Adam Scott deserves severance for putting up with Hokum’s ho-hum horror
Damian McCarthy's horror film Hokum, starring Adam Scott as a troubled author named Ohm Bauman, begins with surreal promise but loses momentum, devolving into a predictable and underwhelming haunted-house narrative. Set in a remote Irish resort, the film blends psychological unease with supernatural elements, though its execution feels flat and overly reliant on jump scares. Despite Scott's committed performance and the film's self-aware title, Hokum fails to sustain its initial intrigue. The movie ultimately prioritizes style over substance, leaving more frustration than fear.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Open this photo in gallery:Adam Scott in Hokum.Elevation PicturesShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountHokumWritten and directed by Damian McCarthy Starring Adam Scott, Peter Coonan and Florence Ordesh Classification 14A; 107 minutesOpens in theatres May 1With a tongue-in-cheek title inviting audiences to immediately dismiss its supposedly intense fear factor, Damian McCarthy’s new horror film arrives ready to play with convention and expectation. The scary thing, though, is that the movie exhausts itself halfway through, revealing Hokum as something closer to hogwash. Things start off promisingly, with McCarthy throwing his audience into a barren desert in which a nameless conquistador travels alongside a sullen boy.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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