If you’re an indie horror fan you might have noticed that Irish horror is having a moment. There has been so much Irish horror released during the last couple of years and it’s almost always been guaranteed to be good as it usually relied on Irish folklore for the storyline. Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy has made three films that are all inspired by the rich Irish folklore and mystical stories that encompass Irish history and culture. Not only has he made three very compelling and genuinely scary horror films, but he has also introduced a nightmare-inducing character in each one. In Caveat (2020), there is a creepy wind-up toy rabbit; in Oddity (2024), the characters must interact with a terrifying wooden mannequin; and in his latest film, Hokum, McCarthy presents us with an uncanny donkey-man hybrid with bulging eyes named Jack the Donkey. Hokum features an introspective, slyly comedic performance from Adam Scott (Severance) and draws from Irish folklore to tell a supernatural story that beautifully illustrates the tragic consequences of unprocessed grief and trauma. NEON, via DECAL Releasing, is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of Hokum, which includes some exciting behind-the-scenes special features.
Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman in HOKUM. Photo courtesy of NEON.
Scott plays novelist Ohm Baumann, who is having trouble finishing the last book in his Conquistador trilogy. Having lost his parents and feeling out of sorts, Baumann decides to travel to the Bilberry Woods Hotel in Ireland where his parents spent their honeymoon to scatter their ashes. Upon arrival, he is greeted by a bartender named Fiona (Florence Ordesh) who tells him the honeymoon suite is haunted by a witch, and by a bellman who also tells him ghost stories about the hotel and asks if Baumann will read his work when he discovers he’s a writer. Baumann is a bit of an antisocial asshole and tells them he thinks their stories about the hotel being haunted are “hokum” or nonsense as he checks into the honeymoon suite. Baumann settles into the honeymoon suite and manages to scatter his parents’ ashes in the woods near the hotel, but that doesn’t mean he’s dealt with their deaths.
A scene from HOKUM. Photo courtesy of NEON.
His mother was murdered when he was young and her death has weighed heavily on him over the years. Guilt and depression over his mother’s death leads to adult Baumann attempting to end his life but he is rescued just in time by Fiona the bartender. After recovering, Baumann returns to Bilberry Woods Hotel, which is about to close for the season, and is told by the hotel manager, Mal (Peter Coonan), that Fiona has gone missing. Baumann later meets a strange man in the woods named Jerry (David Wilmot), who is also supposed to be missing, but obviously isn’t missing. After Jerry tells Baumann he believes he saw Fiona’s ghost, the two men find themselves caught up in an intricate, potential murder mystery. Along the way, they experience ghostly encounters and Baumann himself is plagued by brief sightings of a terrifying being with large ears and bulging eyes called Jack the Donkey.
A scene from HOKUM. Photo courtesy of NEON.
From the witch who may or may not inhabit the honeymoon suite in the hotel to the sightings of apparitions and the Bilberry Woods Hotel, Hokum is steeped in Irish folklore and skillfully incorporates dark humor into the storytelling, which is not present in McCarthy’s previous films. The unexpected comedic element of Hokum works so well due to Scott’s adeptness at dry humor and his portrayal of the tortured novelist carrying the burden of his personal ghosts is very convincing.
Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman in HOKUM. Photo courtesy of NEON.
Filming on location in Ireland, cinematographer Colm Hogan (Oddity) expertly captures the vivid detail of the Bilberry Woods Hotel and the lush Irish landscape, as well as using light and shadows to illustrate the darkness within the hotel, a compliment to the timing of Baumann being at the hotel during Halloween, which comes from Samhain, the Gaelic harvest festival. The atmosphere Hogan creates, as well as the storyline, makes it easy to draw parallels between Hokum and The Shining (1980), with the Bilberry Woods Hotel representing the Overlook Hotel. Similarly to Kubrick’s famous film and McCarthy’s previous films, by the end of Hokum, it’s clear that the real villains of the story aren’t mythical monsters or witches. Featuring an engrossing, nuanced performance by Scott as the traumatized writer who hasn’t processed his grief, packed with enchanting details from Irish folklore, and nods to The Shining (1980), Hokum warrants repeat viewings. Much like Caveat and Oddity, Hokum ultimately presents the fact that sometimes the scariest things in life are those which lurk in our minds.
The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of Hokum offer a crisp and vibrant presentation of both picture and sound, and “The Making of Hokum” featurette presents fascinating insight into the history that went into the story as well as McCarthy’s construction of the film.
Hokum 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Special Features:
- The Making of Hokum
- Jack the Donkey, A Family Favorite
- Feature Commentary with Damian McCarthy
- Teaser and Trailer
- 2160p Ultra HD and 1080p High Definition
- 2.39:1 Presentation
- DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Audio Description 2.0
- English SDH, Spanish, and French Subtitles
Available on VOD and digital June 2nd, 2026.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD August 11th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official NEON Hokum webpage.
To purchase, head to the official NEON Shop Hokum webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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