HOKUM (dir. Damian McCarthy)

By: Dave Hughes

Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy’s Oddity (2024) is an atmospheric nail-biter that made audiences uncomfortable. It was tense, terrifying, and most importantly, had the narrative weight to back up the scares. McCarthy returns with Hokum, about a man dealing with the grief of losing his parents along with jump scares that leave the audience gasping for breath. A worthy addition to McCarthy’s  filmography, Hokum, proves this director has plenty more to offer during this modern boom period for horror.

Hokum’s premise begins as a slow burn. Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Severance) plays Oum Bauman, a writer grieving the loss of his parents. In an effort to honor their memory, he travels to a remote hotel in Ireland where his mother and father had  spent their honeymoon. It is a place his mother described as the happiest she had ever been. However, as Bauman settles in, it is revealed that the estate harbors a history as troubled as his own. Populated by unsettling characters and a lingering sense of malice, McCarthy essentially crafts his own Stephen King style haunted house movie

McCarthy’s signature jump scares are littered throughout Hokum. As viewers of Oddity already know, there is rarely a moment to get comfortable because there is always something even more terrifying waiting in the next scene. Once again leaning into a strong Stephen King influence, McCarthy makes the hotel employees and other guests equally creepy. It creates a tense atmosphere when the people Bauman meets are just as unsettling as the actual scares. McCarthy is a master of mood, ensuring that both the living and the spirits contribute to the suffocating setting.

One of the biggest surprises in Hokum is the presence of Adam Scott. Seeing him in a role so far removed from his mainstream work may surprise many, even though he actually got his start in the genre with Hellraiser: Bloodline. Scott plays Bauman with a surprising amount of charm while simultaneously wrestling with inner demons and a haunted past.  Bauman also experiences his own journey of self discovery as he explores every corner of the hotel and its past. There are moments where the character is downright annoying, yet by the end of the film, viewers may find themselves rooting for him despite his flaws. Audiences can’t help but feel empathy for Bauman and his traumatic background. 

The atmosphere and setting in Hokum are quite unique, yet they share the distinct visual language found in all of McCarthy’s work. His films are defined by dark tones and an overarching sense of death and isolation. Across all three of his major features, McCarthy excels at making the audience feel trapped alongside his characters. It is also clear that the influence of Stephen King is present throughout the film, specifically echoes of The Shining and the short story 1408. McCarthy draws from these classic settings while populating them with his own brand of deeply flawed characters.

Target Score 8/10: Hokum is packed with the signature scares and atmospheric dread for which Damian McCarthy is becoming well known. With his third feature, McCarthy demonstrates significant growth and stylistic maturity. This film cements his status as a formidable voice in the genre and proves he has plenty more to offer in this modern boom period for horror.