Studio: DECAL - NEON
Release Date: 8/11/2026
Rating: R
Film Grade: B
The Story: A haggard conquistador traverses the desert accompanied by a child. Nearing the end of the arduous journey he finds the map that he needs is locked inside of a corked bottle and he’s without a corkscrew. With time running out and with nothing but soft sand to be found, he fixes his gaze on the back of the boy’s head.
Cut to a writer’s desk. Ohm Bauman’s dissatisfied with that epilogue. Frustrated, he turns his attention to some old family artifacts, a postcard from an Irish hotel, a faded picture taken next to a tree, and his parent’s ashes. It’s time to finally lay them to rest.
My Take: Hokum is a rich mixture of folk horror, mystery, haunted hotel, and ghost story all shown from the author’s perspective. The film moves quickly to a diorama in the hotel where an old man enthralls two young boys with a tale of the witch in the nearby woods, eager to entrap more children. This had a special resonance with me, as it took me back to my own trip to Ireland, where I had the chance to talk to one of the oldest women in the village and hear her recount the time she heard the wail of the banshee as a child. There are parts of the old world where the spirit world is still heavily felt, and this movie hooks right into it.
Enter our protagonist, who curtly chastises the old man and sends the children off. It’s our first clue that Ohm isn’t the most pleasant of men, an impression that is reinforced later at the bar, where he’s dismissive of the help and surprisingly mean to one of the workers, who was also a fan. This could make for a rough watch for the audience, but things take a turn at the end of the first act, shedding a different light on the character.
Adam Scott gives Ohm a prickly edge but enhanced with a tragic background. It’s a deeper performance than one might expect from your average horror movie, adding to the movie’s resolution. He’s aided by some marvelous supporting actors, who counter some of the darker themes with humorous, but realistic flavors. Writer/director Damian McCarthy pulls out some fine performances from the cast.
The production design on this movie is excellent. The hotel’s atmosphere is perfect, as is the location work in Ireland. An actual castle is used for basement scenes. Set dressing features tons of flavor, including the aforementioned diorama with figurines that are a cross between haunting and cartoonish. The craftmanship on this film is absolutely beautiful.
There are some minor problems with the pacing, as repetition of actions makes them feel like they go on too long. These events could have been condensed without lessoning the plot. It narrowly avoids the point of dragging in the third act, but that’s all forgotten once we get to the two epilogues that cap off the story.
Visuals: The variety of locations give the film distinct looks. The scenes with the conquistador are brightly lit with golden sands and deep blue skies, while the forest shots in Ireland highlight the rich natural colors, and the hotel’s interiors show off the rich browns and deep reds that distinguish the rooms. There are some black and white scenes used for a dream sequence and a frightening take on a kid’s TV show, both used to excellent effect.
Comparing the Blu-ray to the 4K UHD, the latter has some instances where there’s more intensity with bright scenes, such as sunlight coming in through windows. Both discs look good, but dark scenes could have used a bit more definition, sometimes leaning toward muddy.
Audio: This is a movie that really could have benefitted with an Atmos mix. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix is front-heavy, with surrounds being mostly used for music and general atmosphere. As with so many horror movies, there’s a great opportunity for additional speakers to be used for extra effect, whether it’s directional cues, off-screen activity, or jump scares. Not taking advantage of that turns this into a perfunctory mix rather than excellent.
The musical score is from Joseph Bishara, known for his work in the genre, including much of the Conjuring and Insidious movies. It’s heavy on bass and eerie strings, sounding somewhat standard for a horror movie. Much like the sound mix, it’s just average. Some well-place folk tunes add some additional flavor.
Special Features: The director’s commentary is filled with anecdotes about filming, including some humble moments where he talks about things that could have been done differently. It offers more insight into the process than to the story itself. The making of is worth watching, but not particularly insightful. Jack the Donkey is fantastic!
- Feature Commentary with Damian McCarthy
- The Making of Hokum
- Jack the Donkey, A Family Favorite
- Original teaser and trailer
Final Verdict: This is a solid horror movie, filled with atmospheric location work, a mystery story, and a side of Irish folklore. The characters are all interesting, with a main character that has much to learn about the world and himself.
While it’s not an overly frightening film, it’s an easy recommendation for horror fans looking for something beyond the typical jump scare or slasher movie gore. Non-horror fans may like it as well, as my wife was in agreement with the B grade. The trailer is a good representation for the feel of the movie without giving too much away. This is McCarthy’s third feature film. Based on this one, I want to check out his previous works and will be looking forward to his next effort.
Wry Dialog: "Well, you know, a few of my novels have been turned into bad movies, and when they make the movie for you, you tag on a happy ending."
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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