Osgood Perkins’ latest horror movie Keeper was secretive in its marketing, and for good reason. The intentionally perplexing trailers promised a mystery at the heart of an unsettling romance, and while reviews haven’t been kind to Keeper, there is undoubtedly plenty of slow-burn tension built over the movie’s runtime.
There is also some truly creepy and disturbing imagery that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Keeper’s third act and ending, in particular, paid off the mystery at the movie’s center in what some will find to be a shocking manner, given there were very few hints about the ultimate direction it was heading coming into the movie.
However, prior to the movie’s beginning, many audiences were treated to the typical slew of theatrical trailers for upcoming movies, including one with imagery that might have made a more lasting impression with its own unsettling images. It was the first time that this trailer had been seen, as there was no online release prior to Keeper’s release, but it kicked up the hype for a project that has been gestating for months.
The Trailer For Damien McCarthy’s Hokum Is Playing Before Many Screenings Of Keeper
First look at Adam Scott in Hokum
The trailer for Hokum reveals virtually nothing about the movie besides the title, it was positively laden with horror imagery revealed in quick succession. Online discussion forums like Reddit have been abuzz with comments that the Hokum trailer was the best part of Keeper, and while that may not be fair to Keeper, it speaks to the level of impact the 30–40-second trailer had.
Hokum is due out in 2026, although no formal release date has been revealed yet, given that rising horror powerhouse Neon just acquired the movie in August 2025. In addition to the incredibly creepy first trailer, which is expected to debut online in short order, there are a lot of signs that Hokum could be a hit when it finally debuts in theaters.
Director Damian McCarthy is shooting Hokum in his hometown of West Cork, Ireland, and while he’s relatively new to cinema, he’s shown plenty of promise. His low-budget feature film debut Caveat (2020) was well-received by critics, while his breakthrough follow-up, the haunting Irish horror film Oddity, was on many “best of” lists by the end of 2024.
Damian McCarthy Filmography – Key Details
Movie
Release Date
Budget
Box Office Gross
RT Tomatometer Score
RT Popcornmeter Score
Caveat
2020
£250,000
$78,655
83%
59%
Oddity
2024
Not available
$1,850,519
96%
77%
Per Deadline, the movie will be anchored by horror/thriller veteran and Severance star Adam Scott, who will star as a reclusive author who travels to Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes, only to find that the inn he’s staying at is plagued by the malevolent spirit of an ancient witch. The intimate setting should allow Scott to truly shine, and provide McCarthy with a perfect folk horror canvas on which to paint.
It seems unlikely that Hokum has an exorbitant budget, but with the hype of McCarthy’s name attached after the success of Oddity combined with the star power of Adam Scott, Hokum seems like a surefire bet for profitability. I’m even more excited about it after seeing the first few images of the movie ahead of Keeper, which certainly did stick with me even if they were only brief flashes with no context.