Hokum (2026)
Hokum Review: A Slow-Burn Irish Ghost Story That Gets Under Your Skin
Hokum is a film that understands the power of restraint. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy (Caveat, Oddity), this 2026 supernatural horror is a straight ghost story executed with rigor, atmosphere, and a sly sense of dark humor. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it delivers a haunting, claustrophobic experience that lingers long after the credits roll. At its center is Adam Scott, delivering what many critics are calling a career-best performance as a brusque, unlikeable novelist forced to confront his own grief and trauma.
The numbers reflect a film that has won over both critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, Hokum holds an 87% critics score based on 119 reviews, with an audience score of 82%. It has been Certified Fresh at 90% at various points during its release, placing it alongside the best-reviewed horror films of 2026. Made on a modest $5 million budget, it grossed $25 million worldwide, proving that atmosphere, folklore, and well-timed scares can outperform spectacle.
The Irish Times praised the film as “a straight ghost story, executed with rigour, a swipe at misogyny and a sly sense of fun.” The review noted that “Adam Scott excels on all these registers as Ohm Bauman, a brusque ‘genius’ novelist who retreats to an isolated Irish hotel to scatter his parents’ ashes,” and that “the film’s carefully calibrated tone allows for moments of pitch-black humour even when the action drags us to the bowels of hell.” It concluded that “Scott anchors the film with a performance of prickly restraint. His Ohm is not especially likeable, and the film is better for it.”
ScreenRant was equally enthusiastic, awarding it 9 out of 10 and describing it as “a terrifically composed throwback that knows when to play things grounded and when to embrace the horror for its full potential.” The review highlighted Scott’s performance as “finding the right balance of silence, snark, and sincerity to deliver a time great horror lead role.” Mashable called it “a seriously scary masterpiece,” noting that “like Caveat and Oddity, Hokum is twisted, horrifying, and darkly amusing.”
Not everyone was convinced. Little White Lies gave it 2/5, writing that “there’s nothing unpredictable in this familiar haunting” and calling it “pure poppycock.” The review criticized the film’s reliance on “costumey stereotypes” and noted that “despite the heavy metaphors and emotionally weighted hauntings, there’s nothing new here—it’s all painfully dull and familiar horror territory.” Even the negative reviews, however, acknowledge McCarthy’s technical skill and Scott’s committed performance. For fans of slow-burn, atmospheric horror with a strong central performance, Hokum is essential viewing.
Hokum Cast: Adam Scott Leads a Talented Irish Ensemble
The film features a strong ensemble of Irish and international talent, led by Adam Scott in a career-best performance:
Adam Scott delivers a revelatory performance as Ohm Bauman, a bestselling horror novelist whose success has only reinforced his mean spirit. Critics have unanimously praised his work, with The Irish Times noting that he “excels on all these registers” and that “his Ohm is not especially likeable, and the film is better for it.” ScreenRant wrote that Scott “finds the right balance of silence, snark, and sincerity to deliver a time great horror lead role,” while Mashable called the film “a seriously scary masterpiece” anchored by his performance.
Florence Ordesh is captivating as Fiona, the young bartender who sees through Ohm’s abrasive exterior and whose disappearance drives the film’s central mystery. Her chemistry with Scott is crucial to the film’s emotional core. Peter Coonan plays Mal, the hotel’s receptionist, while David Wilmot is Jerry, a forest-dwelling wild man whose presence adds to the film’s folkloric atmosphere. The Irish Times noted that “real-world reveals concerning Peter Coonan’s receptionist and David Wilmot’s forest-dwelling wild man ought to crowd out the supernatural elements, but McCarthy’s flair for lingering dread maintains the spookiness.” Michael Patric plays Fergal, the groundskeeper, and Will O’Connell is Alby, the hapless hotel porter. Brendan Conroy, Austin Amelio, and Mallory Adams round out the supporting cast.
Hokum Plot: A Haunting in the Irish Countryside
The story follows Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), a successful but bitter horror novelist, who travels to a remote hotel in Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes. His parents had honeymooned at the hotel long ago, and Ohm’s return is meant to be a final act of closure—a way to confront the grief and trauma he has spent years avoiding. But the hotel is not what it seems.
From the moment he arrives, Ohm is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the hotel’s abandoned honeymoon suite. The room is sealed, and the locals speak of it in hushed, fearful tones. Ohm, the cynical horror writer who has built a career on imaginary monsters, dismisses the stories as superstition. But when a young female employee named Fiona (Florence Ordesh) disappears after a Halloween party, his skepticism begins to crumble.
As Ohm investigates Fiona’s disappearance, he is plagued by disturbing visions that blur the line between grief and the supernatural. The hotel’s dark history and its folklore—a witch, a sealed room, a community with secrets—become increasingly difficult to separate from his own unresolved trauma. The film follows Ohm as he descends into the mystery, confronting not only the possibility that the witch is real but also the demons of his past that he has never been able to face. It’s a story about grief, obsession, and the terrifying realization that some doors are sealed for a reason.
“Some doors are sealed for a reason.”