'Hokum' has been making headlines since its release, leaving fans impressed by Adam Scott's portrayal of 'Ohm'. However, what's further intriguing is that the film is not just a simple horror drama.
Hokum is a horror film starring Adam Scott in a never-before-seen role. The actor will essay the role of 'Ohm', a troubled writer grappling with painful memories and regret. However, things take a turn when he checks in at an Irish hotel tied to his parents' past. While unsettling, the film is rich in emotional depth, focusing on 'Ohm's' inner struggles and delivering an ending which most of us didn't expect. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
The film centres around a witch who is presented as a mysterious supernatural force tied to a local legend. For the unversed, this witch is believed to drag lost souls into a nightmarish afterlife, and had been contained in the hotel's abandoned wedding suite by the former owner. While the film doesn't delve into the witch's details, she isn't the true villain of the story but rather a symbol of inevitable death. Which brings us to our real antagonist: the hotel's manager, 'Mal', whose actions drive the conflict, highlighting the contrast between human malice and the witch's more elemental and inevitable presence.
Initially, 'Mal' appeared as a dopey side character. However, it wasn't long before we realised he was the main villain and the one who killed 'Fiona', because she was pregnant from an affair the two had previously had. Terrified she would disrupt his domestic life by exposing the truth, 'Mal' drugged her during the night of the Halloween party and dragged her into the bridal suite, leaving her to starve or die at the hands of the witch. However, when the manager discovers that 'Ohm' and 'Jerry' are investigating the disappearance, he becomes an active threat, attempting to kill 'Ohm' and successfully eliminating 'Jerry'.
'Mal' is guilt-free and cruel, which is a direct contrast to the great guilt carried by 'Ohm' and 'Jerry', for both have lost someone they dearly loved. Both of whom were technically killed by their own hands. While they may be prickly, the pair prove to be noble in their intentions in their search for 'Fiona' and their refusal to just abandon her. While 'Mal' shows little guilt for his actions, he even doubles down on his murder attempts. However, unfortunately, none of his efforts could save him, as the witch dragged him to hell.
'Ohm's' emotional struggles centre around the fact that he accidentally killed his mother with his father's gun. An incident that shaped his relationship with his father, leaving him vulnerable to the witch's torment. However, rather than condemning him, Hokum explores his grief and self-blame with empathy, as 'Ohm' confronts the memory of being trapped by the witch and is comforted by his mother, who forgives him, giving him the strength to escape. His experience is a turning point, symbolising personal growth and emotional healing.
Hokum's subplot introduces a nameless Conquistador. For the unversed, according to Vocabulary.com, a Conquistador is a 16th-17th-century Spanish and Portuguese soldier, explorer, and adventurer who conquered vast territories in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania for the Iberian crowns. He finds himself lost in the desert, with the man's treasure hunt leading him to kill his companion in an effort to regain access to a map. However, this grim story is not random; it's a reflection of 'Ohm's' darker state of mind.
This ending would have seen the Conquistador wander the desert until his death. The death of his main character reflects 'Ohm's' growing suicidal ideation, which leads him to try to hang himself in the hotel. However, the later events change his thinking, giving him a second chance.
Even in the hospital, he turns down a bottle of whiskey, which comes as a contrast to his usual drinking throughout the film, with his spiked flask even hinted to be why (like 'Jerry') 'Ohm' could see between the lines of the living and dead worlds, and is polite to a bellhop he had insulted earlier. The change in Conquistador's plan to kill the boy and apologise is a reflection on 'Ohm's' growth and ability to move forward from his internal grief.
Hokum ultimately explores guilt through its central characters, while 'Ohm' is consumed by remorse over the accident that shaped his life, 'Jerry', who once killed his terminally ill wife at her request, seemed to have come to terms with the weight of his actions. On the other hand, 'Mal' stands in stark contrast, showing little to no guilt over his actions and offering hollow apologies without actually taking accountability. The film reflects on how acknowledging guilt and seeking forgiveness are what really matter and are essential for redemption.
'Ohm's' sincere remorse and emotional confrontations with his past are proof of the same, and his mother's forgiveness is the redemption he sought to move ahead. 'Mal', on the other hand, is punished for his cruelty and lack of repentance, meeting a grim fate at the hands of the witch. In the end, Hokum delivers a powerful message about accepting responsibility and atoning for it.
What are your thoughts on Hokum? Let us know.
Next Read: Is Lorna Hajdini Married? Her Relationship Status Is In Question Amid Allegations From Chirayu Rana