Damian McCarthy’s 2025 horror film Hokum follows American author Ohm Bauman as he returns to a rural Irish hotel to scatter his parents’ ashes and confront his past. The film, shot on a $5 million budget, uses light, darkness and a haunting score to build tension, culminating in a harrowing climax that lingers after the credits.

Damian McCarthy’s Return to the Irish Horror Landscape

According to the review, McCarthy follows his 2024 short‑film success with Oddity by crafting a “slow‑burning creep‑fest” that maximizes every horror trope. The director’s background in low‑budget features informs his meticulous use of atmosphere, as the review notes that the film “maximizes every tool and trope it has to offer.”

Ohm Bauman: A Cynical Author Haunted by Family Tragedy

The review describes Ohm Bauman, played by Adam Scott, as a “successful yet deeply depressed author” burdened by his mother’s early murder and his father’s self‑destructive grief. McCarthy’s script, as the article states, “fuses complex trauma with folk phantasmagoria,” giving the protagonist a “viciously cynical” edge that drives the narrative.

The Bilberry Woods Hotel: Folklore Meets Psychological Horror

In the film, Ohm travels to the Bilberry Woods Hotel, a rural Irish location where his parents honeymooned. The hotel’s owner believes it is haunted by the Cailleach witch, a detail that the review highlights as a “traditional scary movie narrative” that the director subverts with “carefully restrained gore.” The setting becomes a character in its own right, with the review noting the “immaculate production design” and Joseph Bishara’s ambient score as foundational to the film’s dread.

Unresolved Mysteries and the Quest for Redemption

The review points out that Ohm’s plan to scatter ashes and kill himself is derailed when he cannot enter the honeymoon suite and is saved by a bartender. After waking in the hospital, he discovers the bartender missing, prompting a search that leads to the suite. the article leaves unanswered whether the bartender’s disappearance is supernatural or human, and how Ohm’s confrontation with the Cailleach will resolve his internal guilt.

Atmosphere Over Innovation: A Budget‑Friendly Triumph

While the review acknowledges that Hokum does not reinvent the horror genre, it praises McCarthy’s ability to deliver “exactly what it promises” on a modest budegt.. The film’s “carefully restrained gore” and “impeccable production design” are cited as rare accomplishments in contemporary horror, making the movie a standout for diehard fans.