HOKUM (2026)

Summary:

Hokum is a 2026 supernatural horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy, the visionary filmmaker behind Caveat and Oddity. The film stars Adam Scott as an emotionally fractured author who retreats to the rugged, isolated landscape of West Cork, Ireland, to perform a final ritual for his deceased parents. What begins as a journey of closure quickly descends into a claustrophobic nightmare as he discovers his rented accommodation is a conduit for ancient, malevolent forces. Produced by horror veterans Roy Lee and Steven Schneider (known for It and Paranormal Activity), Hokum is a slow-burn exercise in dread that explores themes of grief, isolation, and the terrifying weight of family secrets. The film is characterized by its atmospheric Irish setting and a unique blend of folk horror and psychological suspense. Keywords: Hokum 2026 Movie, Adam Scott Horror, Damian McCarthy, Irish Folk Horror, Neon Horror Films, Supernatural Thriller.

Plot:

The narrative of Hokum follows Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), a once-celebrated author who has found himself adrift in the wake of his parents' sudden and tragic passing. Struggling with a severe bout of writer’s block and a mounting sense of existential dread, Ohm decides to embark on a pilgrimage to a remote part of West Cork, Ireland—a place his parents often spoke of but never returned to. His objective is simple yet emotionally heavy: to scatter their ashes in a specific, unnamed valley and find the peace that has eluded him since the funeral. He rents a dilapidated, centuries-old stone cottage through an obscure service, hoping the isolation of the Irish coast will provide the sanctuary he needs to finally begin his next book.

Upon his arrival, Ohm is struck by the overwhelming silence of the landscape. The cottage is a primitive structure, seemingly held together by moss and shadow, perched on the edge of a jagged cliff. His only neighbors are Jerry (David Wilmot), a soft-spoken but watchful local, and Mal (Peter Coonan), a man whose jovial exterior seems to mask a deep-seated unease regarding the property Ohm is inhabiting. During his first few days, Ohm attempts to find the "valley of shadows" his mother, Delia Bauman (Mallory Adams), described in her journals. However, the locals are evasive when he asks for directions, dismissing his inquiries as "hokum"—local nonsense and tall tales designed to frighten tourists.

The atmosphere in the cottage begins to shift as the sun dips below the horizon. Ohm experiences subtle but disturbing phenomena: the sound of a heavy, metallic drag across the floorboards above him, and the sensation of being watched by something that stands just outside the periphery of his vision. While cleaning a blocked hearth, he discovers a series of bizarre artifacts—charred bone fragments, a rusted conquistador’s helmet, and a small, wooden effigy that bears a striking resemblance to his mother. His skepticism begins to erode as he realizes that the "haunting" isn't just a trick of his grieving mind, but a localized spiritual infection.

The horror escalates when Ohm discovers a hidden cellar beneath the kitchen, accessible only through a trapdoor concealed under a heavy rug. Inside, he finds evidence that the cottage was once used for a ritual known as the "Great Deception" or "Hokum," a process meant to trap a wandering soul within a physical vessel to prevent it from crossing over. He begins to have vivid, terrifying visions of The Conquistador (Austin Amelio), a towering, armored figure that seems to pace the perimeter of the house, and The Witch (Sioux Carroll), a primal entity that whispers to him in his mother's voice. He realizes that his parents didn't just love this place; they were running from it. The act of bringing their ashes back to this soil has inadvertently completed a circuit that was broken decades ago.

As a storm rolls in from the Atlantic, cutting off the only road back to the village, Ohm finds himself under siege. The internal geography of the cottage begins to distort; doors that led to the kitchen now open into long-forgotten corridors, and the walls seem to pulse with a low, rhythmic thrumming. Jerry and Mal reappear, but they are no longer the helpful locals he met in town. It is revealed that they are the keepers of the cottage, tasked with ensuring that whoever enters never leaves without leaving a "tribute" for the house. They believe that Ohm’s grief has made him the perfect host for the entity that resides in the stone.

The climax of the film is a harrowing struggle for survival as Ohm is forced to confront the manifestations of his own trauma. The entity in the house uses the image of his deceased parents to manipulate him, attempting to convince him that death is merely a doorway back to them. Ohm must navigate a night of shifting realities, where the line between the physical house and the metaphysical "Hokum" vanishes entirely. He utilizes his skills as a writer to deconstruct the "story" the house is trying to tell, realizing that the only way to break the curse is to reject the false comfort of his memories.

The resolution of Hokum is somber and technically brilliant. Ohm managed to escape the cottage as it is consumed by the very shadows it housed, but he is left with the terrifying realization that some parts of his grief can never be scattered. He returns to the world, but his eyes reflect a man who has looked into the void and seen it looking back. The final shot of the film captures Ohm sitting in a bustling city cafe, surrounded by people, yet completely and utterly alone, as the camera slowly zooms in on a small, wooden effigy sitting on his table—a silent reminder that the Hokum follows those who have been touched by it. The movie concludes with the chilling implication that the author has finally found his story, but at the cost of his soul.

Cast:

• Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman

• Peter Coonan as Mal

• David Wilmot as Jerry

• Florence Ordesh as Fiona

• Will O’Connell as Alby

• Michael Patric as Fergal

• Brendan Conroy as Cob

• Austin Amelio as The Conquistador

• Mallory Adams as Delia Bauman

• Sioux Carroll as The Witch

Crew:

• Writer & Director: Damian McCarthy

• Producers: Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, Mairtín de Barra

• Production Companies: Image Nation, Tailored Films, Spooky Pictures (Supported by Screen Ireland)

• Director of Photography: TBD

• Editor: TBD

• Production Designer: TBD

• Genre: Supernatural Horror / Folk Horror

Release Info:

• World Premiere: March 14, 2026 (SXSW Film & TV Festival)

• US Theatrical Release: May 1, 2026

• Middle East Release: April 30, 2026

• Language: English

• Distribution: Neon (Worldwide)