Damien McCarthy’s “Hokum” begins with an author named Bauman (Adam Scott) putting the finishing touch on his novel, a nihilistic, Cormac McCarthy-like epic set in the desert,
We see the imagery Bauman is shaping, of a father and son wandering through sun-baked dunes, searching for a way out, failing to find it and facing their mortality.
This opener is jarring, as it made me wonder, “Am I even watching the right movie?”
Actually, this thematic prologue is key to what follows and not just because of what Bauman’s story is about – the author is miserable, viciously sarcastic and, like the characters he’s created, about to give up.
Bauman flies to Ireland and checks into the Bilberry Woods Hotel, with his visit intended to be personal and private. The staff at the hotel are chatty and helpful, particularly when they inform him that the Honeymoon Suite is unavailable, because the room is inhabited by a witch and sealed off from the rest of the hotel.
Things get stranger from there.
Be warned, this one is seriously scary and gave me, a lifelong horror fan, some of the biggest jolts I’ve ever had in a movie theater. I had one audible reaction after another – apologies to whoever sat next to me.
McCarthy’s prior thriller, “Oddity” (2024), also told a great story and really scared me. At press time, I have yet to see his directorial debut, “Caveat” (2020) because, well, I’m not always in the mood to watch something that is going to make me lose an entire night’s sleep.
What I’m saying is this: between “Oddity” and especially “Hokum,” we can welcome McCarthy into the class of cool new kids to this genre. Mr. McCarthy, you can have a seat right over there, next to Mike Flanagan, Zach Cregger and Oz Perkins.
Sometimes McCarthy gives in to the contemporary tendency to hit us with jump scares, but the majority of the most potent images here are a total surprise. Better still, McCarthy gets us up close to what you don’t want to see, maximizing the level of fright in each fear -inducing image.
I remember Scott from the once-notorious HBO erotic drama series, “Tell Me You Love Me” (2007) and have enjoyed his pivot into comedy. Here, Scott is well cast, bringing both snarky humor but dramatic weight to Bauman and manages the tricky task of playing a fascinating and unlikable character.
“Hokum” tells a great story, showcases a fascinating location with colorful side characters and even bookends that opening story within a story. McCarthy is clearly a fan of Stephen King and takes cues from King’s “The Shining” (1980) and especially “1408” (2007) without ripping them off.
Like the best of King, it makes you afraid of the dark, finds welcome moments of humor and always keeps the audience riveted. The legacy of “Hokum” will be how hard it rattles an audience but let’s not overlook how exciting and morbidly funny it is, too.
Since we’re unsure as to whether the phenomenon Bauman witnesses is real at first, his initial detachment makes the proceedings unpredictable. For example, we can’t yell at the screen, “Don’t go in there,” if the protagonist doesn’t believe in the supernatural.
FAST FACT: Damien McCarthy toiled as an electrician and threw short films up on YouTube to kick start his filmmaking career.
Bauman’s staunch disbelief in ghosts is like a superpower. The scenes where he gets deeper into the hotel’s hidden rooms and tunnels are rich in suspense, as Bauman is no dummy but wants real answers that no one in the hotel is giving him.
In the end, not all of my questions were answered, but when the tone shifts to the starkly emotional and even dips into a revenge tale in the late going, it stills works.
We’re at a moment where the horror genre, soon after the landmark year of 2025 (“The Monkey,” “Sinners,” “Keeper” “Wolf Man” and “Weapons” were among the very high points), can either keep surprising us and emerge as vital pop art or, well…”Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is a recent example of how it can go back to the lows of “Turistas” (2006), “Captivity” (2007) and the train of bad remakes from the early 2000s.
“Hokum,” in the best way, is as pivotal a horror film as “Insidious” (2011), in that it isn’t about easy gushes of gore or trying too hard within the confines of a studio product to make an imprint. “Hokum,” like “Insidious,” will matter in the long run because it isn’t gory or a studio product but an art film that only cares about scaring its audience, again and again.
The filmmaking, performances and screenplay are also top notch, but really, you’ll remember this one because of how much it terrified you. I can’t wait to see it again. For everyone else, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is also playing next door.
Four Stars (out of four)