The 2026 movie Hokum, written and directed by Damian McCarthy, is a frightening, well-done movie. The film was so good that it just might be the best horror drama that will give you just what you need in terms of good storytelling. The movie is not based on any novel or pre-existing film. It is based on a collection of Irish folklore in a style similar to the video game Alan Wake.
Hokum – The Breakdown
The movie starts in America with a writer named Ohm who is finishing his third book series. The very first scene has the audience in the novel in the desert, bouncing back and forth from fantasy to reality. Yet, Ohm seems to be haunted by a mysterious female figure who stalks him.
Upon seeing the ashes of his mother and father, Ohm makes the decision to travel to Ireland. This is not only to finish his book, but to place his parents’ ashes by the tree in his mother’s photo. He rents a stay at a local hotel, and a few members of the staff recognize him.
However pleasant this is, in contrast, we are introduced to the owner of the hotel. The owner is an old man in a wheelchair who is telling the story of a witch to children, which drags her victims in chains to the underworld. Ohm disrupts the story narrative, which he deems to be poppycock. As he settles in, Ohm learns from the busboy that the owner locked a witch in the honeymoon suite, and the area is off limits, only accessible by an elevator that is locked down.
Poppycock or Masterpiece
The movie crafts the main character, Ohm, extremely well in a love/hate relationship in his treatment of others. The narrative is paced extremely well with great shot choices and timing to leave room for audience imagination, causing unease. If you are looking for a movie with a good fright, great plot, and twists and turns that leave you guessing, then this is the movie for you.
