Hokum (2026) Review: Why Hokum Should Be at the Top of Your Halloween Watchlist

What Is Hokum About?

The film follows Ohm Bauman, a novelist who travels to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes. During his stay, he hears disturbing stories about a witch said to haunt the inn’s honeymoon suite. As strange events unfold and a hotel employee disappears, Ohm becomes caught in a frightening mystery connected to the inn’s past.

Soon he begins seeing creepy things. Then someone disappears, and Ohm is pulled into the mystery. As things get worse, he has to face painful things from his own past, the kind he would rather forget.

Hokum Cast and Characters

• Adam Scott (Ohm Bauman)
• Peter Coonan (Mal)
• David Wilmot (Jerry)
• Florence Ordesh (Fiona Crotty)
• Will O’Connell (Alby)
• Michael Patric (Fergal)
• Brendan Conroy (Cob).

Release date: May 1, 2026

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating

• IMDb: 7.3 out of 10
• Rotten Tomatoes (critics): 96% Tomatometer on 24 reviews.

What does “Hokum” mean?

The word hokum means nonsense, something absurd, or a story that people find difficult to believe. It can also refer to something exaggerated or made up to fool an audience. As a title for a horror movie, it creates an interesting contrast:

What if something that initially sounds like nonsense turns out to be genuinely frightening?

What Does Hokum Symbolise in the Movie?

The title can symbolise the way people dismiss things they do not understand. Sometimes, people reject an unfamiliar idea because it sounds ridiculous or does not fit their understanding of reality. The word hokum captures this attitude by suggesting that something is not worth taking seriously.

It also reflects the uncertainty that makes the story intriguing. When strange things happen, it is natural to search for a logical explanation rather than immediately accept the supernatural. The tension comes from not knowing whether an event is simply a misunderstanding, an invented story, or something that cannot be explained so easily.

Who Is Damian McCarthy?

Damian McCarthy is an Irish filmmaker who makes horror movies. He writes his own stories and directs them too.

He is known for slow, quiet scares. His movies don't rely on loud noises or much blood. Instead, they build fear bit by bit with creepy settings, strange sounds, and the idea that something is watching from the corner of the screen.

Damian McCarthy’s vision for Hokum was to create a horror film that makes the audience uneasy even when nothing frightening is happening on screen; he builds fear through the setting and the atmosphere surrounding the hotel. The story uses an isolated location where every room seems to hide something, making the audience question what is real and what might be supernatural.

The idea of a witch haunting an old hotel connects the film to traditional ghost stories while letting McCarthy explore these legends in a modern horror setting. The hotel becomes more than a setting; it feels like a place with its own dark history, secrets, and dangers.

Themes

1. Supernatural Fear

Supernatural fear is at the centre of Hokum. The rumours of a witch haunting the hotel create a constant sense of danger. The fear comes not only from what the characters encounter but also from the uncertainty surrounding the strange events. The audience is left wondering what is hiding in the darkness and whether the threat can be explained.

2. Isolation

The remote hotel creates a feeling of separation from the outside world. With limited access to help, the characters are forced to deal with the unsettling situation around them. This isolation increases the tension because familiar sources of comfort and safety seem far away.

3. Grief

Grief is connected to Ohm Bauman's journey and his decision to visit the hotel to scatter his parents' ashes. His trip carries emotional significance beyond its physical destination. The story uses this personal loss to give his character greater depth, suggesting that the past can continue to affect a person long after a loss has occurred.

4. Guilt

Guilt adds another psychological layer to the story. Personal regrets can become difficult to escape, particularly when someone is already struggling emotionally. Through Ohm's character, the film creates room to explore how unresolved feelings can influence a person's decisions and shape their experience of frightening events.

5. Mystery

Mystery drives the story forward as strange incidents and disturbing discoveries raise new questions. The hotel's history, the rumours surrounding the honeymoon suite, and the disappearance of an employee encourage the audience to search for connections. Each new development adds another piece to the puzzle without immediately revealing the complete picture.

Cinematography and visuals

Cinematography plays an important role in creating an unsettling viewing experience. Dark corners, narrow corridors, and poorly lit rooms create uncertainty and a primal fear of enclosed spaces, making the audience pay attention to what appears in the background. The visual approach allows the location to become part of the horror rather than simply serving as a backdrop for the story.

Sound design also contributes to the film’s tension. Small noises, distant sounds, and sudden changes in the audio can make an otherwise quiet scene feel uncomfortable. When these sounds are used alongside unsettling visuals, they encourage the audience to anticipate danger without knowing exactly when it will appear.

Its rooms and corridors create a sense of uncertain fear, while the surrounding environment makes the characters feel far from safety. This setting gives the frightening moments more impact because there is little sense of comfort or familiarity. The film’s supernatural elements also gain a distinctive character from the connection to Irish folklore, giving the story the feeling of an old legend unfolding in a modern setting.

The visuals establish a sense of unease, the sound keeps the audience alert, and the location adds to the uncertainty surrounding the events. Rather than depending entirely on constant action, Hokum uses its surroundings to make the viewer feel that something could go wrong at any moment.

What I liked

One thing I liked about Hokum is that it tries to make horror feel unpredictable rather than relying on the same tricks used in many other films. The remote hotel gives the story a creepy identity, and the mystery surrounding its rooms makes you curious about what might happen next.

Adam Scott's acting created a different narrative of the movie. Seeing him in a horror role adds a different dimension to his screen presence. His character has personal issues regarding his parent’s death that make his journey more complicated than simply trying to survive a frightening situation. I also appreciate the idea of combining a supernatural mystery with a character who has his own reasons for visiting the hotel. It gives the story something to explore beyond the scares.

What I didn’t like

What I didn’t like is that the film's mystery-driven approach may not work equally well for every viewer. When a horror story keeps information hidden for too long, some moments can feel confusing rather than genuinely suspenseful. Viewers who prefer a straightforward plot may find themselves waiting for clearer answers about the events taking place.

The pacing could also be an issue for audiences who enjoy horror that gets straight to the action. Building tension gradually can be effective, but it requires the quieter scenes to remain engaging. If a scene does not add much to the story or develop the mystery, it can make the experience feel slower than necessary.

Final Verdict

Hokum is a creepy, slow-burn horror film that works best when you watch it quietly, with the lights off. Its biggest strengths are its eerie atmosphere, its smart use of sound, and a strong lead performance from Adam Scott. Its weaknesses are a main character who is hard to like at first, a script that leaves some questions open, and a slow pace that won’t suit everyone.

My rating: 7/10

Where to watch Hokum

Hokum streams on Hulu in the US. Hulu added it on October 10, 2026, and JustWatch still listed it there on November 4, 2026. It's one of the picks in our best horror movies on Hulu guide.

If Hokum worked for you, try our 16 movies like Hereditary, which share its slow pull and its focus on grief, or our best psychological horror movies.

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