Damian McCarthy’s most recent film HOKUM (2026) is an excellent supernatural tale and as a follow up to ODDITY (2024) seems the perfect continuation of themes that he is addressing through horror. Both films use grief as the catalyst for actions taken by the main characters. In each story this grief leads to violence but in HOKUM the focus is not on revenge but on how grief can stunt the ability to move forward, twisting emotions into their darkest forms.
In the film successful author Ohm Bauman is dealing with writer’s block and decides to take his parent’s ashes to Ireland to spread them in a place they loved. Adam Scott’s phenomenal lead performance brings a cynical, layered desperation to the film that allows for shifts in tone a few times. When we get to know the character in the first act he is an offensive, unlikeable bastard with a pitch-black worldview. We are shown a visualization of the story he is currently working on and its darkness is clearly born of deep misanthropy. We follow him into the second act because the mysterious old inn with its tale of a haunted honeymoon suite is fascinating, not because we find him appealing. The folklore of the place and the odd individuals working there are interesting enough to keep us watching even as we have doubts about our main character’s personality. Slowly we become aware of his feelings of grief which mitigate some of the harsher judgements we are tempted to ascribe to him but we’re then distracted by odd occurrences with his place as an avatar for our curiosity sufficient to stay engaged. Then the corpse shows up and all bets are off! Luckily, as the story unspools, we learn more about Ohm’s tragic history with his parents making him less of a jerk while never completely softening him. This is a smart, gorgeously photographed tale of the evil that we are capable of laced with enough hope to make its ending satisfying. I eagerly await McCarthy’s next film.
The List
SPECTERS (1987) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)
HOKUM (2026) – 8
MOONLIGHT SWORD & JADE LION (1977) – 6 (Angela Mao searches for her master’s brother)
HELL HAS NO BOUNDARIES (1982) – 7 (well played Hong Kong horror)
ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE (2023) – 9 (excellent documentary)
DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID (1982) – 7 (should have watched this years ago)
DJANGO STRIKES AGAIN (1987) – 7 (rewatch)
THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026) – 8 (heartwarming, funny and a good mystery as well)
MALOMBRA (1984) – 5 (dull Spanish softcore gothic)
ANTIVIRAL (2012) – 8 (Brandon Cronenberg’s futuristic thriller)
IN THE GREY (2026) – 7 (another well made action film from Guy Ritchie)
OBSESSION (2026) – 8 (disturbing analogy for mental illness in romantic relationships)
THE SNOW WOMAN (1968) – 8 (excellent Japanese supernatural tale)
THE SLIME PEOPLE (1963) – 3 (rewatch on Blu)
MALOMBRA (1942) – 8 (Italian gothic novel adaptation)
THE CRAWLING HAND (1963) – 4 (rewatch on Blu)
THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026) – 7
TEX AND THE LORD OF THE DEEP (1985) – 5 (fumetti adaptation that should be better)
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