5 Best Movies Like Hokum

May 2026 was a fantastic month for horror. "Obsession" blew everyone away at the box office, while "Backrooms" may have confused audiences but also successfully translated an internet meme for the big screen. Amidst that excitement, it would be easy to overlook "Hokum," but this film is worth your time just as much as "Obsession" or "Backrooms."

"Hokum" is a much more lowkey horror film. It sees an angry, depressed author, Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) go to an old Irish cabin to gain a sense of closure regarding his parents' death. While there, he discovers the hotel harbors a haunting secret, and it'll be up to him to solve a murder. "Hokum" does a phenomenal job of creating atmospheric dread and utilizing folklore to great effect, turning a skeptic like Ohm into a believer of the supernatural.

You might be curious what other movies like "Hokum" are out there. It's not an excessively gory film. Instead, it derives fear from making you feel like an evil presence is in the room, and it's watching the story with you. Fortunately, there are plenty of other great movies that build atmosphere and use folklore to send shivers down the spine. Here's our five picks.

"Hokum" hails from Irish director Damian McCarthy, and in good news for horror fans, that's not his first film. His most recent effort before the Scott-led spookiness was the equally terrifying "Oddity" from 2024. The film doesn't waste any time before presenting a horrifying sequence. Dani (Carolyn Bracken) stays at her new country home but receives a haunting message from one of her husband's former patients, telling her that someone is inside the house with her. Does she leave, with this strange man possibly on the loose, or risk staying inside? 

The answer immediately puts a pit in your stomach and that sensation rarely lets up. Later, a strange wooden golem arrives at the country home, and you'll never want to take your attention off it, as it seemingly moves from one scene to the next. McCarthy proves himself a master of building tension and allowing it to linger in the air rather than opting for a cheap jump scare, a technique he refines shortly later in "Hokum." 

Not only that, but McCarthy has a knack for crafting terrifying, monstrous visages. The wooden golem in "Oddity" goes from a cheap ornament to something far more dastardly as the film goes on. Don't sleep on McCarthy as a filmmaker to watch. Bonus, if you're really feeling brave, then you can opt for his feature debut "Caveat," which also enjoys all of this fresh horror director's best trademarks.

Folk horror is an extremely underrated subgenre. It may not be as flashy as the slasher movie, but it effectively pulls scares from things we probably assumed were natural. We often turn toward the wilderness as a respite from the horrors of humanity, but you never know what could be lurking in the mountains. 2017's "The Ritual" knows that all too well, creating one of the creepiest Netflix movies you should never watch alone. 

Four friends mourn the death of one of their own and take a hiking trip in remembrance of him. In an attempt to take a shortcut out of the rural region via increasingly eerie forests, they encounter disturbances that lead them to realize there's an entity in the forest with them. Of course, the utilization of folk horror tropes is one component that ties "Hokum" to "The Ritual," but the two also share underlying themes of grief and regret. 

In "Hokum," Ohm Bauman feels intense remorse over some past actions. He's a grouch to be around until he realizes no one can solve the central mystery but him. "The Ritual" also has a character carrying immense regret, making it not merely a simple creature feature but also a fantastic meditation on how to let go of past failures. And if atmospheric horror isn't enough for you, just wait until you get a look at the horror movie god at the heart of "The Ritual." Try to get some sleep after that thing starts shrieking. 

Not enough horror movies take advantage of the fact that a hotel is an inherently creepy setting, though there are some real standouts in the niche. There's something uncanny about a building that's meant to house humans but isn't designed for long-term stays. The odd hallways. The annoying random buzzing sounds. The clanks of unseen vending machines. There's a lot to get under your skin. "Hokum" knows this by sending Ohm to a remote hotel, and you shouldn't ignore 2011's "The Innkeepers" either.

Directed by Ti West, who would go on to make the "X" trilogy, the film follows two employees of a strange hotel that's definitely seen better days. There are plenty of horrific stories that took place on the grounds, and the two workers attempt to document all of its supernatural occurrences. 

What's impressive here is how both "Hokum" and "The Innkeepers" utilize unique camera angles in order to make an enclosed space feel bigger than it actually is. The hotel becomes a character in its own right, one who's always holding some new secret to uncover. And if you're thoroughly terrified by "The Innkeepers," make sure to read up on the making of the film. The area was plagued with actual supernatural events, making it one of many horror sets that were (allegedly) cursed. 

Lee Cronin would enter the mainstream horror consciousness with his excellent takes on well-known properties, like "Evil Dead Rise" and "Lee Cronin's The Mummy." Both of those are exceptionally nasty films, and if you want to see what he's capable of outside of the normal studio system, then check out 2019's "The Hole in the Ground."

Like "Hokum," "The Hole in the Ground" is set in an Irish countryside where not all is as it seems. Sarah O'Neill (Seána Kerslake) has just moved to the area with her son, but he soon begins exhibiting odd behavior. It's not the only strange thing happening in the area, and Sarah believes it's all connected to a mysterious sinkhole. 

"Hokum" takes some inspiration from the folklore surrounding witches, which he's more than willing to toss aside at first before realizing one could be closer than he realizes. "The Hole in the Ground" also draws inspiration from Irish myth — this time, it's the story of the changelings. These are fairies who would swap places with children, and in the film, Sarah thinks she's going insane as to whether her son is the same person he was when they arrived. In addition to some excellent scares, "The Hole in the Ground" tackles real parental anxieties with how someone's own children can become unrecognizable. 

There are many other well-known examples of folk horror films like "Hokum," specifically those set in hotels, that we could talk about. But we'd like to point you down a path less traveled. Anyone seeking out a true underrated gem needs to watch "Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse." Fortunately, you can watch it completely for free on Tubi. 

Taking place in the 15th century, the film follows Albrun (Aleksandra Cwen), who's accused of being a witch when she's a young girl. Even into adulthood, she carries the reputation of a pariah along with her. It's an immensely dark and depressing film. It's also German, so what else would you expect? But amidst all the terror is a stark truth. Oftentimes, society will push someone to the fringes out of the fear that they're a monster, sometimes creating the very monster they were worried about in the first place. 

"Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse" isn't your typical Hollywood horror movie. It defies general conventions of the genre, so if you're tired of the same old thing winding up in theaters, you should be pleasantly surprised here. And also deliciously uncomfortable.