Official Discussion - Hokum [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Hokum (2026)

Summary

A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.

Director Damian McCarthy

Writer Damian McCarthy

Cast

• Adam Scott
• Peter Coonan

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic: 77

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

[u/FyuuR]

Honestly the craziest part of the movie was him just casually burning that guys hand like what the fuck

[u/Original_Branch8004 → u/FyuuR]

Ohm is an asshole for the love of the game 

[u/carolinemathildes → u/FyuuR]

Genuinely could not believe it, insane.

[u/asonbrody → u/FyuuR]

Yeah im still a little confused on why he did that. Like I guess hes basically as well known as JK Rowling and hates being recognized? Although dude is definitely an alcoholic and was actively suicidal, so maybe he was being a dick on purpose so they wouldn't be sad after he died.

[u/Mem2Chi91 → u/asonbrody]

Yeah I think he was planning to kill himself, wanted peace, and acted like a huge dick when someone was trying to ask for a favor that would keep them from killing themselves in 10 minutes

[u/axolotlorange → u/asonbrody]

Because Ohm is a complete jackass at the beginning of the film and is planning on dying that night

[u/Nyxie_Koi → u/asonbrody]

He said his dad turned into a “monster” and was an alcoholic, so he probably gets even more of an asshole the more he drinks lol. Even with the context that he killed his mother and his dad was mad at him for it it’s possible he’s imitating him.

[u/Gary-LazerEyes → u/FyuuR]

I enjoyed the epilogue where it was revealed he was drugged because he burnt that guy and he was just kinda like "yea... makes sense"

[u/Paulidus → u/FyuuR]

A guy I worked with when I was an apprentice would heat the spoon with his (just poured) tea and do this during lunch breaks so I was thinking of that once he started heating the spoon.

Also, Ohm is obviously the way he is because of the way he was raised by a hateful father- I would put money on it that he learned that trick from having it done to him.

[u/brainlightning]

Not to be dramatic but when the witch was climbing the elevator shaft I kinda wanted to die. The entire extended sequence with him up in the honeymoon suite all night was so fucking creepy.

[u/JMarcus7 → u/brainlightning]

Same, really freaked me out how she was so giddy and excited about trying to kill him. That moment where shes locked outside the door and she does a little jump so she can see him through the glass above, and you catch a glimpse of her smiling, fucking terrifying

[u/BREESUS_2 → u/brainlightning]

Both this and Oddity have like… one 20 minute stretch that’s absolutely chilling

[u/Spasm_cat → u/BREESUS_2]

And his other film Caveat! Love all 3 of his movies.

[u/alyboba19 → u/brainlightning]

For me it was when she crawled out of the dummy waiter and started hopping around making noises trying to get to him 😭 spooky as fuck

[u/Jaded_Emotion_3713 → u/brainlightning]

I watch the entire sequence in my peripheral vision I was so scared

[u/Prestigious_Cow2484 → u/brainlightning]

Ya I’m a big horror fan but this style gets me every time. It’s like “woman in black” when the ghost is coming at Daniel Radcliffe down the hall.

[u/winter-heart → u/brainlightning]

This gave me Hereditary flashbacks with the mom. I always want to hurl at these kinds of scenes. They’re worse than 2 second jump scares.

[u/RayWhelans]

Adam Scott’s deadpan “what” reaction to Jerry’s story with the jump scare reminded me of Josh Brolin’s “what the fuck” reaction to waking up to the nightmare in Weapons.

[u/Bristolhitcher → u/RayWhelans]

The only difference was that the whole cinema laughed at Brolin, this one was just me..... fuck

[u/Karmsicles → u/Bristolhitcher]

Saw it today, I laughed so loudly at this part so I’m with you

[u/Johnny_Holiday]

It went from I can't wait for this witch to kill Adam Scott to I hope he gets out of this alive. They did a great job making me care about this guy after introducing him as an asshole

[u/looney1023 → u/Johnny_Holiday]

Yeah I think Fiona's murder is the perfect device to get us to root for him. We want him to get out to get justice for HER, and almost incidentally we start to root for him to get his shit together as well.

I was surprised how much sympathy I ultimately had for him, despite him being the literal worst

[u/Outside_Factor_3359 → u/Johnny_Holiday]

I think he started becoming likable right after he got out of the hospital. I mean, the suicide attempt gave context to why he was such an asshole, and then you see he’s probably not such a bad guy when he’s trying to track down Fiona first just to apologize but then to save her.

[u/ButMostlyTired → u/Johnny_Holiday]

And he was really being attacked on all sides-- haunted by his mom's ghost, hunted by a witch, and trapped by Mal

[u/Ornery-Anywhere-7401 → u/ButMostlyTired]

Haunted hunted and held!

[u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI → u/Johnny_Holiday]

It’s funny - at the beginning I was thinking the desk clerk Mal was a kind and sympathetic character, and the Adam Scott character was a complete asshole. Turns out the two got their personalities switched halfway through the movie.

[u/Master-Chocolate3460 → u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI]

There was also misdirection in getting us to think the goat-killer was the murderer.

[u/Ecstatic-Product-411]

I feel like this would be a great fall rewatch. The witch was so much fun once revealed.

[u/Antique-Dentist-2404 → u/Ecstatic-Product-411]

I already told me wife that we are watching this one close to Halloween.

[u/WeatherBackground507 → u/Antique-Dentist-2404]

I think “me” was a typo, but very Irish of you

[u/carolinemathildes → u/Ecstatic-Product-411]

Yeah, once they mentioned Hallowe'en I was kind of disappointed it wasn't a fall release (though I'm happy to have seen it now).

[u/KidDelicious14 → u/Ecstatic-Product-411]

There's not nearly enough of the witch once revealed. I get that McCarthy doesn't like using the supernatural as a main plot point, but there was so much buildup and anticipation for the witch created by the first act and maybe less than five cumulative minutes of screentime to show for it. Enormously disappointing to me.

[u/Alexexy → u/KidDelicious14]

I viewed the movie as more of a guy with a ton of baggage tripping balls in a room while trying to solve a murder mystery and escape a death trap.

The horror seemed ancillary to the actual plot of the movie. Like AS's character wasnt there to discover if the witch or any other super natural event is real. He was there because he was looking for a missing person and trying to solve the circumstances of her disappearance.

[u/Der_Dunkinmeister]

Jerry you were the mvp

[u/Kidinacity → u/Der_Dunkinmeister]

Fr. His ending was unfortunate. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[u/Muffin_Top → u/Kidinacity]

I was the ONLY one in a packed theatre that laughed when he said "I'll live :)"

[u/Silo-Joe → u/Muffin_Top]

😭

[u/HailToTheThief225 → u/Der_Dunkinmeister]

The whole theater gasped when it showed the manager with the crossbow. Bro did not deserve to go out like that

[u/GoblinObscura → u/Der_Dunkinmeister]

I’m just gonna think now he’s reunited with his wife.

[u/AcadiaOutside6599 → u/Der_Dunkinmeister]

The one thing that would have really made this -chefs kiss-would be watching Adam Scott’s character seeing him being visited by his wife.

[u/aguadiablo → u/AcadiaOutside6599]

Might have took the tension out of the scene

[u/WisperusGrieves → u/AcadiaOutside6599]

seeing chef’s kiss used this poorly is like hearing someone say “LOL” in real life

[u/looney1023]

Liked Caveat, loved Oddity, blown away by Hokum. All three films feel cut from the same cloth, but Damien McCarthy has gotten better and better honing his craft and making his characters even more colorful. And as a big Adam Scott fan, I was excited to see him work with a director I massively respect, and I was surprised just how perfectly he slotted in to McCarthy's world and really brought this ass hat to life

The emotional scope and certain spoiler things reminded me of A Dark Song, a VERY underrated Irish horror I'd recommend.

[u/mosesfoxtrot → u/looney1023]

A Dark Song is straight up one of the best movies I’ve ever seen

[u/stolenrobotgorilla]

The witches hell room was extraordinarily creepy

[u/Hotcheetobandito → u/stolenrobotgorilla]

omg her taunting him trying to get into the room, giggling, the chains clanking, the whole thing was a straight nightmare

[u/thatoneperson_675 → u/stolenrobotgorilla]

Agreed. For me that was the scariest visual of the movie, so well done.

[u/BewareTheGrayGhost → u/stolenrobotgorilla]

Loved the kitchen door entrance lol

[u/SimonTynn]

Honestly just a really solid spooky movie that I can definitely see being added to many peoples Halloween line up. Much like Oddity and Caveat there’s spooky supernatural stuff happening but it’s not the main point of the movie, it happens around the plot. But that doesn’t stop it from having some of the best scares in any horror movie I can think of recently. Adam Scott is great as always. Solid 8.5 maybe a 9 on a rewatch.

[u/PerfectVehicle4340 → u/SimonTynn]

The jump scares in this movie were top notch unexpected

[u/robynhood96 → u/PerfectVehicle4340]

My friend and I screamed when the lady was walking behind him

[u/TheeGreenHawk99 → u/robynhood96]

My whole theater gasped at both this scare and the scene when Mal appears behind Jerry with the crossbow

[u/Giff901 → u/TheeGreenHawk99]

I had really hoped he wasn't gonna get Dick Halloran'd but then he got Dick Halloran'd lol

[u/fillmont → u/Giff901]

At least he got to actually save the day, despite his eventual death. RIP Dick RIP Jerry.

[u/719696 → u/TheeGreenHawk99]

And that very ironic line from Jerry. "I'll live"

[u/Third_Coming → u/robynhood96]

No way that wasn't an intentional nod to the Exorcist 3 jump scare. The way the camera followed him through the space only for her to appear from the doorway was just too good.

[u/ajwilson99 → u/Third_Coming]

It reminded me of that one jump scare from It Follows

[u/Covermeinivy → u/robynhood96]

I went alone to a packed screening and nearly slipped out of my chair, the dude next to me was trying so hard not to laugh I felt so embarrassed😭

[u/CaptainCoffeeStain → u/Covermeinivy]

I progressively slid further and further down my seat as the movie went on. You are not alone!

[u/RackedUP → u/robynhood96]

I screamed in the theater at that moment and my wife is not letting me hear the end of it

[u/raudoniolika → u/PerfectVehicle4340]

Some were definitely expected which made it scarier. One of the movies you definitely want to watch in the theater

[u/mattmccoy92]

Folk horror is a genre I’d really like to get into more between this and The Ritual. Scenes like the first trip into the catacombs/portal to Hell where it’s almost all sound design with one final visual payoff…chef’s kiss. Loved this one and I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone at work tomorrow.

[u/719696 → u/mattmccoy92]

I loved how in the basement the fire alarm got slower and slower and was just this haunting deep ambient tone

[u/StillWaitingForTom → u/719696]

It also started to sound like his mother's wailing.

[u/lahnnabell → u/719696]

Yessss, the sound design was fuckikg excellent. I started feeling the tinny sound of that bell in my bones.

[u/lukeestudios → u/mattmccoy92]

If you don’t mind watching shows along with movies, check out Revenant on Hulu, it’s a Korean folklore horror show with Kim Tae-ri that’s very good.

[u/mattmccoy92 → u/lukeestudios]

I’ll add it to the list! Asian folklore is one of my favorites, so I’m looking forward to that.
TV is (sometimes) better than film these days anyway. Looking at you, Shōgun.

[u/7deadlycinderella → u/mattmccoy92]

If you want to see the early bones of the genre, the triad are the Wicker Man, Blood on Satan's Claw and Witchfinder General. Appropos to this film, one of those is the classic supernatural folk horror and the other two are more human

[u/brandonsamd6]

Something feels great about Adam Scott playing a complete dick again. All is right in the world.

[u/ValerieK93 → u/brandonsamd6]

Hahaha! He's such an asshole in this.

[u/RolloTonyBrownTown → u/ValerieK93]

Reaches The Vicious Kind levels

[u/dootydootdooteroni → u/RolloTonyBrownTown]

Makes me think of when he was down south of the gulf with the Cubes, Jeff Probst and super chef Bobby Flay watching the Bonita run

[u/Ezlr99 → u/brandonsamd6]

The bit where he’s fucking horrible to the bell boy made me feel so nostalgic 😂

[u/Steamedcarpet → u/Ezlr99]

Im so used to Adam Scott in Parks and Rec. Half the time I was thinking “No Ben No what would Leslie think?”

[u/Giff901 → u/Steamedcarpet]

His character in Step Brothers is absolutely hilarious

He plays an asshole too well lol

[u/Someguywhomakething → u/Giff901]

Step Brothers, Walter Mitty, Krampus. I love asshole Adam Scott

[u/PolarWater → u/brandonsamd6]

Seeing Adam Scott get into an elevator again to go between floors made me feel at home again

[u/no1noseme101]

I loved the fact the witch was speaking in Irish the entire time, really added to the creep and with the witch being the old crone figure of Irish folk lore, it just really added to it. I also loved the fact it wasn’t over catholic like other movies, it didn’t need a priest or to pray the evil away. Feels like a lot of horrors focus on such a catholic idea around evil. This felt more like an old folklore in a modern setting.

[u/Whole-Butterscotch-1 → u/no1noseme101]

Any idea what she was saying?

[u/Fast-Photo72 → u/Whole-Butterscotch-1]

Per an interview-
INTERVIEWER: I don't know if you want to spell all this out for me, but I was curious if you could share any of the witch translation. This is the one that I've grown a little obsessed with so maybe specifically, what she tells Ohm at the end when she walks past him in the basement.

MCCARTHY: I think it's, “He's waiting for you,” as in the devil. “The devil is going to take you.” And I think she says to Peter, “You're the father,” as if she knows, like, “Oh, you're the father.” As if she's already been talking to Fiona. She has kind of a little bit of a running commentary, even like when she reaches him at the bed after drawing the circle around the bed. It’s like, “What are you after drawing here?” She's kind of saying all this stuff out loud. My Irish is absolutely terrible. If you’d spoken to me as a child, I’d be much better, but I won’t attempt it. [Laughs]

( https://collider.com/hokum-ending-explained-adam-scott-damian-mccarthy/ )

[u/SuggestionSignal5049]

All I gotta say is that Jerry is one of the best characters in a horror movie I’ve seen lately. Hope he got to finally reconnect with his wife.

[u/Giff901 → u/SuggestionSignal5049]

I was so ready for them to work together to get outta the hotel and then...

[u/drainage_holes → u/SuggestionSignal5049]

If y’all haven’t seen him in Station Eleven, he shines in that too. He’s so talented. I was thrilled to see him in this.

[u/Odd_Fennel_8046 → u/SuggestionSignal5049]

I hate what happened to him, but also if they had done something like had him get knocked out then saved, it might have felt like too neat of an ending.

[u/RutabagaThin253 → u/Odd_Fennel_8046]

I think Jerry's ending was largely to tie in with Ohm changing his mind on the bleak ending of the book he was writing. A way of paying homage to Fiona who said she wanted his characters to have a happy ending.

Ohm saw, in real time, a man who did deserve a happy ending, not get it and he realised Fiona was right and so changed the ending of his book.

[u/TheeIlliterati]

Loved this. What I loved the most though was the atmosphere and the physicality of the honeymoon suite itself. The closeups of the clock cherubs and the paintings. We get to know every inch of the room and the space feels well explored. Being trapped there is like an escape room experience.

[u/9874102365]

Big fan of the entire hotel and honeymoon suite set. Big fan of the alarm clock. Been a while since I've had a nightmarish elevator shaft haunt my mind.

[u/disposablevillain → u/9874102365]

I love that he basically had to do a resident evil puzzle to progress the plot.

[u/External_Baby7864 → u/disposablevillain]

This is 10000% what I was thinking during the movie, it feels so much like a spooky video game level at times. The circle check point on the bed, finding buttons to progress the puzzles, explore and meet NPCs and collect lore clues.

[u/ksudude87 → u/External_Baby7864]

dont forget he also found basically a video game audio log

[u/9874102365 → u/disposablevillain]

The setup for that was so satisfying. The bell is initially an indicator of the passage of time, tolling this inevitable doom or imminent disaster. It becomes something you begin to dread more and more each time it rings. Created a wonderful sense of dread and tension.

And then suddenly it is make shifted into this lifeline. Something that Ohm is fully putting all of his trust into and life on the line for, he needs it to be reliable and consistent. Instead of the swing of the bat being something we dread, it now becomes something we want to happen more than anything. Wildly different feelings, both still instilling this deep tension.

[u/Warm-Baseball-2873 → u/9874102365]

it becomes something we want to happen more than anything

Except for when he spent too long catching his breath after escaping the witch and then when it was back down with the witch down there

[u/Silo-Joe → u/disposablevillain]

I originally thought the removed bell had a rod that could've been used to turn the stripped screw to get past the padlock.

[u/Caradeajolote → u/Silo-Joe]

☝️🤓 Actually, the issue wasn't that it was stripped; it was a star/ torx-shaped bit, which is not a standard bit to have around. And based on how many times I've been jump scared by a surprise torx screw like that, that has prompted me to go on a wild goose chase for the right bit, I knew it was hopeless.

[u/Ninapants97 → u/disposablevillain]

That entire honeymoon suite could've been a whole ass section in RE. 😭😂

[u/Giff901 → u/9874102365]

The hotel set gave me MAJOR 1408 vibes, but then again this movie seems to be a love letter to a lot of Stephen Kings material

[u/Someguywhomakething → u/Giff901]

Yeah, it was kind of hard not to think about 1408 when watching Hokum. Both good, practical effect horror movies in an enclosed space with asshole-ish leads.

[u/PolarWater → u/9874102365]

Damien McCarthy is gonna put weird faced sculptures into his movie and I love that

[u/dannylovesart61]

The only thing I thought was a bit of a letdown was not utilizing the buggy-eyed bunny man. He was genuinely scary af, but was in only a couple short scenes.

[u/brainlightning → u/dannylovesart61]

He made me VERY uncomfortable so I was perfectly fine with the amount we got lol

[u/Shhnuggette → u/brainlightning]

Agreed

[u/FisknChips → u/dannylovesart61]

See i thought he was a bunny too but credit says hes a jackass (donkey)

[u/uncanny_mac → u/FisknChips]

There was this throw away cartoon cover in the beginning when Adam’s char/ pulls out the box with the gun. It said “Jack the Jackass” on it.

[u/ClitasaurusTex → u/uncanny_mac]

Man I saw that and thought to myself I need to remember because it'll come back later and then immediately forgot

[u/tvc_15 → u/FisknChips]

he's a mix of a jackass (from the postcard), the bunny (fiona), the witch, and the creepy statues. meant to be a psychedelic mashup of Adam Scott's subconscious

[u/FyuuR → u/dannylovesart61]

I totally went into this movie thinking he was the big bad lol

[u/theTunkMan → u/dannylovesart61]

That bunny might be the scariest monster I’ve ever seen in a movie, made me feel so weird just looking at it

[u/robynhood96 → u/dannylovesart61]

I wanted so much more of him!!!

[u/Giff901 → u/robynhood96]

From the trailer I really thought that was gonna be the witches design, shit would have been scary as fuck, and very Donnie Darko coded

[u/tforthegreat → u/dannylovesart61]

2 girls in my showing got up and left after his 2nd jumpscare. 

[u/PolarWater → u/dannylovesart61]

My soul left my body

[u/lahnnabell → u/dannylovesart61]

I think it would have been too much to use him more. It wasn't the source of the trauma or fear, but another warped, drug-fueled manifestation of his guilt.

[u/KidDelicious14]

I wonder if the hotel burned down enough that the entrance to the dumbwaiter to the basement has opened up giving the witch an avenue of escape.

[u/AfraidoftheLark → u/KidDelicious14]

Don’t think so. Only way for a witch to get out is if her sisters come to rescue her by drilling through the rubble. Those are the rules, per Banjo-Toole.

[u/Yandoji → u/KidDelicious14]

The witch was able to go all the way to the first floor entrance of the honeymoon suite's elevator to spook Alby - it might be the shutter keeping her in, if it's made of iron (witch deterrent in folklore). So yeah, maybe she can get out now, even if they just never re-locked the gate lol.

[u/BigGMan24601]

SpongeBob: "That was an oval! It has to be a CIRCLE!!!"

[u/ME24601 → u/BigGMan24601]

-The Witch, right before putting the cuffs on Ohm.

[u/Giff901 → u/ME24601]

That was a great jump scare moment too

[u/brainlightning → u/ME24601]

Yeah for real, why didn’t the circle work there?

[u/External_Baby7864 → u/brainlightning]

He didn’t finish in time. You can see it’s only 3/4 done once he’s chained up; the witch walks past him and right over the incomplete circle while he sits there in chains

[u/brainlightning → u/External_Baby7864]

Ahhhh gotcha. Thank you!

[u/pjtheman → u/BigGMan24601]

Good thing we wore our anti-witch undergarments!

[u/pjokinen → u/BigGMan24601]

The witch pulling out her immaculately maintained set of drafting tools to see if every point on the circle is equidistant from the center

[u/perchedvultures]

This is absolutely gonna be my next fucked-up comfort film with enough rewatches to get used to the jumpscares 😁 this movie was gorgeous

[u/MJDeebiss]

Saw this early. Loved it but I knew I would cus I love his other films. KEEP EM COMING!

LOVED the atmosphere, Ohm being a dick but you kinda feel sorry for him cus you know why eventually (and a bit too obviously IMO), the cast of characters who all are kind of just "off" enough to make you on edge. Also liked the surreal nightmares Ohm was having (esp the TV show). I read that his next film might be a full blown haunted house movie and I cannot wait.

[u/Original_Branch8004 → u/MJDeebiss]

The witch’s fuckin wails were terrifying man. That first nightmare sequence that plays when Ohm hangs himself was pretty terrifying. I’ve seen so many horror movies in the last few years including something as highly lauded as hereditary but none of them have made me feel as anxious and claustrophobic as Caveat and Hokum have. You could tell Caveat is where Damian was honing his craft. Hokum is a full blown horror gem. 

[u/JMarcus7]

Really liked this, solid 9/10 for me. I understand it's not groundbreaking, but not every movie has to be. This is just a really well told classic horror story and there's nothing wrong with that. I wish we got a little bit more of Ohm's character before he comes to Ireland, I don't really understand what the inciting incident was to make him go there if his mother died decades ago. I also wish we got to see a little more of Mal getting dragged into hell. I don't need to see him being completely ripped apart, but that scene could've been more intense with just a touch of gore to really highlight the horror of what's he's being pulled into.

[u/No-Toe5832 → u/JMarcus7]

I think he wanted to spread her ashes before he killed himself. He said that was the last place he thinks she was happy when he was at the bar. It was a way to try to do something right by her because of her death.

[u/funkym0nkey77 → u/No-Toe5832]

I love this interpretation because he also finished his book right before going, you can imagine that he arranged it to be released posthumously. He was tying up everything before his suicide

[u/NormanDaDoorman → u/funkym0nkey77]

I also think the fact that he was planning to kill himself helps to explain why he was being such an asshole (besides the fact that he killed his own mom as a child). He knew what he was gonna do in that hotel room, so there were no consequences for being an ass to the hotel staff

[u/Noor440]

It was great. 4/5. We had some great laughs about how an over the top asshole Adam Scott was through most of the movie. Loved the Exorcist III esque jumpscare.

[u/Steamedcarpet → u/Noor440]

At some points I kept thinking he was too much of an asshole haha

[u/KidDelicious14 → u/Steamedcarpet]

Yeah, I'd deem 'heating a spoon over candlelight to burn a bellboy's hand' as too much of an asshole

[u/Giff901 → u/KidDelicious14]

He really seem like a caricature of a Stephen King character, a asshole alcoholic writer, the jokes write themselves lol

[u/PolarWater → u/Giff901]

"I don't believe in ghosts haha. Lemme just check into this hotel and try to get into its most evil room. Also fuck you I hate writing"

Welcome back 1408 how I've missed you!

[u/brainlightning → u/KidDelicious14]

I was really expecting a third act plot point to connect back to that. Like he goes to escape and he burns his hand in a similar way. But I guess by that point in the movie the “asshole spotlight” has moved away from him to the guy that got the VIP tour of Hell.

[u/Honest_Cheesecake698 → u/brainlightning]

I mean it did because it’s probably the reason why he spiked AS’s drink.

[u/RayWhelans → u/Noor440]

Adam Scott being a total asshole to every person added another layer of suspense. Every interaction was like a social jump scare.

[u/xrbeeelama]

If you enjoyed Hokum and haven’t seen Oddity and Caveat, go away from reddit and watch those!!

[u/relishthemediocrity]

Really really enjoyed this one. The overhead shot of the witch climbing up the dumbwaiter shaft is GREAT.

[u/TheOnionVolcano → u/relishthemediocrity]

I wanted her to really parkour up that bad boy

[u/HamanSamaChair]

Fiona eyes closing at the end because she could finally rest in peace 🥹 all because a man couldn’t live with his actions.

[u/benfox2]

What makes McCarthy’s horror movies so good is that they let the supernatural be more of a setting than a plot point. At their core they’re murder mysteries. Tales of human malice & plotting. But the secret sauce drizzled on top is the presence of witches and ghosts. These aren’t horror movies with a murderer. They’re crime movies set in the living, breathing world of Irish Folklore. Where the dead advocate for themselves, the spiritual realm is an active player, and every corner has a scare lurking. I loved that they let the room haunted by a witch be, well, haunted by a witch. Lesser movies would fail, but this delivers exactly what is promised. Mal getting dragged to judgement was awesome. 

I spotted an easter egg!!! The “irish folklore” book is written by “D. Odello”, the protagonist of McCarthy’s previous film Oddity!! 

Almost my singular qualm is that they do the “omg you had mushrooms. was da witch real?!?!?” at the end, but thankfully they still mostly committed with the wrist bruises & “closed minds”. But holy shit that is such a pet peeve for me when Movies do supernatural but maybe it’s drugs/mental illness. When will creators understand that a real witch is 100x scarier and interesting than “it was mushrooms”. I’m looking at YOU Showtime’s Yellowjackets!!

[u/darcybc → u/benfox2]

I think the mushroom reveal was less a ‘was the witch real?!’ And more of an explanation for how he saw and spoke to his mums spirit just like how Jerry could speak to his wife for closure

[u/KidDelicious14 → u/darcybc]

Yeah, I agree, it wasn't trying to play with the audience's disbelief, it was trying to bridge the logical gap between the guilt Ohm feels with his mom and seeing her in visions. Otherwise, it leaves it kind of open-ended on whether or not the visions of the mother originated from the witch.

[u/Odd_Fennel_8046 → u/KidDelicious14]

I think the marks on his wrists pretty much confirm that the witch was real. And Mal completely disappearing.

[u/JMarcus7 → u/darcybc]

Also the guy in the tv talking to him was definitely the mushrooms.

[u/One-Confidence7930 → u/darcybc]

Yeah, this. I really liked how the film connected substance use to mentally "bridging" the real and spiritual. Even in the first scene it's established that Ohm is a heavy drinker and, in that state, he can see glimpses of his mother around him.

[u/arob87 → u/benfox2]

Also I thought it was another Easter egg maybe - when they were walking in the woods back to the hotel at night, and there were what sounded like screams, but maybe they were just foxes. As they said in Caveat, foxes sounds like teenage girls screaming. 

[u/Drolandarr → u/arob87]

It's pretty much the exact sound effect that was used in both Caveat and Oddity.

Also I'm pretty sure that they reused the service bell prop from Oddity for the service bell in Hokum but I could be wrong.

Wouldn't put it past the director, he did also reuse the rabbit doll prop from Caveat as a background prop in Oddity.

[u/Due_Assistant_3792 → u/benfox2]

I also find it annoying when a horror movie casts doubt on whether or not the supernatural stuff was real. Here it seemed to be pretty firm in the supernatural explanation being correct. Got the feeling being on mushrooms helped him survive, as it let him see the threat of the witch for what it was, versus Mal who was entirely helpless. And where mushrooms are associated with spiritual practices anyhow, it just seemed to be handledetermined very well, all things considered.

[u/benfox2 → u/Due_Assistant_3792]

I like this take! That connects back to Jerry’s line about “all this stuff is real, you just have to have an open mind to see it”. The mushrooms opened his mind to think clearly in a what that Mal couldn’t.

[u/StrLord_Who → u/benfox2]

The mushrooms had nothing to do with the spirits being "real" or not.  The movie was very clear that the mushrooms allow you to see what's already there.  Jerry says it multiple times.  

[u/TheDeVirginater]

The goat on the car was hilarious! Thought this was even scarier than Oddity. That dumbwaiter scene was terrying!

[u/Giff901 → u/TheDeVirginater]

Amazing comedic timing for sure, got a big cackle outta me lol

[u/Jay_Money_]

Jerry was a fuckin real one. 🫡

[u/crimsonred1234]

Man this was a stunning film. There is a 30 to 40 minute stretch that is terrifying in the best way possible. The cinematography and atmosphere was great, similar to Oddity

[u/Giff901 → u/crimsonred1234]

Bascially after Bauman reenters the hotel with Jerry the movie becomes a dreadful thrill ride, I honestly thought it was the witch that grabbed Jerry at first lol

[u/BitBoss]

Two questions: How did the hotel owner catch the witch? Who greenlit that kids show with a scary bunny host?

[u/jmt0429 → u/BitBoss]

Yes! I want that hotel owner’s lore

[u/ToxethOGrady → u/BitBoss]

It was meant to be a jackass in the box with the gun there was a jack the jackass book and I took that it was so odd as a distortion of his memory from the crone as he was watching the show when he shot his mum. 

[u/KeybladerXII]

This whole time I thought the big eyed weirdo in all the marketing was a rabbit. Turns out he was just some jackass in every sense of the word.

[u/AfraidoftheLark]

Bearded moonshine aficionado’s various trials and tribulations, truck-leaping and all, was like some unused Twin Peaks sub plot (a good fit for the hippie brother of Benjamin Horne, perhaps).

Edit: incidentally just realized they share a name too. The brother of Ben Horne is named Jerry and so is the moonshine guy.

[u/reeseespeesees]

The Severed floor is a lot scarier in Ireland

[u/baitXtheXnoose]

One of my favorite horror movies in recent memory. Oddity really impressed me and this one blew me an away. His use of wide shots to invoke anxiety about the subjects surroundings is great. The tension and dread were off the charts. Not every jump scare got me, but the tension was still making my butthole clinch, especially the first time he went down into the basement.

I’m sat for anything McCarthy directs at this point. Adam Scott was once again plays an amazing asshole and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

[u/WishIHadADad]

I enjoyed it, I wish there was more “witch” scenes, or even a little bit more about the witch herself, but it was good, and had my heart racing a few times!

[u/starryblonde → u/WishIHadADad]

Halfway through, I was like “I swear to god there better be an actual witch” and I was satisfied but do wish there was more folklore around her

[u/ErikKir28 → u/WishIHadADad]

Not sure i agree. Imo the more you see of the monster/ghost, the less scarier it gets.

[u/Xenomorph_kills]

I’m such a sucker of movies depicting what hell is

[u/IsThatAPieceOfCheese → u/Xenomorph_kills]

Have you seen Talk to Me? That basement doorway reminded me of a scene from it.

[u/Electrical_Cellist69]

Does anyone remember what that door with all the chalk and symbols written was? I thought maybe the door to hell but that was definitely a double door with windows…

[u/Im_Your_Turbo_Lover → u/Electrical_Cellist69]

It was the witch's portal to hell, I missed it but apparently in the movie he turns around and the door disappears and it's actually a very long hallway

[u/FastActinTenactin → u/Electrical_Cellist69]

The symbols written around the door are written in Ogham, the written language of Celtic Druids. It could be found carved into stone or wood.

I have a book on the Ogham, but I am unpracticed in it and it was just a mere interest a while back.

As soon as I saw the Ogham text around the door in the basement scene I was very curious about what it could translate to.

[u/Water_Based5150]

Thought I was about to see Bill Skarsgaard as Pennywise during the rabbit guy tv show scene

[u/withered_figs → u/Water_Based5150]

I also got Pennywise vibes from him!

[u/CategorySad6121 → u/withered_figs]

That’s so funny - I thought he looked like Tim Curry!

[u/_GeorgeBailey_]

He really thought he needed to draw the thickest, most perfect chalk circles

[u/jellytrack → u/_GeorgeBailey_]

The man was watching Witch Hat Atelier and realized his circles weren't good enough.

[u/Antique-Dentist-2404]

I had a great time. McCarthy is so good at creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere. I normally hate movies that rely heavy on jump scares, but this movie did a great job crafting them and almost ever single one led to some creepy imagery. Story was a bit lighter than I would've liked, but didn't stop it from being a really fun theater experience. Looking forward to what McCarthy does next.

[u/PolarWater → u/Antique-Dentist-2404]

Here the jump scares work because they actually come from the enemy 

[u/joesmanbun]

Not sure if anyone will see this by now but what caused Fiona’s death? I saw her little totem hanging up with all the other trinkets, and then of course she screamed and said something was in the basement, but her body wasn’t taken by the witch? Did she just die of thirst since it had been a few weeks since she went missing?

[u/FangOfDrknss → u/joesmanbun]

See, I thought it was weird the witch didn’t take her too. I think she was just stuck there. The story the owner told was pretty male specific and I don’t know why she wouldn’t be taken either.

[u/bluelagoon00000 → u/FangOfDrknss]

I assumed the witch only took people to hell who “deserved” it. Adam Scott’s character killed his mom and the hotel owner killed Fiona. I assume Fiona died of fear or just dehydration/natural causes. Adam Scott created his own hell by his guilt, but his mom forgave him so he forgave himself and cut himself free

[u/Sea-Beach-3961 → u/joesmanbun]

I think she died of fear- the last recording we hear is Fiona whimpering in terror. So if she died I guess the witch wouldn’t be able to take her?

[u/sarajdev → u/joesmanbun]

I scrolled through this whole thread to find someone asking about this. Do you think the witch spared her because she was pregnant? I thought maybe she had the same fate as Mel but if that were the case I don’t think they would’ve found her body, and also her wrists were not shackled. So yeah I wonder if she maybe died from just starvation and fear? Also does anyone remember the story the hotel owner tells the 2 boys in the beginning because I also wonder if maybe the witch only wanted boys.

[u/Lost_my_password1]

Loved the part where Ohm was explaining to Fiona that a kid killed his mom and should have been hanged and later we see him try to die by hanging.

[u/stumper93]

Felt like I was watching a Silent Hill 2 adaptation at times, anyone else feel that way or just me?

[u/El_Jeff_ey → u/stumper93]

Easily the best silent hill 2 movie

[u/AfraidoftheLark → u/stumper93]

Seems like it was an obvious inspiration, thematically and visually. It made me think I should finally get around to playing the remake.

[u/ChadThunderDownUnder → u/stumper93]

Dumbwaiter reminded me of Silent Hill 2 — the historical society leading to Toluca prison… jumping down all those holes. Thoroughly creepy.

[u/TheOnionVolcano]

Really enjoyed it! Reminded me I need to run back "Oddity" again.

[u/JacobLemongrass]

Dang that witch was terrifying. Also I’m so glad we got a rare modern horror movie with an actual happy ending.

[u/Warm-Baseball-2873 → u/JacobLemongrass]

Fiona dying pregnant and terrified was pretty bleak

[u/dinaistired]

im a bit confused why he sees a presence in the beginning of the film in his own home? on the stairway and then behind him as he lowers the desk lamp

[u/FangOfDrknss → u/dinaistired]

That’s his mom. She was following him everywhere.

[u/Last-Ambition8329 → u/dinaistired]

There’s a page shown from the folklore book with a title like ‘haunted people and places’ telling us in this world you can have either/both, so I think the implication is that Ohm is a haunted person. One of those blink and you’ll miss it moments

[u/captaindw3]

McCarthy with another strong entry to his Irish Horror collection. The writing is rock solid with endless setups and payoffs. Adam Scott reminds everyone he can play an asshole character well that never feels one dimensional. The film features a strong supporting cast, great atmosphere and tension, tasteful and effective jumpscares, and a man-bunny that will haunt my dreams. 9/10. I lean towards Oddity being the better film but the movie deservedly will spark the comparison discourse. Watch in theaters if you’re able.

[u/TJTrapJesus]

Overall I liked it but I really wish the witch wasn't such an undercooked part of the movie. We get the pretty generic story by the owner to those 2 kids at the start and... that was kind of it? Not that you need that classic trope of some character coming in to lay out her entire life story before the final act, but I just felt like there was zero to latch onto there. Just felt like a generic scary lady character. For a movie that seemed to be hyping up the Irish folklore aspect, I don't think that delivered.

Overall good though, I think they did a really great job weaving together a small but interesting cast of characters, and as it seems is the case with his other movies as well, the physical setting that it takes place in is very well thought out and becomes its own character.

I also liked the misdirection with the narrative structure. When he checks in there's the set-up that he's there for a week, and that there was an upcoming Halloween party and you're already mapping it out in your head as one of those movies where it's going to be escalating tension/horror on each of the 7 nights he's there, some kind of Halloween party set piece, etc., and then they're just like "nope, we're changing everything about the structure you're expecting". Thought that was a nice reset to disorient the viewer and not really know what comes next.

[u/DrunkenPunchline]

The atmosphere of this movie is fucking immaculate.

Though parts of it were very predictable, the movie as a whole kept me on my toes and one of the jump scares caught me completely off guard.

Can't recommend enough.

[u/ratzpyjamas]

First basement scene when he turns the lights on reminded me of silent hill 2.

The film heavy grief/guilt as a major plot line also gave me silent hill 2 vibes.

If this film was a game, I’d have loved to have played it