Adam Scott and Damien McCarthy discuss bringing their horrifying new film, Hokum, to life and why it is perfect to see on the big screen.
In his latest feature, Hokum, writer-director Damien McCarthy continues to master atmospheric dread, following a chilling, isolated protagonist trapped in a space that feels distinctly alive. The movie follows Ohm (Adam Scott), who finds himself alone in a nightmare-inducing setting where the boundaries of reality blur. With McCarthy’s signature style – turning inanimate objects into vessels of pure terror – and a nuanced, daring performance from Adam Scott, Hokum literally gave me nightmares.
In this interview, Mama’s Geeky sits down with Adam Scott and Damien McCarthy to discuss this terrifying film. We discuss the unique challenge of making an inherently unlikable character sympathetic, the bizarre origins of the film’s donkey/rabbit, and the intense experience of filming in a set so meticulously designed that it became a character in its own right.
Adam Scott & Damien McCarthy Talk Hokum
Mama’s Geeky: Adam, what is it about Damien’s filmmaking process that allows him to make a movie that is just absolutely terrifying?
Adam Scott: “I had never seen it before in a movie where someone can just train the camera on an inanimate object and scare the bejesus out of me. He just sits there looking at something that is not alive, that isn’t a living thing, and is able to scare you”.
Mama’s Geeky: Damien, what made Adam the perfect choice for this character?
Damien McCarthy: “It’s a risk for a horror film because we want them to survive. But Adam was just on board with that straight away. I felt I’m very safe hands with Adam doing this because I knew that just natural charisma, talent, all of these things that he would still keep the audience on his side”.
Mama’s Geeky: The character starts off quite unlikable, which is a big risk for a horror film. How did you approach playing him?
Adam Scott: “I love being able to be a bastard every once in a while. But Damien has also written a complicated character and there are very real reasons for his behavior”.
Mama’s Geeky: Damien, where did the idea for that terrifying “donkey rabbit face” character come from?
Damien McCarthy: “It was probably going down some rabbit hole, no pun intended, one night on YouTube or something, just watching a lot of old kids’ TV shows. And just some of this stuff is like, was this ever appropriate for kids? Like some of it’s nightmare fuel, from like the 40s and 50s”.
Mama’s Geeky: The set of the Honeymoon Suite is so detailed and unsettling. What was the goal behind filling the space with those strange figures and paintings?
Damien McCarthy: “I worked with Paul McDonald, who did the wooden man for Oddity. So I got to work with Paul again, and he built all these strange little things that just because Adam’s character is on his own for so long, it’s like you need not to be, not something to interact with, but to feel like something is watching him”.
To see the full, chilling discussion and hear more about the making of this nightmare, be sure to watch our full video interview. You can experience the terror of Hokum when it arrives in theaters on May 1.
About Hokum
When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.
NEXT: Hokum Review [SXSW 2026]
