Irish writer-director Damian McCarthy continues to showcase his frightening flair for the genre with his latest horror film, 'Hokum'. Starring Adam Scott as the lead character Ohm Bauman, the movie follows a jaded writer who visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.
McCarthy's Signature Style Shines Through
As a big fan of McCarthy's previous two horror flicks, 'Caveat' and 'Oddity', I was really looking forward to his latest trip into terror. The Irish filmmaker secured a genuine Hollywood star in Adam Scott to play leading man Ohm Bauman in 'Hokum'. McCarthy maintains his off-kilter, oddball style here with strange, flawed characters, creepy folklore and skin-crawling visuals.
Scott plays Ohm as bitter, smart-mouthed and sick of the world around him; this is a man ripe for a testing trip into the terrifying surroundings he finds himself trapped in - and the darkest recesses of his own mind. The isolated jaded writer set-up is pure Stephen King and Ohm can't help but investigate the strange goings-on as there's many a time he could have fled and hopped on a plane back home.
Atmosphere and Jump Scares
Everyone he encounters is a potential friend or foe and while the inn's secrets are spilled, the fact Ohm is warned off delving into them any further suggests these are doors best left closed. Much like his previous movies, darkness is a frequent weapon used by McCarthy to wring out tension, but there are more jump scares to chew on - and most of them work very well.
The eeriest moment comes when Ohm suffers a guilt-ridden nightmare which is invaded by a surreal, bulbous-eyed donkey that would have anyone waking up in a cold sweat. The witch at the heart of the film's mystery isn't quite as intimidating or original, however she makes her mark slyly skittering along lengthy corridors and tunnels.
Room for Improvement
The ending is a bit abrupt, though, and the wraparound story device of visualising Ohm's novel about a Conquistador in the desert adds little beyond a very early feeling that you've maybe turned on the wrong flick. 'Hokum' may be McCarthy's most mainstream movie yet, but it maintains his impressive forays into quirky, bewitching horror magnificently mixed in with the disintegration of the human psyche.
