Adam Scott stars as author Ohm Bauman who travels to a country hotel in Ireland to spread the ashes of his parents, as they had a happy holiday there. With Hallowe’en approaching, the hotel employees talk about a witch in the locked off honeymoon suite, pricking Ohm’s interest.
Writer/director Damian McCarthy has an eye for creating some startling images and, with the rickety old hotel, has devised quite a spooky setting. As almost always with films in this genre, characters make questionable decisions that put themselves in danger, but McCarthy does help explain that by showing Ohm has a troubled state of mind.
As is also common in horror movies, there are a few too many ideas crammed into the plot but that is mitigated by having quite complex characters. For example, Ohm shows glimpses of charm but is frequently arrogant and a few of the hotel staff are not what they first appear.
Scott does a good job and there are notable supporting performances from Will O’Connell who brings some welcome comic relief and Florence Ordesh.
There is nothing startlingly original in Hokum, but it is a well crafted chiller.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10