Is Hokum woke?
Movie · 2026
Hokum has a wokeness score of 1/10, which we rate as Not Woke. No political or woke messaging whatsoever. Focuses entirely on story, characters, fun, or escapism.
Key points
- Pure supernatural folk horror focused solely on scares and plot, no political undertones.
- Organic Irish cast integrates naturally into authentic haunted inn setting.
- Themes of personal trauma and ghostly vengeance dominate without social commentary.
Wokeness analysis
Hokum exemplifies pure escapism in the horror genre, delivering unrelenting supernatural terror through Irish folk horror traditions without any injection of progressive messaging or social indoctrination. Directed by Damian McCarthy, known for Caveat and Oddity, the film centers on a misanthropic American horror novelist, Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), who retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes. There, he encounters staff tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite, leading to visions, a disappearance, and confrontations with his personal demons amid ghostly manifestations like eerie rabbit figures. Reviews from SXSW premieres and early screenings unanimously praise its atmospheric dread, jump scares, production design, and folkloric authenticity, with no mentions of diversity quotas, marginalized representation, or ideological lectures. The cast, featuring mostly Irish actors alongside Scott, feels organic to the setting, not forced for inclusivity points. Themes revolve around family trauma, guilt, and supernatural reckoning—classic horror tropes that prioritize entertainment and chills over contemporary politics. McCarthy's single-location mastery evokes The Shining without modern sensibilities diluting the scares. In an era saturated with agenda-driven films, Hokum stands as a refreshing return to story-driven horror that lets viewers immerse in nightmare fuel unburdened by preachiness, appealing to audiences exhausted by forced wokeness in media.
Plot
Hokum is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy. Adam Scott stars as Ohm Bauman, a troubled horror novelist struggling with his latest book and haunted by family secrets. He travels to a remote Irish inn, the site of his parents' honeymoon, to scatter their ashes. Upon arrival, inn staff share legends of an ancient witch confined to the forbidden honeymoon suite. As Ohm dismisses the folklore, disturbing visions plague him, a kind bartender named Fiona vanishes, and he teams with local drifter Jerry to unravel the mystery. Trapped in the haunted room, Ohm confronts manifestations of his past guilt intertwined with the inn's malevolent spirits, including bizarre rabbit-like entities. Blending psychological tension, jump scares, and Irish mythology, the film builds claustrophobic dread in its single-location setting, culminating in a nightmarish revelation of real-world violence unleashing supernatural justice.
Analyzed by AI on April 25, 2026