Severance Star’s R-Rated Horror Hit Is Slaying Critics With a Killer Rotten Tomatoes Score
Severance standout Adam Scott leads Hokum, an R-rated supernatural shocker that premiered to rave reviews and a killer Rotten Tomatoes score. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy (Oddity), the film casts Scott as Ohm Bauman alongside Peter Coonan and David Wilmot.
So, Adam Scott — yes, that Adam Scott from ‘Severance’ (and, if you’re me, always a little bit Ben Wyatt) — has a new supernatural horror flick that’s turning a bunch of critic heads, and not in the creepy-possession way, I promise. The movie’s called 'Hokum', and it hasn’t even hit the general public yet, but somehow it’s already cleaning up on Rotten Tomatoes.
What You’re Getting With 'Hokum'
Here’s the rundown: 'Hokum' is written and directed by Damian McCarthy. If you saw his previous work, 'Oddity', you know he’s got a thing for giving you the chills without reinventing the wheel. Adam Scott stars as a guy named Ohm Bauman, and the cast also brings in Peter Coonan and David Wilmot. This thing had its world premiere at SXSW — that’s March 14, 2026, if you’re keeping score — and it officially hits US theaters May 1, 2026.
The Critics’ Take: Not Reinventing Horror, Just Doing It Right
'Hokum' isn’t trying to change the game for supernatural horror. And that’s... kind of the point. Critics are falling over themselves about how familiar but effective it is. Hoai-Tran Bui over at Inverse sums it up nicely:
Collider’s Ross Bonaime echoes the vibe, basically saying 'Hokum' doesn’t get fancy. It sticks with what works: weird figures lurking in the background, tight and suffocating spaces, and those wonderful, terrible jump scares that are pure nostalgia. According to Bonaime, this is proof that the “old” scary movie toolkit still works if you don’t mess it up trying to be clever.
Of course, not every critic thinks it’s totally terrifying. David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter admits that 'Hokum' goes a little light on the actual scares, but still manages to stay fast-paced and watchable — which, let’s be honest, is more than I can say for a lot of streaming horror releases. And Kevin L. Lee at Film Inquiry likes the old-school approach, saying the movie’s supernatural threat feels less like a monster and more like something out of trauma you can’t shake. Yikes.
How’s It Doing on Rotten Tomatoes?
- Current RT Score: 96%
- Based on: 24 reviews (it’ll probably slide a little as more people see it)
- Status: You can bet it keeps that 'certified fresh' badge, at least if the early buzz holds
The takeaway? 'Hokum' doesn’t try to break mold — it just does the mold really, really well. If you like your horror with a side of classic ghost-movie tricks and Adam Scott looking haunted (in more ways than one), mark your calendar for May 1.