Hokum invites us to embrace being scared
Though the word sounds like the name of an ancient demon stalking the Pacific Northwest woodlands, “hokum” is actually a noun that refers to any media or material (like a film, for example) that is insincere, exaggerated, or manipulative for the sole purpose of pleasing audiences. In the case of the new horror film, Hokum, by Damian McCarthy (Oddity), the idea of art as “hokum” is both explored within the context of the story and in a metatextual sense. Despite a minor reliance on cheap thrills (more on that later) and vague character motivations, Hokum is a terrifying good time due to Adam Scott’s performance and McCarthy’s impressive ability to keep ratcheting the intensity.
Scott (Severance) stars as Ohm Bauman, a successful novelist who decides to visit a remote Irish hotel in order to spread his parents’ ashes. Shortly after his arrival, Ohm discovers that the hotel features a haunted history. Scott is terrific at portraying an American fish-out-of-water amid Irish locals. As an actor, Scott has banked a good amount of goodwill from his previous TV and film roles, so his rudeness isn’t a turnoff; rather, it’s darkly humorous. Fittingly, the Bauman character is a middle-aged curmudgeon, a man most comfortable alone wallowing in self-pity while conjuring up sad endings to his latest books. Scott has a knack for including smarmy grins to accentuate his character’s standoffish attitude, playing well off other kindhearted characters while balancing out the big scares with levity.
Bauman’s resistance to giving his readers what they want (a happy ending) is in direct opposition to the idea of “hokum,” yet the joke is on him as the audience gets to watch Bauman get caught in a web of supernatural horrors. Even the plethora of cheap jump scares, though super effective, are also a way for McCarthy to wink at us, suggesting “well, this is what you wanted, isn’t it?” The meta story-within-a-story nature of Hokum is part of the fun, and adds to the film’s classic haunted house feel.
Cheap thrills can be useful and notable, or annoying and, well, cheap. McCarthy seems to relish the opportunity to deploy a mix of horror tropes, clichés, and practical effects, manifesting some truly nightmarish imagery. Yet, beneath Hokum’s scary surface layer resides a subtly multifaceted story exploring themes of creativity and guilt. Your mileage may vary on whether you feel the scares were “earned,” or even if they make narrative sense, but try asking yourself “why” in regards to most horror films and you will find yourself fruitlessly seeking logical answers.
I very much look forward to revisiting Hokum. Now that I can anticipate the jump scares, there’s more meat on the bones to explore. Without spoiling any details, each of Hokum’s ultimate trifecta of horror genre storylines that collide in the film’s finale could have easily supported its own film. Hokum’s unexpectedness, even its (arguable) messiness, is a feature, not a bug. After all, where’s the harm in having a little naughty fun messing with storytelling, messing with scare tactics, and messing with us?
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Hokum opens in theaters on Friday, May 1st.
