Spoilers would rather stay at the motel.

This is one of those movie premises that could have easily turn into a fish-out-of-the-water comedy. Fortunately, and surprisingly enough, this goes a different way. It’s good to label this as a horror, because the film travels some dark places before reveals begin. Going in blind to see this might be an experience, but not necessarily a good one. There’s a hint of a dark comedy that is left untapped, but I can’t decide if exploiting it might make for a better or worse viewing. Let’s get into it.

(Credit: NEON)

Hokum (2026) is written and directed by Damien McCarthy. I seldom look into a director’s filmography but I had to in this case just because the style is rather specific. Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is a horror novelist visiting a remote Irish inn that his now late parents remember fondly. He’s got a bad attitude and a dark agenda that he keeps to himself. The staff at the inn are a quirky lot, with the front desk clerk Mal (Peter Coonan) being the son-in-law to the owner, Fiona (Florence Ordesh) the bartender and Alby (Will O’Connell) the bellhop. Ohm will also run into Jerry (David Wilmot) who seems to live in a van outside the hotel.

Ohm will soon hear about how the honeymoon suite is haunted by a witch known as the Calleach, something that he will not take seriously as he himself has his own demons to exorcize. Chief amongst them is the guilt he feels about his deceased mother Delia (Mallory Adams) whose presence he can still feel. Ohm will dismiss all folklore legends he hear, as well as treat most of the staff rudely. He does seem to open up to Fiona and strikes up a curious friendship with Jerry, the man that lives in a van. Eventually we’ll find out that Ohm doesn’t even seem interested in anything, but curiously enough after a certain brush with death at his own hands, he will become involved in discovering the truth of the witch as well as a possible disappearance and murder.

It might work for you. How things turn out is something I will leave you to discover. The curious events that lead us there might either keep you watching only if you’ve become interested in these characters’ lives. The pacing has its problems here and there, with some of the threat being natural and plenty of supernatural as well. The combination seems to work in some instances more than others, but I was still on the hook to find out the outcome.

Recommended with many reservations. I’d say you try to focus on the character development first and see if they managed to get a firm purchase on your attention. It’s not straight out horror from the beginning, and casual audiences might not appreciate the genre mix. All and all worth a single watch if you’re used to all sorts of horror films, although this one doesn’t seem to commit to the genre wholeheartedly.

That will do for now.