Hokum (2026)★ 6.7/10

Writer/director Damian McCarthy has become yet another strong voice in the horror genre with his third film HOKUM. This is about a horror writer named Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) who visits a hotel in Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware that the property is said to be haunted by a witch. He is also haunted by his past. When this movie begins, you might be wondering if you’re in the right room. Don’t worry, you are. The movie tells us a lot without dialogue, especially in the beginning. I like how Scott’s character is kind of a prick, it helps make it feel real. Not every protagonist has to be a saint. There are a few jump-scares, but the story had me hooked. It utilizes the claustrophobic space to more smoothly scare and unsettle the audience. It’s unpredictable and atmospheric. The sound design and score are proper spooky. It has layers, character depth. With a low budget of just $5 million, it’s already a success. This might be my favorite performance from Scott. Overall, HOKUM is a classic haunted house story with a fresh perspective and images that might stick with you long after leaving the theatre. I highly recommend this, now I want to see his previous film ODDITY.

The first act had great, atmospheric tension.... though some might find it slow; I enjoyed it. The second act was really scary and I loved it. The third act was kinda whack... disappointing ending to an otherwise very enjoyable film.

Fica aquela impressão que McCarthy tentou se adequar ao mais convencional aqui, ao que pode ter melhor aceitação ao publico em geral, e certo ele. Hokum poderia ser mais breve, traria um feito mais marcante, mas ainda assim é legal. Sempre fico aflita e apreensiva com sua condução de narrativa, porém, meu favorito segue sendo Oddity,

Es una película que me sorprendió gratamente, no sabía nada de ella pero como buen cinéfilo, a veces me guío por el instinto, debo confesar que a veces no funciona y veo cada cosa pero esta vez me fue muy bien, el sonido es magistral, y, la fotografía es preciosa, además del tratamiento de color de la cinta, y, aunque definitivamente es de terror, y me hizo saltar de mi butaca un par de veces y me mantuvo en suspenso un bien tiempo, pienso que el suspenso le cae más ya que pasa a primer plano ante lo sobrenatural que al final genera el desenlace, muy recomendable y definitivamente digna de verla en pantalla grande-

No pude dormir a la noche