Episode 117 - Hokum

🎬 Mindframes Show Notes Hokum (2026)

Directed by: Damian McCarthy Written by: Damian McCarthy Starring: Adam Scott IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35628972/

Episode Summary

In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave discuss Hokum (2026), a slow-burn Irish folk horror film from Damian McCarthy centered on a cynical horror writer who travels to a haunted inn to scatter his parents' ashes—only to uncover hidden violence, buried grief, and a terrifying supernatural presence lurking within the hotel.

The discussion explores the film's atmospheric craftsmanship, old-school suspense techniques, creature design, and overwhelming sense of dread. Along the way, the hosts compare Hokum to films like The Shining, Hereditary, The Witch, and Barbarian, while debating whether the film's emotional revelations are genuinely effective or too indebted to familiar Stephen King-style trauma storytelling.

🧠 Thematic Discussion

Hokum explores the relationship between hidden spaces and hidden emotional wounds. The film presents grief as something buried, locked away, and left unresolved until it begins to poison both individuals and communities.

Through the haunted architecture of the inn and Om's suppressed guilt surrounding his parents, the film suggests that what we refuse to confront eventually manifests externally—whether psychologically, socially, or supernaturally.

⏱️ Timestamps Time Segment 00:00 Intro & setup 00:35 Film premise + synopsis 01:20 Damian McCarthy discussion 04:10 Adam Scott performance discussion 10:15 Atmosphere & cinematography 14:20 Use of space, darkness, and suspense 17:30 Sound design analysis 19:40 Creature design discussion 22:10 Stephen King influences 26:00 Michael's criticism of exposition 30:00 "Old-school suspense" discussion 34:10 Dave's review (★★★★☆) 39:00 Michael's review (★★★½☆) 41:30 ⚠️ Spoiler section begins 42:00 The witch interpretation debate 45:10 Om's grief and trauma reveal 49:20 The hidden room & Fiona mystery 53:00 The hotel as metaphorical space 56:15 Discussion of suicide & repression 01:00:40 Theme breakdown: hidden truths 01:05:00 Final interpretation debate 01:08:30 Closing thoughts 🎞️ Films & Directors Mentioned

• The Shining

• Hereditary

• The Witch

• Barbarian

• Heretic

• The Monkey

• Men

• Caveat

• Oddity

• Stephen King

• Alfred Hitchcock

• Ari Aster

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