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8.2
Image Nation Abu Dhabi

Hokum

A troubled horror novelist visiting a remote Irish hotel becomes drawn into a bartender's disappearance and the legend of a witch haunting the sealed honeymoon suite.

2026 107 min R
Critic8.2
Horror Mystery Thriller Supernatural
Amazon Video Apple TV Fandango At Home YouTube
Where to Watch

Overview

Reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman travels to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes. After hearing stories about an ancient witch haunting the sealed honeymoon suite, disturbing visions and a local woman's disappearance force him to confront the inn's secrets and buried trauma from his own past.
Story 8.4
Acting 8.6
Direction 8.8
Cinematography 8.5
Music 8.0
Pacing 7.8
Originality 8.1
Emotional Impact 7.9
Overall 8.2

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

8.2 /10

A haunted Irish mystery

Hokum uses its isolated rural hotel as both a supernatural trap and the center of a carefully structured mystery. Local folklore, missing evidence and conflicting accounts gradually transform Ohm's personal journey into something more dangerous.

Adam Scott's performance

Adam Scott gives Ohm an abrasive intelligence that makes him difficult but compelling. His performance balances sarcasm, grief and suppressed guilt without turning the character into a conventional horror protagonist.

Direction and atmosphere

Damian McCarthy builds tension through empty corridors, mechanical sounds, distorted figures and carefully restricted spaces. The film expands his visual approach without losing the handmade unease associated with his earlier work.

Mystery and supernatural horror

The disappearance at the center of the story gives the film a grounded investigative structure, while the witch legend introduces uncertainty about which events are psychological, drug-induced or genuinely supernatural.

Dark humor

The eccentric hotel staff and Ohm's hostile personality create moments of dry comedy. These sequences provide relief without completely undermining the threatening atmosphere.

Pros

  • Strong central performance by Adam Scott
  • Atmospheric rural Irish setting
  • Effective combination of mystery and supernatural horror
  • Carefully constructed revelations
  • Distinctive folk-horror imagery
  • Dark humor that complements the tension

Cons

  • The deliberately abrasive protagonist may distance some viewers
  • The nonlinear revelations require close attention
  • Some supernatural elements remain intentionally ambiguous
  • The middle section favors slow-building atmosphere over frequent scares
Verdict An atmospheric and darkly funny supernatural mystery that combines Irish folklore, psychological trauma and a tightly constructed missing-person investigation.

AI Review

A troubled horror novelist visiting a remote Irish hotel becomes drawn into a bartender's disappearance and the legend of a witch haunting the sealed honeymoon suite.

An atmospheric and darkly funny supernatural mystery that combines Irish folklore, psychological trauma and a tightly constructed missing-person investigation.

Recommended for viewers who enjoy atmospheric folk horror, haunted-location mysteries, psychological thrillers and Damian McCarthy's earlier films Caveat and Oddity.

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Development

Damian McCarthy developed Hokum as an original supernatural mystery following the critical reception of Caveat and Oddity.

Financing

The project was assembled as an international production involving Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, Tailored Films, Team Thrives and Cweature Features.

Casting

Adam Scott was announced as the lead actor in February 2025, alongside Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh and other members of the Irish cast.

Principal photography

Filming took place in County Cork, Ireland, during February and March 2025.

Worldwide acquisition

Neon acquired worldwide rights to Hokum in August 2025 and represented the film for international distribution.

Festival premiere

The film premiered in the Midnighter program at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 14, 2026.

International rollout

The film began opening in selected international territories at the end of April 2026.

US theatrical release

Neon released Hokum in United States theaters on May 1, 2026.

Digital release

The movie became available through premium digital rental and purchase platforms on June 2, 2026.

Physical media

A DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release was scheduled for August 11, 2026.

Production

Development

Damian McCarthy developed Hokum as an original supernatural mystery following the critical reception of Caveat and Oddity.

Financing

The project was assembled as an international production involving Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, Tailored Films, Team Thrives and Cweature Features.

Casting

Adam Scott was announced as the lead actor in February 2025, alongside Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh and other members of the Irish cast.

Principal photography

Filming took place in County Cork, Ireland, during February and March 2025.

Worldwide acquisition

Neon acquired worldwide rights to Hokum in August 2025 and represented the film for international distribution.

Festival premiere

The film premiered in the Midnighter program at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 14, 2026.

International rollout

The film began opening in selected international territories at the end of April 2026.

US theatrical release

Neon released Hokum in United States theaters on May 1, 2026.

Digital release

The movie became available through premium digital rental and purchase platforms on June 2, 2026.

Physical media

A DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release was scheduled for August 11, 2026.

Streaming

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Fandango At Home
YouTube
Google TV

Cast

Adam Scott Ohm Bauman
Peter Coonan Mal
David Wilmot Jerry
Florence Ordesh Fiona
Michael Patric Fergal
Will O'Connell Alby and Jack the Jackass
Brendan Conroy Cob
Austin Amelio The Conquistador
Mallory Adams Delia Bauman
Sioux Carroll The Witch
Ezra Carlisle The Boy

Characters

Ohm Bauman Adam Scott
Mal Peter Coonan
Jerry David Wilmot
Fiona Florence Ordesh
Fergal Michael Patric
Alby and Jack the Jackass Will O'Connell
Cob Brendan Conroy
The Conquistador Austin Amelio
Delia Bauman Mallory Adams
The Witch Sioux Carroll
The Boy Ezra Carlisle

Crew

Damian McCarthy Director
Damian McCarthy Writer
Roy Lee Producer
Steven Schneider Producer
Derek Dauchy Producer
Ruth Treacy Producer
Julianne Forde Producer
Mairtín de Barra Producer
Joseph Bishara Composer
Colm Hogan Cinematographer
Brian Philip Davis Editor

Soundtrack

  1. Hokum Original Motion Picture Score — Joseph Bishara

Trivia

  • Hokum is the third feature film written and directed by Damian McCarthy after Caveat and Oddity.
  • The film was shot in County Cork, Ireland, during February and March 2025.
  • Adam Scott plays a successful American horror novelist named Ohm Bauman.
  • Will O'Connell portrays both hotel employee Alby and the fictional children's television character Jack the Jackass.
  • The film combines a missing-person mystery with Irish folk horror and a haunted-hotel story.
  • Neon acquired worldwide rights to the movie in August 2025.
  • Hokum premiered in the Midnighter section of the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
  • The film earned a B grade from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore.
  • The official physical release includes a filmmaker commentary and a making-of feature.
  • The theatrical version is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

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AI Recommendation Insight

A troubled horror novelist visiting a remote Irish hotel becomes drawn into a bartender's disappearance and the legend of a witch haunting the sealed honeymoon suite. Similar picks: Shared Cast, Similar Horror, Highly Rated Horror

Hokum