When I was first recommended Oddity, directed by Damian McCarthy, by a friend as a movie that “actually scared him,” I was intrigued. As a seasoned horror film watcher, I hear this claim on a frequent basis. Everyone has the things that get them, and to each their own. I have to admit, though, Oddity crawled under my skin in a rather unpredictable way. A delightful surprise, Oddity is a movie that excels in its restraint, especially in terms of run time and the way it utilizes its horror. With this context and a few watches of that film under my belt, I was ecstatic to see that my local film festival would be showing his next film, Hokum, starring Adam Scott. I have been an Adam Scott fan since Parks and Recreation, so I love seeing the two of them join for what is a great time! I’ll keep my conversation of the film light, as Neon will be distributing this, and I think it could be a popular one. Go see this when you get the chance if you’re looking for a solid horror comedy with some great scares!

Hokum is a film that isn’t breaking the mold in a lot of ways, but really excels within that. I think something that McCarthy demonstrates is an innate understanding of the characters and conventions of the genre he’s operating in. Throughout both this and Oddity, audience expectations are played with in interesting ways that frequently result in some of the more effective jump scares in recent horror. I will add that I don’t think Hokum’s supporting cast and plot are quite as strong as Oddity’s twist on things, but this is a much lighter watch. Scott’s natural comedic charm is used throughout the film to really drive this writer's dry sense of conversation, and I felt the side characters felt a bit more superficial to the plot, but a lot more entertaining. I had a great time watching this at the Enzian recently, and my crowd really enjoyed the more high-impact moments of the film. I do ultimately wish it was a bit longer and more extensive to expand on some of the emotional and thematic elements brought through the writing aspect. I loved the form and spotlight for one of the most underrated actors of all time for me! Definitely go check this out when you get the chance!

7/10 (3.5/5)

Written By Blank Thought: linktr.ee/b1ankthought