Hokum Director and Adam Scott Share the Horror Scenes They Can’t Watch Twice

Ever wonder what actually scares the people who make scary movies? Turns out, the folks behind Hokum have their own cinematic traumas—and they're not afraid to admit it. Director Damian McCarthy and star Adam Scott recently opened up about the horror scenes that truly messed with their heads as kids (and let's be honest, some of us never quite shake those).

Childhood Nightmares, Director's Cut

Damian McCarthy, the man calling the shots on Hokum, didn’t have to think long about his pick. He was scarred by a specific moment from Ringu—yes, the original Japanese version of The Ring that came out back in 1998. It's that infamous TV moment, as McCarthy explained, that never left his brain:

'When Sadako first comes out of that TV, it was terrifying. It was absolutely so simple, and it’s not even like a jump scare. She’s making her way across the whole screen and then climbs out. I was like, that’s amazing. That’ll never be topped in terms of, for me anyway, as a horror image.'

In other words, that sequence of a long-haired ghost crawling directly into your living room is Damian’s gold standard for onscreen horror. He even laughed about the Scary Movie parody, but pointed out he saw the original so early, it hadn’t turned into a running joke yet. Pure, unfiltered terror.

Adam Scott's Fear Is (Somehow) Even More Relatable

Meanwhile, Adam Scott’s ultimate nightmare goes in a completely different direction—no supernatural ghouls, just pure suspense. Scott’s most traumatizing scene? The bathtub break-in from Marathon Man (1976). It’s less about what you see and more about what you don’t: Dustin Hoffman is alone, helpless in the tub, people are breaking in... and all you get are shadows moving across the door and whispery voices creeping in from the other side.

Scott summed up the lasting impact:

'I saw it at probably too young an age, and it’s kind of haunted me my whole life.'

Honestly, who hasn’t had their own home-invasion-via-bathroom paranoia?

A Quick Refresher on Hokum (Since Everyone’s Talking About It)

If you haven’t checked out Hokum yet, it hit theaters May 1, 2026. The setup: a writer checks into a lonely Irish hotel and quickly realizes it’s not just the décor that’s haunted. Supernatural weirdness seeps in, and from what critics and audiences are saying, it sticks with you.

• Rotten Tomatoes critics: 88% approval (they like it a lot)
• Audience score: 84% (fans are on board too)

In short: The people who made Hokum know what it’s like to be freaked out by a movie...and judging by those scores, they’re pretty good at passing that trauma along.