Hokum is a horror movie that captures the significance of depicting the elements of horror in a manner that is balanced and is able to resonate with a heavy atmosphere, keeping the viewers hooked throughout. It cannot be denied that the horror elements in this movie can be impactful, especially how emotionally charged these moments are.
The depiction of Ohm’s emotional turmoil throughout the movie not only proves the acting prowess of Adam Scott but also establishes the striking storytelling of the Hokum. In this movie, Adam Scott’s character, Ohm Bauman, decides to take a trip to an Irish inn so that he can scatter the ashes of his parents. This particular inn is crucial in his life, as it was the same place that became the root of his parents’ relationship.
Please be prepared for the spoilers ahead.
Unraveling Ohm’s guilt and Mal’s past actions in Hokum ending
A crucial aspect of Hokum is the correlation between the events and the characters’ personal lives. From the beginning of this movie, the grim atmosphere that is set depicts Ohm’s emotional state. His past plays a vital role in setting the narrative.
Ohm’s past actions have led him to be extremely guilt-stricken. It even leads him to want to kill himself as he is unable to tolerate the guilt that he has because of his actions. At the end of Hokum, the true storyline of the witch and the real antagonist of the storyline is unveiled.
Though at the beginning of the movie, it seemed that the witch in the bridal suite was the main antagonist in this horror movie, it is not the case. Rather, instead of the dangerous supernatural force, it is the brutality of human nature that becomes the antagonist in the storyline.
It is unveiled that Mal, the manager of the inn where Ohm was staying, is the person behind it all. After Fiona’s disappearance, Ohm decided to search for Fiona. He, along with Jerry, begins to search for her in the inn, which gains the attention of Mal. Mal had no intention to let Jerry and Ohm find the truth about Fiona, as he was the one who killed her by keeping her locked in the bridal suite, where the witch is present.
The reason Mal took such drastic measures was to make sure Fiona was not able to unveil the truth about his affair with her and that she was pregnant with his child. At the end of Hokum, Mal’s layered nature is brought to light. Unlike Ohm, who is constantly struggling to accept his past mistakes and feels guilty, Mal is not concerned about his actions.
To stop Ohm and Jerry from getting closer to the truth, he even kills Jerry, but fails to kill Ohm. However, at the end of Hokum, Mal finally gets the consequences of his actions when the witch takes him to hell in a gruesome manner. The horrifying nature of this moment leaves a lasting impact.
At the end of Hokum, more about Ohm’s past is uncovered. From the beginning of the series, the depiction of guilt and how it becomes a driving factor in Ohm’s life is depicted. The reason Ohm feels guilty about his past is that he accidentally killed his own mother when he was a child.
He shot his mother in the head while he was playing with the gun that his father had. His mother’s death eventually led to the complex relationship that he had with his father. Through the years, the guilt of killing his mother has been eating at him. The witch in Hokum also uses Ohm’s guilt against him. However, the depiction of how Ohm is finally freed from the guilt at the end of the movie resonates deeply with the viewers.
Ohm’s mother’s spirit comes to his rescue. After he is captured by the witch, Ohm’s mother’s spirit arrives. Ohm finally opens up about his guilt and apologizes to her for his actions. He is finally able to get a second chance at life through this. The blend of horror with emotional depth is rare to find, and this movie perfectly delivers on this aspect.
At the end of Hokum, Ohm gets his salvation with his mother’s help. The storyline of the Conquistador is also brought to light at the end of the movie. In the beginning, the ending of the trilogy was quite different. However, after Ohm is finally able to apologize to his mother for his actions and get a second chance, he also incorporates healthier habits, depicting the steady growth.
The ending of the book is changed; instead of the previous grim ending, it now has a hopeful one, which also depicts the shift in Ohm’s life. From the beginning of the movie till the very end, there is a constant depiction of how impactful guilt is. Though Ohm was not able to accept his past actions and constantly felt guilty, Jerry, even though going through a similar situation in his life, was able to accept his situation.
At the end of Hokum, it is also revealed that Jerry killed his wife because his wife asked him to end her suffering as she was suffering from terminal illness. Both Ohm and Jerry faced difficulties because of their past actions; however, it was not the case for Mal, as even after committing heinous crimes, he does not regret his actions.
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Edited by KOUSHIKI ROY