5 reasons you might like Hokum (2026)

I am Jason Kleeberg, this is Force Five, and here are 5 reasons you might want to see Hokum, the newest horror film from one of the genre’s most exciting voices, Damian McCarthy.

Hokum stars Adam Scott as Ohm Bowman, a famous author and miserable person who heads to a secluded Irish hotel to scatter his parents ashes. While at the bar, he hears an urban legend about the witch that’s locked in the Honeymoon suite. I loved this movie and there are so many reasons you might love it too, so let’s get into it.

Reason number 5, if you like Stephen King books and movies, you’re going to love this. It feels like there are so many nods to the most famous horror writer and his stories here. The honeymoon suite feels very 1408 and the whole movie has The Shining DNA. It’s no wonder all of these latch key kids born in the late 80’s and early 90’s are out here making some really messed up horror movies - we were all at home all day before the Internet and Netflix, of course we pulled some King books off the shelf and read some really messed up stuff. If you’re a fan of Stephen King, you’re going to love Hokum.

Reason number 4, if you’re a fan of Adam Scott, he’s fantastic in this playing an absolute a hole who, through the miracle of a very tight, really awesome script, you somehow want to root for as the film goes on. There’s an early scene that has a discussion between Ohm and the bell boy that is so uncomfortable but perfectly sets up several things for the film to come. Adam Scott plays a great dick and this feels like the culmination of his dickishness, from Boy Meets World to Step Brothers. He is really good in this.

Reason number 3, if you’re a fan of video games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, Hokum feels like the perfect companion. Not only does the hotel have the atmosphere of a survival horror game, it also feels like it has the puzzles, which is one of the most fun parts. Finding the key to unlock the door is only the beginning. There are puzzles that allow Ohm to get to different parts of the hotel that feel really inventive but also like natural progression. If someone wanted to adapt this for the gaming audience, it would be really easy. 

Reason number 2, the sound in this movie is incredible. The score, by Joseph Bishara, is unintrusive, setting just the right tone at the right moments but staying out of the way for the quiet time when we need to hear a creaking floor board or an echoing scream from a dark hallway. When I saw this there were a few people jabbering about during the first ten minutes but once the movie really gets into the scary, silent parts, you could hear a pin drop in my theater. So, props to both Mr. Bishara and the sound department. 

Reason number 1, the most important part of a horror movie is the horror, and Hokum is the scariest movie I’ve seen so far in 2026. There are so many scenes that will stick with me, one featuring an elevator is a clear standout but almost every scene once the Honeymoon suite is introduced ranges from uncomfortable to straight up terrifying. The scariest visual in the movie is Jack the Jackass, who freaked me right out but has incredible Halloween costume potential.

If you like horror movies, this is a must watch and will certainly make the rounds on my annual Halloween list but If any of those reasons sound like something you’d enjoy, check out Hokum. If you’ve seen it, what did you think? And what’s the scariest movie you’ve seen in 2026? Let me know in the comments down below or email me at forcefivepodcast@gmail.com.