Everybody I know seems to hail Hokum as a new horror masterpiece. I can echo a lot of the praise. This movie is wonderfully atmospheric, subtle in the right places, terrifying at other times. It has so much going for it.
I hate to be a doomscribe, but am I the only one who thinks Adam Scott is horribly miscast in Hokum? The guy has as much presence as a stuffed parrot. I remember Scott from The Overnight, which I liked, but I thought he was the weakest element of the movie.
I always say a character doesn't have to be likable. Look at Marty Supreme. However, the lead character has got to be interesting. Adam Scott in Hokum, is anything but that.
How am I supposed to care for such a snide little prick? Mr. Karen, he treats everyone like inferiors. I suppose he’s supposed to be some kind of George R. R. Martin surrogate? Millions are waiting for him to finish his fantasy trilogy. Scott isn’t convincing in the least in that position.
I know I am a lot easier on far lesser movies, but when something like Hokum comes along with so many great attributes and then fails in the most critical area of any story, I feel badly cheated. You don’t care about the characters, or at least wish to see what happens to them, all the great atmosphere is for nothing.
I saw someone gushing over the character arc in Hokum. Yes, he comes around by the end, but I didn’t care one bit if he recanted and lowered himself to read the manuscript of a mere servant. I wouldn’t read the damned thing either, but I’d at least be apologetic about it, especially in such an intimate setting.
I’m not saying I hated Hokum. I did enjoy the movie, to some degree. It’s certainly superior to all the processed pop horror I sat through in the past year. Still, I ended up frustrated.
I rate books and movies in my journals, but I normally don’t give them here in my reviews. I go by a 1-10 scale, which gives me a lot more leeway than the typical 1-5 most people use. I gave Hokum a seven. Not bad, really.
It could have, should have been a ten. Had they given Adam Scott the boot, got an actor with more emotional range, and revamped the entire character, Hokum could have been a big ten.
Written by Mark Sieber
I hate to be a doomscribe, but am I the only one who thinks Adam Scott is horribly miscast in Hokum? The guy has as much presence as a stuffed parrot. I remember Scott from The Overnight, which I liked, but I thought he was the weakest element of the movie.
I always say a character doesn't have to be likable. Look at Marty Supreme. However, the lead character has got to be interesting. Adam Scott in Hokum, is anything but that.How am I supposed to care for such a snide little prick? Mr. Karen, he treats everyone like inferiors. I suppose he’s supposed to be some kind of George R. R. Martin surrogate? Millions are waiting for him to finish his fantasy trilogy. Scott isn’t convincing in the least in that position.
I know I am a lot easier on far lesser movies, but when something like Hokum comes along with so many great attributes and then fails in the most critical area of any story, I feel badly cheated. You don’t care about the characters, or at least wish to see what happens to them, all the great atmosphere is for nothing.
I saw someone gushing over the character arc in Hokum. Yes, he comes around by the end, but I didn’t care one bit if he recanted and lowered himself to read the manuscript of a mere servant. I wouldn’t read the damned thing either, but I’d at least be apologetic about it, especially in such an intimate setting.
I’m not saying I hated Hokum. I did enjoy the movie, to some degree. It’s certainly superior to all the processed pop horror I sat through in the past year. Still, I ended up frustrated.
I rate books and movies in my journals, but I normally don’t give them here in my reviews. I go by a 1-10 scale, which gives me a lot more leeway than the typical 1-5 most people use. I gave Hokum a seven. Not bad, really.
It could have, should have been a ten. Had they given Adam Scott the boot, got an actor with more emotional range, and revamped the entire character, Hokum could have been a big ten.
Written by Mark Sieber
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