Hokum (2026)

Hokum

• Geez, man. For starters, whatever Damian McCarthy was on when he made this, give me some right now. With ‘Caveat’ and ‘Oddity’, I was mildly impressed but wasn’t blown away (though both films are very memorable, though not as captivating as I wanted them to be). However, he seriously stepped up his game and brought out his best film to date. I think this film does one of the best jobs of mixing horror with sentimental themes. I had no idea what to expect going into it, and I was bordering on supernatural terror. While that’s definitely the case in some instances, there's also deep themes of familial relationships, trauma, and mental health. It’s astounding how much I related to this on an emotional level, rather than just showing up to get scared and see some spooky sights. I think it was written very well, especially from a male mind, about a male mind. It’s also a fantastic character study, which I also wasn’t expecting. It’s nothing extravagant, but again, a deep dive into the mind is what is needed to propel this to the next level. Adam Scott’s performance was very laid back and relaxed, while he still radiates so much fear from his eyes and movements. I absolutely love him to death and he was perfect for this. The sound design was also next level, and it’s half of what scared me so much. There were several moments where just the idea of hearing something that wasn’t there was enough for me to want to run out of the theater. Especially in the honeymoon suite and the basement. The score wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but memorable when it needed to be. The aesthetic was absolutely off the charts, as the old hotel sets make you feel cozy, while also scare the crap out of you. Wonderful production design. I mean, really the entire film is visually striking, in a gritty way that shows focus on the smaller details, while also complementing the writing. Overall, this is a very scary film (to me) that is deep and emotional, while still having classic jump scares and chase scenes. All my expectations were surpassed, and you should definitely try to catch this in a theater. Oh yeah, and Jack the Jackass is one of the coolest (and scariest) looking characters in any film, ever. I would recommend this to all horror fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!