'Hokum' Review: Damian McCarthy does it again with Adam Scott-led thriller

Newsweek · May 05, 2026 · 505 words · By Austin Boyd

film criticism Independent Cinema vs. Studio IP

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What to know about film criticism

In a world where studios are scooping up any indie horror film darling and forcing them into the world of IP, Irish director Damian McCarthy has chosen to focus on original ideas.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

In a world where studios are scooping up any indie horror film darling and forcing them into the world of IP, Irish director Damian McCarthy has chosen to focus on original ideas.

Why it matters

His first film, "Caveat," came out in 2020 and was met with widespread critical acclaim.

Common ground

He got introduced to more audiences with 2024's "Oddity," which holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this film criticism story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Bauman... does become friendly with a bartender named Fiona (Florence Ordesh)?
How does this story connect film criticism with Independent Cinema vs. Studio IP over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/movies/hokum-review-damian-mccarthy-does-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

cancel Disputed 1

verified

Claim 1: “Bauman... does become friendly with a bartender named Fiona (Florence Ordesh).”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia's entry for 'Hokum' lists Florence Ordesh as a cast member, and the plot involves the protagonist traveling to Ireland, though the specific 'friendly bartender' detail is most strongly supported by the cast list in the reference.

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Claim 2: “"Hokum" is about renowned writer Ohm Bauman (Scott) traveling to Ireland to spread his parents' ashes in the forest near the hotel where they honeymooned.”

CORROBORATED

Wikipedia and IMDb both confirm the plot involves Adam Scott as an author/writer traveling to a hotel in Ireland to scatter his parents' ashes.

verified

Claim 3: “Irish director Damian McCarthy has chosen to focus on original ideas.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Damian McCarthy is an Irish filmmaker.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Caveat is a 2020 horror film written, directed, and edited by Damian McCarthy in his feature directorial debut. Starring Johnny French and Leila Sykes, it follows a drifter suffering from partial memo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_(film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Damian McCarthy (born 16 January 1981) is an Irish filmmaker. He is best known for directing the horror films Caveat (2020), Oddity (2024) and Hokum (2026).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damian_McCarthy

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hokum is a 2026 Gothic supernatural horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy. The film stars Adam Scott as an author who travels to a hotel in Ireland, unaware that it may be haunted. Peter…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokum_(film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “The Adam Scott-led horror film [Hokum] has already been McCarthy's biggest box office hit”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence confirms 'Hokum' stars Adam Scott and is directed by McCarthy, there is no data provided regarding box office earnings or whether it is his biggest hit.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hokum is a 2026 supernatural horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy. The film stars Adam Scott as an author who travels to a hotel in Ireland, unaware that it may be haunted.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokum_(film)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · Hokum: Directed by Damian McCarthy. With Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Austin Amelio. A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware the property is …
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt35672862/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — “Hokum” is a deceptively simple piece of storytelling: An angry, alcoholic writer who basically travels to Hell to learn the truth about a missing woman. But that doesn’t detract from the remarkable c…
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hokum-adam-scott-film-rev…

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Claim 5: “this year's "Hokum" was released less than two years after "Oddity."”

DISPUTED

The claim states 'Hokum' was released this year (2024) less than two years after 'Oddity'. However, Wikipedia and web search results explicitly state 'Hokum' is a 2026 film.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “2024's "Oddity," which holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Wikipedia confirms 'Oddity' is a 2024 film directed by Damian McCarthy, but the provided evidence does not contain the specific Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On the film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, films that every surveyed critic considered poor have a 0% rating. As of February 2026, only 44 films with either a critic's consensus or more t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_with_a_0%_rating…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, a film has a rating of 100% if each professional review recorded by the website is assessed as positive rather than negative. The percentage is based …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_with_a_100%_rati…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Se…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_Tomatoes

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 7: “His first film, "Caveat," came out in 2020”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly states 'Caveat' is a 2020 horror film and McCarthy's feature directorial debut.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oddity is a 2024 Irish horror film written and directed by Damian McCarthy. It follows a blind medium and curio shopkeeper who is still grieving the death of her twin sister a year prior when a wooden…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddity_(film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.