The Scream Queen

When Damien McCarthy’s Oddity was released, it encapsulated its namesake title and quietly became a cult word-of-mouth hit. Differing from most mainstream horror that is released into the ether, Oddity wove a strange little story, as Mcarthy carefully placed each piece of the puzzle, before pulling the rug from under us in an unforgettable reveal. Staying close to his roots, McCarthy does the same with his new, bigger budget theatrical release Hokum. Still set in Ireland, but this time starring the always fantastic Adam Scott in the leading role, Hokum aims to scare a much larger audience than its predecessor while still remaining as unique.

When writer Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) visits a back wood hotel in Ireland to scatter his parents ashes, he discovers much more than he initially bargained for, with the folklore tales of a witch only proving to be the beginning of an unfolding mystery. Supported by a host of strange yet believable characters, notably woodland nomad Gerry (David Wilmot) and friendly hotel receptionist Fiona (Florence Odersh), Scott has a lot to play with. And he does, inserting a wickedly dark sense of humour into every line he hisses as the pessimistic author. Tonally, Hokum is akin to a black comedy, with a few jumpscares sprinkled in along the way.

However, that is not to say that Hokum isn’t terrifying. In fact, it is mostly terrifying, with moments of levity bringing the audience peace for mere seconds, before diving straight back into the dark folkloric world of the Bilberry Woods Hotel. First and foremost, Hokum is a mystery, even a whodunnit of sorts. Like an Agatha Christie tale, we have a character appear missing and we’re asked the question: what happened to them? In this case, it’s charming hotel receptionist Fiona, who disappears without a trace on Halloween. From this moment on, Mcarthy weaves a web of red herrings, leading us to dead ends and dead bodies. At one point, we are left wondering if they witch is even real, as it begins to seem that we may well have been set up with a hoax. Even until the very end, McCarthy makes us question; was what I just watched even real? Although of course, he cheekily nods to the answer being ‘yes, very real’.

Final Verdict:

Witchy, wicked, and wildly entertaining; Damian McCarthy’s Hokum is a rare little gem in the landscape of cinema today. Despite containing Hollywood star Adam Scott, Hokum still maintains its roots in indie horror, where a low budget feel only amplifies its folkloric nature. A tightly wound mystery full of misdirects, Hokum will have you chuckling along with its darkly comic sense of humour one minute, before leaving you with your hands covering your eyes the next. McCarthy has a sensibility for balancing the dark subject matter with moments of levity, striking an odd tone that, in the end, is rather hopeful. It is a film that teaches two valuable lessons. Firstly, to take the second chances we are awarded in life. And secondly, make sure you have some chalk on you at all times (just in case).