director to create even more memorable scares. However, the film ultimately feels more like a reworking of McCarthy’s previous efforts, repeating familiar themes with a heavier hand and resulting in a somewhat disappointing experience.

      This is particularly disheartening given that McCarthy's strengths are still apparent throughout Hokum, albeit in brief moments. A significant aspect that made Caveat and Oddity a refreshing addition to contemporary horror was how their narratives were steeped in folklore and mythology. Current trends often allow metaphor and allegory to take precedence, which can render the horror overly personal to its characters. Villains frequently come off as tailored challenges for protagonists to conquer to resolve internal struggles, resulting in self-contained stories—except for broad, prominent themes such as grief and trauma. In McCarthy’s works, spirits, witches, and curses are very real, their existence independent of the characters who encounter them. While characters may grapple with their own past traumas and secrets, the lines separating our world from the next remain distinct.

      This approach echoes a return to foundational horror storytelling, reminding us of a spiritual dimension beyond our comprehension that can lead us to a terrible fate if we become ensnared within it. In Hokum, we meet not-so-lucky soul Ohm Bauman (Scott), a successful yet unhappy writer who, in the midst of writer’s block, decides to scatter his parents’ ashes at an old, remote Irish inn with fond memories. To put it mildly, he behaves like a jerk towards the staff from the moment he arrives, and as a skeptical character, he ridicules the hotel owner for locking the honeymoon suite to contain a trapped witch. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take long for Ohm’s curiosity to lead him into trouble, eventually finding himself trapped in the honeymoon suite with a witch eager to claim his soul.

      Hokum takes its time introducing the various characters around Ohm while revealing details about his troubled upbringing and local legends. McCarthy uses this exposition to set the stage for forthcoming frights, yet, for every eerie story or foreboding hotel decoration (thanks to production designer Til Frohlich, whose contributions are among the film's highlights), the screenplay often resorts to clumsy signaling that oversells specific concepts. For example, when Jerry (David Wilmot), a drifter living in the woods and eating magic mushrooms, discusses psilocybin as a bridge between our world and the afterlife, it feels overly explicit in its foreshadowing and commentary on Hokum’s stance toward the supernatural.

      The situation deteriorates further with the screenplay’s attempts to give Ohm a sort of redemptive arc, offering an on-the-nose glimpse into his thoughts as he imagines potential endings for his new book. Despite Scott skillfully portraying a jerk, the execution of Ohm’s character arc here is too simplistic and formulaic to work effectively. These frustrating decisions persist throughout the film, creating a cumulative effect as various plot elements fail to coalesce into a satisfying narrative. Instead, these aspects tend to drag the film down when it needs to build momentum.

      Admittedly, McCarthy’s directorial prowess is generally strong enough to overcome the more forced elements of his writing. Caveat features an unusual premise—where a man is offered a babysitting job under the condition that he must be chained to a wall—but that arbitrary restriction results in some thrilling, nerve-wracking scenes. Likewise, even with the inclusion of a psychic twin, an unsolved murder, a corrupt asylum psychiatrist, and a wooden golem, Oddity manages to deliver some of the most intense moments in horror from the past decade. While Hokum contains a few effective jump scares, and its recurring image of a demonic being named Jack is likely to haunt viewers’ nightmares (kudos to McCarthy for exercising restraint with Jack compared to the marketing), many of its scares feel too repetitive to have an impact. The first instance of something moving out of focus in the background or a pale face appearing from the shadows may work well, but McCarthy revisits these tricks so frequently that their effectiveness diminishes. This is particularly disappointing after witnessing McCarthy's skillful use of a single, cavernous room in Oddity, where something could always be lurking in the