I love a good folktale. They're the ancient equivalent of the horror film, filled with metaphors and morals, which is exactly why they work so well when adapted to the big screen. But what happens when these fables play second fiddle (or maybe even third sting) to a number of other storylines? That's precisely what 'Hokum' falls prey to.
Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott, Apple TV+'s 'Severance' & 'Loot') is an astringent writer who, on a whim, travels to a remote Irish village to spread the ashes of his parents outside the place they had their honeymoon - the one spot he knew they were truly happy. Spending some extra time there to process things, he becomes entangled in the disappearance of the only hotel staff member he seems to make a connection with, Fiona (Florence Ordesh, Peacock's 'Departure', 'An Extinction'). Though Ohm struggles to believe supernatural forces are at play, could it have something to do with Fiona's obsession with rumours of a witch who inhabits the honeymoon suite on the hotel's top floor?
'HOKUM' TRAILER
So we have two congruent plots ahead of us here: one, the thriller element, which is Fiona's disappearance, and the other, the horror portion of the story, which is our supernatural upstairs resident. The problem is, the former is resolved around two-fifths into the film, which really only leaves us with Ohm rattling around in an outdated honeymoon suite for a large portion of the film.
That leaves a lot resting on Adam Scott's shoulders - and it pains me to say this, as I consider him quite a solid actor, but he's actually quite bad in this movie. However, I don't put that down entirely to his performance (though it does play some part in it - and I question how and why he ended up in this particular production in the first place). Firstly, the script is far from superb, and does not treat his character well; for far too long, he's pacing around and muttering to himself as he solves clues in a horror-themed escape room. The dialogue is no better, feeling unnatural and stilted. Yet the overall issue is the quality of the production. Despite a reasonable budget, it feels like a university project that happened to score a big-name actor, but the shots, the particular takes used, the editing - almost every element of the production and post-production on the film - seem to be at a disservice to his performance, not to mention the overall product.
I fear that writer/director Damian McCarthy ('Oddity', 'Caveat') is the root of the cause here. The script itself has already been highlighted as a massive issue, but the number of loose ends we're exposed to makes even its 107-minute runtime seem unnecessary. There's no understanding behind the witch, where it came from, what it wants, or anything that helps stitch together the supernatural and our worlds. It's been tacked in, almost as an afterthought, in a generic horror movie. Then there are the storytelling clichés, like the root of Ohm's childhood trauma (which is obvious from the get-go), his disbelief in the supernatural, his rampant alcoholism, and the distant relationship between him and his father. We're also exposed to this wonderful, expansive forest on the grounds of the hotel - the perfect place to play with folklore - yet it's entirely underutilised in favour of the extremely limited and much less aesthetic hotel confines.
Despite a reasonable budget, it feels like a university project that happened to score a big-name actor, but the shots, the particular takes used, the editing - almost every element of the production and post-production on the film - seem to be at a disservice to the overall product.
Then comes the question of the horror - and the answer will all depend on your taste in the genre. If you enjoy a film that's packed with jump scares and little craft or storytelling, then this will be a winner. It's rife with them; I jumped out of my chair on several occasions. But while your heart may be racing, there's no dimension to it - it's like being in a nightmare that doesn't feel real because the world building simply isn't there.
The best thing about the entire situation are some key members from the supporting cast. For her short screen time, Florence Ordesh is charismatic and charming as Fiona; there's no question why Ohm should choose to befriend her, with her affable manner and open personality. Michael Patric ('The Quiet Girl', TV's 'Frontier') as Fergal, the strange forest-dwelling man who immediately becomes the initial suspect in Fiona's disappearance, plays his part wonderfully, and will have you cheering on this unconventional underdog.
The haunted house trope has been tried thousands of times in cinema, with mixed success. In 'Hokum's' case, adding a folklore element isn't enough to distinguish it, and the concept gets lost among an extensive entanglement of ideas. It's unfortunate to see Adam Scott stumbling through this film, largely because of the mess of a script left strewn at his feet.