Hokum

Hokum (2026) is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy. The narrative follows Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), an abrasive, cynical American horror novelist best known for his bleak "Conquistador" trilogy. Struggling with writer's block for the final installment and haunted by unresolved personal trauma, Ohm travels to the isolated Bilberry Woods Hotel in West Cork, Ireland, to scatter his deceased parents' ashes on the grounds where they honeymooned decades earlier.

Upon his arrival, Ohm is greeted by an eccentric hotel staff—including the elderly owner Mr. Cob, clerk Mal, groundskeeper Fergal, bellhop Alby, and friendly bartender Fiona. Dismissive of local customs, Ohm scoffs at tales told to local children about the Cailleach, an ancient witch allegedly trapped inside the hotel's permanently locked honeymoon suite. However, Ohm's cynical detachment fractures as disturbing apparitions begin appearing in his room, culminating in a sudden, life-threatening crisis that forces him to confront his deepest psychological scars.

When bartender Fiona unexpectedly vanishes shortly after a Halloween gathering, the local authorities and staff suspect Jerry, a mushroom-consuming hermit living in the adjacent woods. Driven by a need to uncover the truth, Ohm reluctantly teams up with Jerry to investigate the hotel’s restricted spaces. As night falls and the line between local superstition and violent reality collapses, Ohm finds himself trapped in a nightmare where human malice and ancient supernatural forces collide.

Director Damian McCarthy uses Hokum to explore how unresolved guilt and repressed trauma isolate individuals, driving them into internal hells long before any external threat appears. The film's core thesis centers on the human tendency to weaponize mythology, folklore, and superstition ("hokum") as a smoke screen to mask tangible human evil and avoid personal accountability.

McCarthy posits that while true evil exists in both mortal and supernatural forms, the path to survival requires confronting one's past with emotional honesty. Rather than succumbing to fatalism or misanthropy, the film emphasizes that forgiveness—both given and received—is necessary to break cycles of self-destruction.

Literal Folk-Horror Reading: The Cailleach witch is a genuine ancient entity bound to the hotel. She drags the murderer Mal to the underworld in chains while the benevolent ghosts of Ohm's mother and Fiona intervene to save Ohm.

Released in May 2026 by Neon, Hokum arrived during a resurgence in Irish folk horror. It marks McCarthy's first feature with an American lead actor while maintaining an authentic West Cork setting.

The film earned an 88–90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 77 on Metacritic. Critics praised Scott's performance, McCarthy's atmosphere, and Joseph Bishara's score, while some noted pacing issues in the middle act.

Genre fans responded positively to the blend of true-crime mystery, earned jump scares, and folklore, turning the film into a box-office success.

Praised Aspects: Dense gothic atmosphere, Adam Scott's lead performance, Joseph Bishara's unsettling score, earned scares, and effective integration of Irish folklore.

Main Points of Criticism: Disjointed act transitions, occasionally clunky dialogue, and a mid-film pacing slowdown during the honeymoon suite sequence.

Controversial Moments: The mid-movie reveal of Ohm's suicide attempt and the abrupt genre shift from classic ghost story to a true-crime murder mystery.

Overall Verdict: A well-crafted, eerie, and emotionally resonant entry in modern folk horror that expands Damian McCarthy's directorial scope.