Hokum Review: Adam Scott Gets Spooked in Ha...

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Damian McCarthy’s tale books an American novelist into an inn with a witch in the honeymoon suite, shady staff and a forest-dwelling eccentric who chugs a magic mushroom potion.

’ Neon on Facebook on X Google Preferred to Flipboard Show additional options on LinkedIn on Pinterest on Reddit on Tumblr on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment There may be no more fertile ground for screen horror than the enchanted woodlands of the Emerald Isle, which makes it disconcerting when Hokum a title not entirely inaccurate opens with a desert scene that s like an outtake from Sirat . At least until Austin Amelio staggers into the shot in 16th-century conquistador armor, holding an ancient parchment with what appears to be a treasure map. (wild, right?)

That cumbersome framing device would be superfluous if not for some minor rewards at the end, marking the redemption of a troubled man and his hard-clutched self-forgiveness.

The Details

But it s also symptomatic of the frustrations of writer-director Damian McCarthy s diffuse script, which piles on story points and portentous symbols but fails to elucidate the underlying mystery. It s a non-negotiable rule for any horror hotelier who wants a decent Yelp rating or should be that you don t put a vengeful ghost in your honeymoon suite if you re not planning on adequately explaining who she is and how she got there.

Otherwise, it s just, well, hag hokum, with a bunch of loose threads. Related Stories Movies Big Girls Dont Cry Review: New Zealand Drama Dives Into a Vivid Portrait of Millennial Teen Confusion Movies Manhood Review: Documentary Takes a Graphic, Compassionate Look at the Wild World of Penile Enhancement Hokum The Bottom Line Nothing the Irish tourism board need worry about.

Why This Matters

Venue : SXSW Film Festival (Midnighter) Release date : Friday, May 1 Cast : Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, Michael Patric, Austin Amelio, Brendan Conroy Director-screenwriter : Damian McCarthy Rated R, 1 hour 41 minutes Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman, a successful American novelist struggling with the epilogue for the final part of his series known as The Conquistador Trilogy .

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