The HOKUM Teaser Scared the Absolute Crap Out of Us

Horror movies are having a major moment right now, and a lot of exciting new filmmakers are leading the charge. Directors like Zach Cregger, Osgood Perkins, and the Philippou brothers have consistently delivered truly scary films, and Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy is quickly becoming another name to watch. His previous films, Caveat and Oddity, expertly tap into our fears of cursed objects and unsettling strangeness. His next project, Hokum, isn’t due until May, but the recent 40-second trailer was genuinely terrifying.

Take a look. IF YOU DARE (sorry).

Okay, what’s going on with that… person in the horse costume? It’s so strange! This new trailer is all tease and no substance. It’s mostly just short, atmospheric shots of Adam Scott looking around, with some dialogue about witches happening in the background. It’s another interesting project from NEON, the company behind the film Longlegs.

The trailer for the new film doesn’t reveal much, but here’s the basic story: Scott plays a horror writer who travels to a secluded Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes. He doesn’t realize the inn is rumored to be haunted by a witch. This new movie, Hokum, feels similar to McCarthy’s previous film, Oddity, which also featured murder, ghosts, and strange creatures in rural Ireland. Oddity’s main character owned a shop full of cursed items, including a haunted hotel bell – and we seem to see that same bell at the end of the Hokum trailer. It could be just a fun reference, like the weird drum-playing rabbit toy from another McCarthy film, Caveat, that appeared in Oddity. But knowing McCarthy, it could be something more!

We’re already incredibly excited for the horror film Hokum, and it’s now at the top of our most anticipated movies of 2026! We can’t wait for its release on May 1st.

Kyle Anderson is a Senior Editor at TopMob and the host of the “Laser Focus” podcast, where he explores pop culture in depth. He also writes film and TV reviews, and you can find him on Letterboxd.

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2025-12-18 04:03