Plot: What’s it about?
I’ve said it on countless occasions, that there are a lot of films out there that I’d have no idea even existed if not for running this site. When Hokum arrived, I’d not heard of it, its director (Damien McCarthy) but saw Adam Scott’s name and my eyes lit up. I figured such a bankable actor would have to seen something in this film to make it, so I popped the disc in the player and, well, here we are. I did do a bit of research on McCarthy and it turns out his previous film, Oddity, was a rather offbeat tale about a widower being terrorized by his sister’s wooden mannequin. Yes, you read that correctly. But it’s this quirky concept that helped the film establish a tone that was hard to shake. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with Hokum, so let’s get started.
Ohm (Adam Scott) is an author who’s rather bitter. And depressed. He visits an ancient hotel where his parents had their honeymoon. His intent was to spread their ashes at a nearby tree that mirrors a photo of his mother. He learns that the honeymoon suite has been locked up for quite some time as the owner has a witch trapped in there. Ohm finds this a bit hard to swallow, but his perceptions change when a hotel employee mysteriously disappears. The film follows his attempts to investigate this disappearance and he receives some help from Jerry (David Wilmot), a local who’s had his doubts about the hotel for quite some time. We follow Ohm who follows the clues and trying to put the pieces together. He’s under the impression that there’s a logical explanation as what happened to the woman. Jerry believes it to be supernatural.
The real hook of the film is the supernatural element of it. We don’t want a straightforward film that’s entirely logical – where’s the fun in that? We want a film that in the same vein as a widower being traumatized by a wooden mannequin. And as we follow Ohm, it’s a lot more interesting once the supernatural elements come into play. Oh, sorry – spoiler, not everything is logical. But McCarthy has done a lot with a little here and it’s the small cast, led by a seasoned actor that makes this one an interesting watch. I’ve seen better, for sure, but also far worse. If you find yourself in the right mood – this one does the trick.
Video: How’s it look?
I’m usually not one to judge a movie by its cover. Ok, who are we kidding – I do that all the time. We all do, it’s just that some of admit it and others…not so much. McCarthy utilizes low light photography through much of the movie, helping to give the hotel an ominous vibe. It’s this vibe that gives the film its character and soul (pardon the pun) and the wide 2.39:1 AVC HD encode looks…decent throughout. I guess not every film can have a pristine, flawless look to it as I found a few scenes a bit on the softer side, though nothing totally distracting. Flesh tones are warm and natural and the “supernatural” part of the film has its own look. A good, though not great, transfer.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Much like the picture, the included DTS HD Master Audio mix has a notable impact on the film, notably in the basement sequences. As we might expect, vocals are spot on and surrounds do offer up a nice bit of ambiance. By and large, this is a front-heavy mix that’s sure to please, but it’s also not something that’ll be remembered for when it comes to the audio mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Writer and Director Damien McCarthy does a solo track here, but it’s fine since he both wrote and directed the movie. Having Adam Scott would have been nice, but hey…As we might expect, the usual caveats are present with casting, finding Adam Scott, details about the shoot and so forth. Any fan of the film will certainly enjoy this.
- The Making of Hokum – Admittedly, I usually roll my eyes whenever I have to watch a “making of…” featurette, but they manage to squeeze a lot of information into this 15 minute segment. Most of the technical folks are profiled as well as some details about the shoot, costume and set design and everything in between.
- Jack the Donkey, A Family Favorite – The creepy-looking character reads a letter from a fan.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Known primarily for his comedic work, Adam Scott is essentially a one man show with this one. The premise is a bit off, but once the film finds its pacing – it’s well worth the wait. While technical merits aren’t really up to the standards we’ve come to expect, it’s worth a look.
