‘Hokum’ Review: Adam Scott Gets Spooked in Haunted Irish Hotel Horror Neither Completely Ho-Hum Nor Wholly Satisfying

Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment There may be no more fertile ground for screen horror than the enchanted woodlands of the Emerald Isle, which makes it disconcerting when Hokum — a title not entirely inaccurate — opens with a desert scene that’s like an outtake from Sirat . At least until Austin Amelio staggers into the shot in 16th-century conquistador armor, holding an ancient parchment with what appears to be a treasure map. That cumbersome framing device would be superfluous if not for some minor rewards at the end, marking the redemption of a troubled man and his hard-won self-forgiveness. But it’s also symptomatic of the frustrations of writer-director Damian McCarthy’s diffuse script, which piles on story points and portentous symbols but fails to elucidate the underlying mystery. It’s a non-negotiable rule for any horror hotelier who wants a decent Yelp rating — or should be — that you don’t put a vengeful ghost in your honeymoon suite if you’re not planning on adequately explaining who she is and how she got there. Otherwise, it’s just, well, hag hokum, with a bunch of loose threads. Related Stories Movies 'Big Girls Don't Cry' Review: New Zealand Drama Dives Into a Vivid Portrait of Millennial Teen Confusion Movies 'Manhood' Review: Documentary Takes a Graphic, Compassionate Look at the Wild World of Penile Enhancement Hokum The Bottom Line Nothing the Irish tourism board need worry about. Venue : SXSW Film Festival Release date : Friday, May 1 Cast : Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, Michael Patric, Austin Amelio, Brendan Conroy Director-screenwriter : Damian McCarthy Rated R, 1 hour 41 minutes Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman, a successful American novelist struggling with the epilogue for the final part of his series known as ...