I was having a discussion with a friend about my recent penchant for folk horror when she mentioned a movie she had recently viewed, Hokum. Little did she know that this movie would catapult to one of my top favorite all-time horror movies, right next to The Conjuring. Shout out to @Saraespi for giving me the recommend. (There you have it; you can guess what I'm going to say in "The Final Cut.") I have loved this recent resurgence in folk horror with movies like Hokum, Keeper (2025), and Exhuma (2024). My recent rabbit-hole dive has, yet again, found an amazing film.
Plot Summary
Adam Scott plays a cynical, douchebag of an author named Ohm Bauman, who is battling an onset of writer's block. Desperate to finish his book series, he escapes to Ireland to clear his mind and scatter the ashes of his parents, who honeymooned at the Bilberry Woods Hotel years ago. The Bilberry has a dark past where the owner is to have said he trapped a witch on the premises. Ohm, skeptical of the lore, calls it all hokum (yes; the title of the film).
After some unfortunate happenings and important background building, a kind member of the hotel staff disappears, and Ohm takes it upon himself to find her. This pushes Ohm’s skepticism to its limits, and he unwittingly steps into a living nightmare where he must face both supernatural horror and his own psychological trauma.
Background
Hokum is written and directed by Damian McCarthy. I haven't seen his other films, Caveat (2020) and Oddity (2024), but they are definitely on my list now.
The studio, NEON, was also a newcomer for me, and I found I also viewed another of their backed movies, Longlegs, recently. As I stated, Adam Scott plays the lead in the movie, and he did a great, phenomenal job. I'm used to him playing the quintessential nice guy, and to see him playing the exact opposite here brought a new kind of appreciation for his work. The guy was a downright jerk and nigh-on unlikable in his portrayal!
Another nod to The Conjuring universe was the standout sound work done by Joseph Bishara.
Folk Horror Context
Hokum sits comfortably in the folk horror subgenre. This movie had several reminders of another favorite movie, The Wicker Man. The unsettling atmosphere, the decaying architecture of the Bilberry Hotel, and the slow-burn story all reminded me of that film. The theme of an arrogant outsider challenging local history and then facing the consequences of his beliefs was also very reminiscent of the aforementioned film.
Hokum uses Irish folklore to great effect. Unlike the classic Hollywood "witch," Irish folklore uses ancient entities like the Cailleach, hags, and banshees—not just as monsters, but as physical representations of the land's history, particularly related to grief and judgment.
The Final Cut
When we get to the heart of Hokum, that's what it's really all about: trauma, grief, and judgment. This film is deeply about one man's dealings with deep-seated trauma; the grief he has following that trauma, and the judgment he feels from the world around him. Scott excellently portrays all of this in his performance.
Another performance that really stood out for me was the mushroom-milk-guzzling Jerry, played by David Wilmot. It's also this affectation that calls into question the very happenings of the movie, but I choose to disregard this explanation.
My Final Cut is this: Hokum uses its suffocating atmosphere, brilliant use of Irish folklore, and a career-pivoting performance by Adam Scott to make itself a standout in psychological and folk horror genre. If you're looking for a slow-burn, high-payoff movie like The Wicker Man, you need to watch Hokum.