The last couple of years there have been some smart and creative horror films taking over the genre. The latest, Hokum starring Adam Scott from Oddity and Caveat director Damian McCarthy offered up some truly creepy trailers and buzz was that it hit all the marks. Could this film live up to the hype it’s been receiving, or will it not be a hotel worth staying at?

 

Hokum follows novelist Ohm Bauman as he retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, only to become consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront the darkest corners of his past.

 

The trailers for this film sucked me in instantly with the possibility of some great horror. The buzz on the film was that it was scary, but I am always leery of that hype as it is all subjective and most of the time doesn’t meet expectations. I didn’t find the film all that scary at all, but I did find myself enjoying the tone and journey it takes you on despite a few issues.

 

The overall tone of the film reminded me of the Shining in a good way. It’s an easy set up that lets the story unfold to reveal all the trauma and issues from both Ohm and the hotel itself. It’s a slow build but wastes no time in introducing all the crazy characters at the hotel instantly getting you to speculate to who or what is involved. It does run a bit slow at times, but thankfully its interesting enough to pull you back most of the time.

 

Adam Scott is fantastic in the film, bringing some pompous energy initially, but slowly opens the emotions and vulnerability that turns things heavier. As the mystery and bizarre nature of the hotel starts to unfold, it gets creepier and offers more mystery although some of it is pretty easy to figure out but doesn’t hurt the overall execution of its narrative.

 

​