Hokum (2026) Review: Damian McCarthy’s Masterclass in Gothic Dread
In the landscape of modern horror, few filmmakers have carved out a niche as distinct and unsettling as Damian McCarthy. Following the sleeper success of Caveat (2020) and the critical darling Oddity (2024), McCarthy returns with Hokum, a 107-minute descent into the macabre that cements his status as a premiere architect of cinematic nightmares. Starring a transformative Adam Scott, Hokum is a chilling, atmospheric exploration of guilt, folklore, and the literal ghosts we carry with us. Released by Neon on May 1, 2026, the film manages to be both a traditional haunted house ride and a deeply personal character study of a man whose cynicism is his only defense against a terrifying reality.
Film Overview and Key Information
| Feature | Details |
| Title | Hokum |
| Year | 2026 |
| Director | Damian McCarthy |
| Lead Cast | Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, Florence Ordesh, Brendan Conroy |
| Genre | Supernatural Horror / Gothic Thriller |
| Runtime | 107 Minutes |
| Distributor | Neon |
| Rating | R (Violence, Disturbing Images, Language) |
A Bitter Homecoming: The Plot Synopsis
The film follows Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), a world-famous horror novelist known for the bleakness of his “Conquistador Trilogy.” Ohm is a man defined by a prickliness that borders on the pathological; he is abrasive to fans and dismissive of the supernatural “hokum” that populates his own books. Stricken with writer’s block and reeling from the death of his parents, Ohm travels to the Bilberry Woods Hotel in rural Ireland—the site of his parents’ honeymoon forty years prior—to scatter their ashes.
Upon arrival, Ohm finds himself at odds with the hotel’s eccentric staff, including the owner Cob (Brendan Conroy) and his son-in-law Mal (Peter Coonan). The hotel itself is a character of its own: a creaky, labyrinthine structure filled with unsettling handmade figurines and local folklore. The most persistent legend involves a locked honeymoon suite, which Cob insists houses a trapped witch.
Ohm’s skepticism is tested when a hotel staff member, Fiona (Florence Ordesh), goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Driven by a mixture of guilt and a desperate search for a “truth” he can write about, Ohm ventures into the restricted areas of the hotel. As the narrative unfolds, the film reveals that Ohm’s trauma isn’t just about his parents’ deaths, but a childhood accident involving a gun and his mother. In the darkness of the Bilberry Woods Hotel, the line between Ohm’s crumbling psyche and the supernatural begins to dissolve, culminating in a harrowing confrontation with the entities lurking in the hotel’s basement.
Deep Dive Analysis: The Craft of Fear
Direction and Atmosphere
Damian McCarthy continues to demonstrate an uncanny ability to utilize space. In Hokum, the hotel feels simultaneously expansive and claustrophobic. Working with cinematographer Colm Hogan, McCarthy employs “active framing”—often placing characters in the lower corners of the screen to force the viewer’s eye to scan the dark negative space behind them. This technique creates a constant, low-level anxiety, as if the audience is waiting for something to emerge from the shadows of the frame.
Performance: Adam Scott’s Dark Turn
Adam Scott is best known for his “everyman” charm or comedic timing, but in Hokum, he delivers a performance of jagged edges. Ohm Bauman is not a likable protagonist; he is a grieving, nihilistic “jerk” who uses his intellect as a weapon. Scott’s ability to slowly peel back this armor—moving from condescension to raw, unadulterated terror—is the film’s emotional anchor. The supporting cast, particularly Brendan Conroy as the storytelling hotel owner and Peter Coonan as the menacing Mal, populate the film with a sense of “Irish craic” that feels both authentic and threatening.
Sound and Visual Design
The auditory experience of Hokum is essential to its effectiveness. The score, composed by Joseph Bishara, is minimalist and dissonant, frequently giving way to total silence. This silence heightens the impact of every floorboard creak or the distant, rhythmic ringing of a service bell from the locked suite. Visually, the film leans into practical effects, including a terrifying animatronic figure and a “witch” whose design avoids modern CGI tropes in favor of something more tactile and grounded in folk horror.
Themes of Trauma and Folklore
At its core, Hokum is about the “closed mind.” Ohm dismisses the supernatural as nonsense (hence the title), yet he is the character most haunted by his past. The film posits that folklore is often a vessel for truths that are too painful to address directly. By the final act, McCarthy suggests that the monsters we create in our minds and the ones that wait in the dark are often one and the same.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
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Atmospheric Pacing: The film builds a sense of dread that is nearly suffocating before the first major scare even occurs.
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Subversion of Tropes: While it uses “haunted hotel” motifs, it subverts expectations regarding protagonist likability and narrative resolution.
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Practical Effects: The creature design and production design (specifically the creepy figurines) are genuinely unsettling.
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Nuanced Performance: Adam Scott proves he can carry a high-concept horror film with dramatic weight.
Weaknesses
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Narrative Complexity: Some viewers may find the late-game revelations regarding the “Conquistador” framing device or the mushroom-induced visions a bit overstuffed.
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Pacing in the Second Act: There is a brief lull as the mystery transitions into pure horror that might test the patience of those seeking a fast-paced “slasher.”
Final Verdict
Hokum is a triumph of mood over jump-scares, though it provides plenty of the latter. It is a film that rewards attention, weaving a complex web of childhood trauma and ancient Irish folklore. Damian McCarthy has successfully scaled up his filmmaking without losing the intimate, “skin-crawling” quality that made his earlier work so effective. It is undoubtedly one of the strongest horror entries of 2026.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Review Schema (Metadata)
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Film Title: Hokum
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Director: Damian McCarthy
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Reviewer: Art 23
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Rating Value: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
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Keywords: Horror, Supernatural, Adam Scott, Irish Folklore, Haunted Hotel, Damian McCarthy, Neon Films, 2026 Movies.
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Content Rating: Rated R for violence and disturbing images.
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Target Audience: Fans of gothic horror, psychological thrillers, and “prestige” genre cinema.