Displaying items by tag: Adam Scott

HOKUM

Ireland, 2026, 107 minutes, Colour.

Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Austin Amelio, Ezra Carlisle, Mallory Adams, Michael Patric, Will O'Connell, Brendan Conroy, Florence Ordesh.

Directed by Damian McCarthy.

The title, Hokum, seems to indicate something of a light, jokey touch. However, this is Irish Hokum, and very serious. And, filmed in Ireland, at an out of the way a hotel, reminiscent of all those haunted and eerie hotels from horror films.

The central character is an American writer, Ohm, the visuals of his current writing, a story of a conquistador and his son lost in the desert, seeking gold, is visualised as the film opens. And, it is visualised at the end. Apparently, he is a very successful and popular writer, recognised in Ireland, movie versions of his novels.

Ohm is a morose character, effectively played by Adam Scott. He is a sad man, memories of the death of his mother in a shooting accident, his father turning on him after the accident. But, he sees a photo of the hotel where they had their honeymoon and decides to visit Ireland.

Ohm is also a brusque character, initially able to offend anyone, especially the staff at the hotel. There is the owner telling fierce ghost stories to children and Ohm tells him off. He can’t find his room and is cranky with the staff. But, he eventually settles in – and fulfils his mission, bringing the urns with his parents’ ashes to scatter at the tree in the photo.

In the woods he discovers an old man, living alone, suspected by the locals for killing his wife. He will be an important character in the plot development. So will a number of the staff, Fiona, initially offended by Ohm, crucial in Ohm’s attempts at self-destruction. And then she disappears. There is the manager, there is the handyman, there is the rather old bellboy, an aspiring writer, whom Ohm also offends.

Most of the film is involved in Ohm searching the hotel since Fiona has disappeared, ghostly manifestations of his mother, and a whole mythology of witches in the area, the closing up of the honeymoon suite, and his venturing in, all kinds of weird discoveries. And, the involvement of the earlier characters, help, betrayal, lies, and Ohm trapped in the honeymoon suite, in the dumbwaiter, a sinister stone corridor – deaths and vengeful witches.

For those who enjoy this kind of mysterious horror, probably worth putting on the list to see.

1. An Irish horror story, legends, witches and ghosts, curses, vengeance?
2. The atmosphere of the opening, the conquistador and the boy, the desert, the quest for gold, the conquistador to kill his son? The revelation that these were stories by Ohm? The popularity, film versions? And the resumption of the story at the end, the father unable to kill his son?
3. Ohm, at home, typewriter, the ghostly presence of his mother, the later explanation of the accident, with the gun, his age, the gun going off, in his mother’s face, her death, his father’s reaction, harsh to his son, drinking and death? And his having the ashes of both at home? Finding the photo, the Irish hotel for their honeymoon?
4. His decision to travel, arriving, the remote hotel, echoes of sinister movie hotels, the dead goat on the car, Fergal with the bow and arrow, at reception, his harsh remarks, Fiona’s response? Cob, telling the sinister stories to the boys, owner of the hotel? Mal, the manager, his son-in-law?
5. The edginess of Ohm, not finding the right room, settling in?
6. The personalities of the hotel, Fiona, initial suspicions, friendly? Mal and the management? Fergal and the ghosts? Alby, would-be writer, bellboy, asking, his reaction, burning his hand, Alby later revealing that he had spiked his drink in the room?
7. Ohm, going into the woods, the photo, finding the tree, Spreading his mother’s ashes, tossing his father’s? The encounter with Jerry, the conversation? Jerry’s story, personality, friendly?
8. Ohm returning, going to his room, his hanging himself? Fiona pulling him down? Waking in the hospital, weeks later, his return to the hotel, finding it closed for the season, packing, wanting to leave? Discovering that Fiona was missing, his determination to find her?
9. The police, suspicions of Jerry, arresting him, his leaping from the van, his injuries, return to the hotel? Mal, helping him, but turning violent against him?
10. Ohm, his car, the issue of the key, getting into the honeymoon suite, his appearance, the furniture, the clock and striking, the dead boy, going up and down? Locked in? The discovery of Fiona’s body?
11. Fiona, the record, the revelation of what had happened, her pregnancy, Mal, his violence, the flashbacks sequences? His cover-up, hiding Fiona’s body?
12. The tension with Ohm in the room, moving Fiona’s body, exploring the long corridors, no exit? The time, the light, the eerie presence?
13. The stories of the witch, the weird appearances, the ghost of his mother, protecting him?
14. Mal, Jerry and his insistence, going to the room, the bow and arrow, Jerry’s death? Mal and his stories, his going back to the hotel, saying that he drove Ohm to the airport…?
15. The buildup to the final confrontation, Mal and his pursuit of Ohm, the bow and arrow, in the corridor, the presence of the witch, Ohm and the chalk, protected, Mal being dragged away?
16. The aftermath, Alby and his confession, Ohm more mellow, to read Alby’s manuscript?
17. The ending, Ohm’s future, the dramatisation of the end of his novel?

THE MONKEY

US, 2025, 98 minutes, Colour.

Theo James, Tatiana Muslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Elijah Wood, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Osgood Perkins, Adam Scott.

Directed by Osgood Perkins.

From a short story by Stephen King. Strong credential in itself. And the film has been written and directed by Osgood Perkins who achieved strong response to his 2024 horror-thriller, Longlegs.

The name of Stephen King, of course, is for many a recommendation in itself. He has been writing novels and short stories for just over 50 years, with more than 50 adaptations of novels and short stories for the big screen and for television – the film starting in 1976 with the shocks in Carrie. He is a household name. So, especially for Stephen King completists, The Monkey goes on the list of films to be seen.

While the Stephen King’s stories have an underlying base of realism, especially in his treatment of family relationships, there is also the move to an atmosphere beyond realism, in the world of the physical, in the world of the psychic, in the realms of: what if…?

This is definitely the case with The Monkey. On one hand, it is the story of twin brothers, one dominating the other, an absent father, a mother trying to raise her children, the decision to search through the absent father’s possessions and the finding of a toy, a monkey with huge eyes which stare, in extreme close-up and threatening, from the screen at the audience, the touch of mesmerising, then the turning of the key and the monkey beginning to twirl the drumsticks and then beat on the drum – with dire, in fact, a lot beyond dire, murderous consequences.

It means then that this is very much Stephen King material, ordinary audiences can appreciate the story of the two brothers and their eventual antagonism and confrontation. But, this is also Stephen King horror territory, and there are quite a number of deaths, targets of the murderous monkey. And, visually and thematically, they are grisly and gory, some audiences might find them too much.

It should be noted that the writer-director, Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins and memories of Psycho), has noted that the deaths are macabre, black-humour, and the reminder that nobody in reality could die in the style of the deaths portrayed here, that nobody could complain that in watching the film it reminded them in any way of their relatives’ or friends’ death. (And, there is an extraordinary last 10 seconds of the film, surprise and some shocking deaths.)

British actor, Theo James, takes on the role of the adult twins and quite effectively makes them very different. In fact, a lot of the drama and confrontation depends on this effectiveness. And for those who note names in casts, Adam Scott appears only in the prologue to the film, which sets the tone as he tries to sell the monkey to a dealer with shock results. And, Elijah Wood, has only a few, quite telling minutes, as a self-important family and marriage guru.

It seems that Stephen King has approved of this version of his story and so it will take his place in all the analyses of his films. In the meantime, his fans will want to see it.

1. The title? Stephen King story? The reputation Osgood Perkins and horror films?
2. The plausibility of the plot? Realism? Imagination? Beyond the natural? Psychology drama, family relationships? Terror/horror/gore?
3. The opening, Petey at the shop, the toy monkey, the shopkeeper, the discussions, the death of the shopkeeper? Setting the tone?
4. The story of the twins, Bill and Hal, the difficulties of birth, Bill dominant, growing up together, Bill strong, teasing, bullying, Hal, glasses, taking it? The absent father? Their mother, coping? Domestic scenes, school, meals? The boys in their rooms? Rivalries? The effectiveness of Theo James in differentiating the twins in adult of life?
5. Searching their father’s goods, finding the monkey? The visuals of the monkey, small, but large on-screen, the penetrating eyes, the arms, the drums, the movement, the drumsticks? The key?
6. The sinister aspects of the monkey, depending on who has the power, the key? The babysitter, agreeable, going to the meal, the decapitation? Funeral service, the inept priest? Mother dancing with the children? Hal, his reaction against Bill? With the monkey, the mockery at school, Hal covered in slime, wanting the key, the death of his mother? The funeral? The aftermath, going to their aunt and uncle? The behaviour, the monkey, its presence, the deaths?
7. Bill, on his own, bad behaviour, his appearance, his set up, the Thrasher, searching for the monkey, finding it, in Bill’s possession? The Thrasher, his character, searching for the monkey, finding it, wanting it? The phone call to Hal?
8. Hal, the years passing, the marriage, the unexpected birth of Petey, the meeting with Ted, his books, his lording it over Hal, the prospect of the divorce? His wanting time with Petey?
9. The plan, the news of the deaths, the garden sale of the monkey? Petey questioning Hal about the family tree, Hal’s lies? The contact with Bill, the contact with the Thrasher, their going to the house?
10. Bill, his intentions, the monkey, vengeance against Hal for killing their mother?
11. The madness of the monkey, the range of deaths, deaths in the neighbourhoods? The wide range of people dying, heads on fire, diving into a flaming pool, running with the pram…?
12. Hal, Thrasher and Petey in the car, the beehive, the shot, Thrasher consuming the bees?
13. Petey in the house, the confrontation with Bill, the challenge to turn the key, his turning it, Hal coming into the house, confrontation between the two? Bill’s death?
14. The final seconds of the film, the previous glimpse of the cheering group, the bus passing, the truck, the deaths, the final impact of the film?
15. Hal, Petey, the monkey, travelling together – into the future and the indications the future from the prologue?