Displaying items by tag: Damian McCarthy

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?