Folklore Frights: 'Unpacking the Psychological Horror of 'Hokum'

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Chris: Okay, so here's something to think about.

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What happens when you mix a haunted Irish

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hotel, a deeply antisocial author

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and a dash of folklore. You

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get Hokum, a supernatural

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horror film that's as much about

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psychological tension as it is about things

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that go bump in the night.

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Jessica: That's such a great way to frame it because

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this movie isn't just about jump scares or

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gore. It's about atmosphere,

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isolation, and the way personal demons can be

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just as terrifying as the supernatural.

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Ohm Bauman, the main character, is

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such a fascinating lens through which to

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explore all of that.

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Chris: He really is played by Adam Scott.

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Ohm is this gruff, humorless author

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who's come to Ireland to scatter his parents

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ashes and finish writing his book. But from

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the moment he arrives at this remote hotel,

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you can tell something's off. The staff

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recognize his name, the honeymoon suite is

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mysteriously locked, and there's this

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constant sense of unease.

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Jessica: And then there's Jerry, played by David

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Wilmot. He's this scruffy, bearded guy

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who shows up in the woods offering om. Um,

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drinks and magic mushrooms. I mean,

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that's a red flag if I've ever seen one.

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But what's so interesting is that Jerry isn't

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overtly threatening, he's just

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unsettling.

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Chris: Exactly. He's one of those characters where

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you're constantly questioning his motives.

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Is he just a quirky local or is there

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something more sinister going on? And that

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ambiguity is part of what makes the movie so

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compelling. You're never quite sure who or

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what you can trust.

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Jessica: And then there's Fiona, one of the hotel

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employees, played by Florence Ordes.

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She's such an interesting counterpoint to

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Ohm, where he's closed off and dismissive.

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She's warm and approachable, but

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even she has her quirks, like pulling out a

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picture book about how to combat witches.

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That scene was so unexpected.

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Chris: It really was. She's explaining this Irish

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folklore about drawing a white chalk circle

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around yourself to protect against witches.

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And you can just see Ohm um, rolling his

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eyes. He's so dismissive of it. But as

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the story unfolds, you start to wonder if

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maybe Fiona knows more than she's letting on.

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Jessica: That's what I love about this movie. It keeps

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you guessing. It's not just a straightforward

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horror story. There are all these layers of

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mystery and folklore. You've got the haunted

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hotel, the strange locals, Ohm's own personal

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demons. It's all interconnected in this

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really intriguing way.

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Chris: And speaking of the hotel, let's talk about

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the Setting this remote hotel in Ireland is

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practically a character in itself. It's

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eerie, it's atmospheric, and it's the perfect

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backdrop for a story like this. You've got

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these long empty hallways, dim lighting

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and this overwhelming sense of isolation.

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It's unsettling in the best way.

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Jessica: Oh, uh, for sure. And the way the film uses

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sound and music is brilliant. There are these

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creaks, sudden loud noises and other

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unsettling sounds that keep you on edge.

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It's not about gore or over the top scares.

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It's about building this sense of dread that

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stays with you.

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Chris: And, um, then there's the Halloween

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celebration at the hotel, which is when

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things really start to escalate. Ohm um

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has no intention of participating, but of

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course that's the night when everything takes

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a darker turn. It's like the movie is saying

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you can try to ignore the supernatural, but

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it's not going to ignore you.

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Jessica: Exactly. And I love how the movie plays with

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the idea of belief. Ohm m is this

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rational, no nonsense guy who doesn't believe

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in any of the folklore or ghost stories. But

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as the film goes on, he's forced to confront

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things that defy explanation. It's a

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fascinating journey to watch.

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Chris: And the way Damian McCarthy, the writer and

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director handles the story is so

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impressive. The screenplay feels like a

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fractured fairy tale. It's dark, it's twisted

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and it's deeply unsettling. But it's also

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incredibly well crafted. Every detail

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feels intentional, from the dialogue to the

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pacing, to the way the scares are executed.

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Jessica: Oh, uh, absolutely. McCarthy knows how to

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create tension and sustain it. There are

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moments where you're just holding your

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breath, waiting for something to happen.

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And when it does, it's not always what you

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expect. That unpredictability is part of

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what makes the movie so effective.

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Chris: And, uh, let's talk about the visuals for a

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second. The cinematography is stunning.

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The way the film uses light and shadow is

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just masterful. There are scenes where you

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can barely see what's happening, but that

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only makes it more terrifying. Your

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imagination fills in the gaps and that's so

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much scarier than anything they could show

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you outright.

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Jessica: Oh, definitely. And the performances

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really elevate the material. Adam Scott,

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David Wilmot, Florence Ardesh,

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they all bring something unique to their

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roles. Even when the story gets

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fantastical, their performances keep it

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grounded. You believe in these characters and

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their struggles, which makes the horror feel

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that much more real.

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Chris: So the big question, should people see

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this movie? For me, it's a resounding

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yes. If you're a fan of psychological

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horror folklore or just well crafted

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storytelling, this is a, uh, must watch.

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It's not for the faint of heart, but if

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you're willing to embrace the darkness, it's

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an unforgettable experience.

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Jessica: I completely agree.

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Hokum isn't just a horror movie, it's an

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experience. It's the kind of film that stays

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with you long after the credits roll. If

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you're looking for something that's scary,

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thought provoking and beautifully made, this

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is it. Just maybe don't watch it alone

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or

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Chris: in a remote hotel in Ireland.

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Jessica: Definitely not. And a score?

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I'm giving it 8 out of 10.