Hokum
"Hokum" is a horror film that tries to conjure up scares through a convoluted concoction of supernatural elements and eerie atmospheres. Led by Adam Scott's deadpan delivery as the arrogant writer Ohm Bauman, the film weaves a web of mysteries involving curses, witches, and dark pasts within the confines of an old hotel in Ireland. As Ohm delves deeper into the unsettling events surrounding him, he uncovers nightmarish visions and confronts both ghostly apparitions and flesh-and-blood foes. Director Damian McCarthy skillfully creates moments of terror with visually striking imagery and well-timed jump scares, but ultimately struggles to bring all these disparate threads together cohesively. Despite its atmospheric setting and solid performances, "Hokum" ends up feeling like a patchwork quilt of horror tropes that never quite come together harmoniously. A proficient but disjointed horror exploit that checks off all the creepy boxes without fully delivering on its promise.
