At one point in this film, our “hero” literally burns an innocent man. Physically. Intentionally. Out of spite. With all due respect to Taylor Swift, I think that’s the very definition of an anti-hero.
Let me set the scene: Rural Irish hotel. Quaint. Hotel bar. Unoccupied except for an American man drinking whiskey alone, the way he prefers it. The man is successful novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), who is visiting Ireland to distribute the ashes of his parents. At the bar, he is accosted by the bellboy, a fan, and himself an inspiring writer. The insult Ohm issues in order to re-achieve silence falls upon deaf ears, so Ohm decides to escalate. In full view of the victim, he takes a teaspoon by the handle and thrusts the shovel part into a candle-lit flame. After a few seconds, he takes the same and applies it to the man’s hand. When the bellhop flinches, as one tends to do from flame-heated metal, Ohm triumphs, “you have to have a thicker skin than that to be a writer.”
Wow, what a dick, huh?
I’m not quite sure how “Hokum” applies to this ghost story exactly, but this is a horror film that has surpassed an effective threshold of creepiness. Because Ohm is a jerk, we don’t exactly mind if he experiences the hauntiness. Do we feel for him after the suicide attempt? I dunno. Maybe. The only thing that redeems him in my mind the desire to find out what happened to the hotel maid who disappeared shortly after she saved him.
Again, I’m getting ahead of myself. Hokum is a tale about one guy going to a spooky Irish hotel and not living his best life. The Honeymoon Suite is closed off and barricaded because it is haunted, so naturally we will be spending a whole Hokum of time in there, eventually. First, we have to establish that our hero is a dick, which he is, and he kinda deserves what he gets for being a dick. Hence, his
PTSD past comes back to taunt him in ways he never imagined, but we might have.
Is this good horror? It is cleverer than most and scarier than most. If you’re prone to reacting to ghost stories adversely, this one will make you lose sleep, which I cannot say of every representative of the genre … or even most representatives of the genre. I didn’t like having to root for Ohm, but it makes it easier to accept the consequences of his actions, which is a bit of a unique take. And who built this Winchester Mystery Hotel, anyway?
And what is with wild goats jumping on cars? And don’t we eat those critters? I’m not sure. Suffice to say, Hokum was more story than you’ll get from most horror.
There once was a writer named Ohm
Who strayed very far from his home
He came to spread ashes
And instead found clashes
With creatures who appeared after gloam
Rated R, 107 Minutes
Director: Damian McCarthy
Writer: Damian McCarthy
Genre: Supernatural crap
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Horror junkies
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who get nightmares
