Hokum Soundtrack: Every Song in the Horror Movie

Horror fans, soundtrack diggers, and anyone who enjoys getting the creeps with a side of clever scoring, there’s a new flick you might want to put on your radar: Damian McCarthy’s Hokum. The film just dropped, sending chills up spines—and, as it turns out, raising quite a few eyebrows over its soundtrack choices. People are watching, asking 'What’s that song?' while peeking through their fingers.

So What’s Hokum Actually About?

Hokum plants its flag somewhere between folk-horror weirdness and a psychological thriller. At the center, you’ve got novelist Ohm Bauman, who heads off to the Bilberry Woods Hotel—not exactly a Tripadvisor favorite—to scatter his parents' ashes. Predictably, things go sideways in spectacularly creepy fashion. He's drawn into local legends about a witch, starts having unsettling visions, and gets tangled up in a full-blown mystery (as one does when checking into a haunted countryside inn). Let’s just say the honeymoon suite is not what you’d call romantic.

Damian McCarthy wrote and directed this one—so if his name rings a bell from previous genre outings, that’s why. He knows how to string together an atmospheric scare, tying cryptic rituals, old wounds, and downright chilling secrets into a pretty effective knot.

For the numbers nerds, the movie clocks in at just under two hours (1 hr 47 min if you want exactness), has a 7.3 on IMDb, and a hefty 89% Rotten Tomatoes score. It’s definitely connecting with the genre crowd.

Let’s Talk Soundtrack (Because Yes, It Matters)

If you’re the type who meticulously Shazams movie soundtracks, you’ll want to pay attention—Hokum doesn’t just slap together a throwaway playlist. A dark, brooding original score from Joseph Bishara (best known for Insidious and The Conjuring, which should tell you he knows his way around a horror sting) provides a lot of the atmosphere. But there are a handful of actual songs scattered throughout, and they do a lot of heavy lifting in setting that rural, haunted vibe.

• "Oft In The Stilly Night" – John McCormack
• "Thought Number 3" – Colm Mac Con Iomaire
• "Lonesome Road" – Harry Bird And The Rubber Wellies
• "The Price" – Julie Lavery
• "Acorns To Ashes" – Colm Mac Con Iomaire
• "Division (Ambient)" – Moby
• "I’m Going Home" – Cork Sacred Harp Singers

That’s a mix of folksy melancholy, ethereal instrumentals, and the kind of offbeat vocal tracks that’ll haunt you for days—fitting, really.

Who’s on Screen?

If you’re scanning the cast list, it’s actually a solid, if eclectic, mix. Adam Scott takes the lead (yes, Parks and Rec Adam Scott, he does horror now!), joined by Florence Ordesh, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Michael Patric, Will O'Connell, Brendan Conroy, and—because it wouldn’t be a modern indie horror without at least one genre regular—Austin Amelio.

The Verdict

Hokum feels like a slow-burn folk nightmare—if you like your horror with cryptic legends and a strong dose of rural unease, this should be on your watchlist. The soundtrack is moody without trying too hard, and the original score? Genuinely unsettling in all the right ways. So if you're in it for the tension—and maybe to hunt down some new haunting tracks for your playlist—this one delivers.

To quote a character who’s clearly had a rough night at Bilberry Woods:

'What happened in that room is not meant to be remembered.'