Hokum | Film Review

 

A novelist (Adam Scott) staying in a remote inn in Ireland is forced to confront his dark past after hearing tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite.

This has been such a great year for original horror. Whether the movies are good or not, I've been really enjoying getting to see them all!

Unfortunately, I didn't love the movie.

That being said, the main character, Ohm Bauman, is a great example of how to create an unlikeable character that you still want to follow and stay interested in. 

The beginning feels very odd and discombobulated. It's quite hard to get into or take seriously, and then it starts to feel like a fever dream. The scenes feel disconnected from each other in a way that makes it hard to stay interested in. Though this does add to our impression of the character's state of mind.

It also adds to the horror atmosphere. The horrors are overt from the very beginning, which feels original. They come thick and fast, and they don't really let up.

The visuals in particular are great at portraying this horror.

That being said, the story itself is where things were let down for me. For a start, it felt really unrealistic that the character would be in this situation in the first place. A lot of the decisions made didn't make sense and only took place to advance the plot.

The film is compelling, but there is a point where you wish more was happening. The scares are great but they're not enough to carry the whole story.

I also wished we could have explored the main character's trauma more. Those moments are some of the best; truly understanding who this person is and how the horrors add to this.

My overall impression of the film is that it's odd, it's a weird watch. The scary aspects were a lot better than the story itself, but it's still worth a watch.

6/10