Film review: ‘HOKUM’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
Don’t be put off by the title, Hokum is a superbly creepy, atmospheric and inventive supernatural horror film that, without being too derivative, evokes classics such as The Shining. While this film employs familiar haunted house or in this case haunted hotel tropes, its writer director Damian McCarthy plays with these to craft a skin crawling experience that impressively promotes psychological menace over gore or extravagant cgi.
Adam Scott (Severance, Parks And Recreation) plays arrogant and often objectionable writer Ohm Bauman who is in the process of completing the final novel in a trilogy. He decides to take a writing retreat in the remote hotel in Ireland where his now deceased parents honeymooned and in the adjacent forest distribute their ashes. He discovers, however, that something very weird is happening at this hotel. There is a room that has been locked for years which the staff claim is haunted by a witch. When a young woman from the hotel goes missing, Ohm attempts to discover what happened to her and in the process is forced to confront the witch legend and agonising events from his past.
This film works because director McCarthy doesn’t overcook the horror. He maintains a gritty realistic atmosphere and expertly cranks up the tension. There plenty of creeping around in the darkness and horrible faces appearing in mirrors but McCarthy manages to give these horror staples new life. Clever camera work and inventive use of angles ratchet up the sense of threat as Bauman is menaced by fiends. McCarthy also cleverly integrates Irish folklore to give the film more of a sinewy cultural context similar to the way Alex Garland did with the Green Man myth in the film Men. Hokum would probably have been even more impactful if he’d amped up these mythological references.
Adam Scott, who normally plays likeable nerds, is convincingly obnoxious but also troubled as Ohm. Impressively, the perilous situation in which he finds himself still makes us care about him despite some despicable behaviour we see from him at various times. While he’s excellent as the victim of supernatural and other forces, the subplot about Ohm’s personal redemption feels a little forced. There’s strong support from the other cast members especially David Wilmot as misunderstood homeless man Jerry who is suspected of murder.
Through its carefully constructed plot, Hokum remains tense and unsettling to the end and avoids the third act fadeout that plagues so many modern horror films. While not as remarkable a film as last year’s Weapons, Hokum should prove a favourite among horror and thriller fans this year.
Nick’s rating: ****
Genre: Horror.
Classification: M.
Director(s): Damian McCarthy.
Release date: 30th Apr 2026.
Running time: 101 mins.
Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.