Hokum – Review

As a story plays out before our eyes, we are privy to our main character’s epilogue for his novel, as he is an author penning his work. This is Ohm Bauman (Scott). Let the metaphors begin! Ohm consumes alcohol at his desk while a heavy desert scene plays out in his mind’s eye as his fingers tap it into existence into his laptop’s word processor.

Has Ohm finished an epic masterpiece? What is the content of this manuscript? Will it be thematically rife with his own similar life events and emotions? Well, probably, but first we’ll go ahead and say that things get creepy right off the bat. Ohm is writing on a dark and rainy night and there are unfortunate visual manifestations to be reconciled with. Uh oh.

Alright, off to find the plot. As Ohm heads deep into Ireland’s countryside visiting for the first time, he stops at a hotel. It is time for him to spread his parents’ remains at a specific spot, as they have recently passed. He will be there for a week and has a few clues to find a large tree. As this is a film about a writer heading to a faraway country to deal with dead parents, I am sure there will be no metaphorical or psychological issues or agonizing supernatural forces to deal with, right?

Hokum is a well put together chiller. It visually invites the eye to follow its mysteries and draws the viewers to its scares while presenting its scary folk horror story. The hotel setting is classic and gorgeous, yet eerie, while the surrounding nature can be fully felt. It is unsettling at times and does what it sets out to do with its script.

There are a few decent plot turns and a couple surprises to keep the story interesting as it goes and set it apart from a basic haunting tale. In general, Hokum is quality and is another decent outing from the writer/director, with the cast bringing their A-game.