Every year, one horror film seems to slip out of nowhere and get people talking in lowered voices. In 2026, a strong contender is Hokum, an Irish folk horror from writer-director Damian McCarthy, starring Adam Scott. It premiered at SXSW, reached theatres on May 1 and landed on VOD on June 2. Critics have been unusually warm. This review walks through the premise, the performances, the scares and the few complaints, so you know what you’re signing up for.
As always, I’m working from trailers, official material and published reviews, not a personal screening, and I’ll point out where critics disagree.
The Director Behind the Dread
Damian McCarthy is the Irish filmmaker behind Caveat (2020) and Oddity (2024). Oddity earned a loyal following, and one critic called its tent scene arguably one of the scariest movie scenes ever, which tells you the sort of reputation he’s built. Hokum is his third feature, and reviewers describe it as his most accomplished.
What distinguishes McCarthy is restraint. He builds dread patiently, then lets one image or sound land hard. TheWrap’s review notes that he avoids the heavy-handed, trauma-lecturing style common in recent horror and instead uses a lighter touch, with folk-horror elements treated in a matter-of-fact, darkly comic and melancholy way.
What Happens in Hokum
Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is a novelist, described in one review as a cynical horror writer, who has just finished his latest book and feels pulled toward Ireland. He travels to a remote hotel to scatter his parents’ ashes, carrying grief and a case of writer’s block with him (Film Focus).
As you’d expect from the genre, the hotel isn’t a restful place. Strange people, hidden secrets and unexplained events gradually turn a simple errand into something darker. The film is wary of over-explaining. It leaves gaps and trusts you to feel your way through them, which is part of why it works.
I’ll avoid spoilers, but several reviews describe the film as misleading in a good way, playing with what the audience thinks it knows.
Cast and Crew
Beyond Scott, the cast includes Florence Ordesh, David Wilmot, Peter Coonan, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy and Austin Amelio. Neon distributed it in the US. McCarthy wrote and directed.
Adam Scott is the story. The film rests heavily on his shoulders, and critics say he carries it. Many viewers know him from Parks and Recreation, and he’s also known for Severance, so seeing him in a raw, frightened mode surprised people. /Film says audiences used to his comic persona will be surprised, while Moviefone says the actor has been moving gradually into more serious roles and grabs this one head-on.
What Critics Are Saying
The response is among the best of the year for a horror release.
- /Film calls it a very satisfying, very well-executed scary movie that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, and says it delivers on what the trailer promised.
- TheWrap compares the emotional power to a great Stephen King story and says it is McCarthy’s best work yet.
- Moviefone goes further, naming it the best horror film it had seen that year to that point, praising its atmosphere and goosebumps at every opportunity. Its only criticism is that the movie may try to do a little too much.
- Film Focus praises the sound design and the creature designs and describes the film as a brilliantly misleading descent into the architecture of grief.
- Heaven of Horror loved the combination of character-driven plot, folklore, the supernatural and psychological horror, and called it a good partner for Oddity (review).
What Works
Atmosphere. Fog, isolated locations and long silences keep you uneasy long before anything happens. Several reviews single out the sound design, which makes the scares feel physical.
Grief as the engine. The best horror films use fear to explore something real. Here, the supernatural thread is bound to loss, guilt and the things that refuse to stay buried.
A lead who commits. Scott balances terror, dark humor and sadness without tipping into melodrama.
The folklore. Hokum uses Irish folk elements without turning them into a lecture, so the horror feels rooted in a place.
What Doesn’t
The pace. A review on the Redcircle platform notes that the slow pacing may not work for viewers who prefer action-heavy horror. If you want a jump scare every five minutes, this isn’t that movie.
Ambition. Moviefone’s mild complaint is that it attempts a lot. Some viewers might want a tighter focus.
Ambiguity. McCarthy doesn’t over-explain, which is a strength for many but a frustration for anyone who wants every mystery solved.
Who Should Watch It
If you liked Oddity, folk horror, ghost stories with emotional weight, or slow-burn films in the Stephen King tradition, this is the one to watch from this year’s list. If you prefer slashers or loud, fast-moving horror, you may find it too quiet.
Where to Watch
Hokum opened in theatres on May 1, 2026, and has been available on VOD since June 2. Check your preferred rental service for current availability in your region.
FAQ
Do I need to see Oddity first? No. They share a director but not a story.
Is Hokum gory? Reviews describe it as atmospheric and psychological more than gory.
How scary is it? Critics describe real goosebumps and a few truly frightening moments, but the dread is the main event.
Is it a comedy at all? There’s dark humor, but the tone is serious and melancholy.
Final conclusion
Hokum is the best-reviewed horror film on this list, and the praise looks earned: confident direction, a strong performance, and a story that uses fear to say something about loss. If the genre is your thing, put it at the top of your list.
