New Stephen King-Like Horror Movie Is Officially The Biggest Hit On Streaming

Published Oct 12, 2026, 5:32 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty. However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film critic on his personal website. Stephen King is the author of some of the most iconic horror novels of the past 50 years – including Carrie, The Shining, Pet Sematary, Misery, and It – which have been adapted into major motion pictures and have had a significant influence on the genre to this very day. Several modern horror movies owe a great debt to Stephen King, whether it be their protagonists, settings, or the enduring idea that ordinary people can become monsters. Now, a new Stephen King-like horror movie, Hokum, is officially the biggest hit on streaming. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy (Oddity), the 2026 film stars Adam Scott as an author who visits a hotel in rural Ireland to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware that its honeymoon suite is supposedly haunted by a witch. Hokum Just Rocketed Up Hulu's Top 10 Released on the streaming service on October 10, Hokum has rocketed up to the No. 1 spot on Hulu's Top 10 movies in the United States for today, October 12. It ranks above Coraline, Jamie Foxx: Take Care of Yourself, Hocus Pocus 2, Grown Ups, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Monsters University, Soulm8te, Grown Ups 2, and The Substance. Hokum premiered at SXSW this past March, but was released in theaters in May, where it grossed $24.5 million at the box office against its $5 million budget. Hokum reviews have been positive, resulting in a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics calling it a classic haunted house movie with eerie folklore and expertly timed scares that cement McCarthy as one of modern horror's most exciting talents. It has also received positive reactions from audiences, resulting in an 82% score from that group, who feel that Adam Scott excels as an utterly loathsome protagonist and though the movie is engrossing and atmospheric, it sacrifices some momentum for a handful of genuinely startling jump scares. Why The Film Is Perfect For Stephen King Fans Hokum is perfect for Stephen King fans because it directly mirrors many of the author's classic tropes, settings, and character archetypes. Adam Scott's Ohm Bauman is an embittered and alcoholic horror novelist struggling with writer's block, childhood trauma, and grief – closely mirroring Jack Torrance in The Shining. Like The Shining or 1408, the story strands a skeptical and isolated writer inside a spooky atmospheric room (the honeymoon suite of an Irish inn) where supernatural forces slowly break down his sanity. Hokum unfolds with a deliberate rhythm that feels like reading a Stephen King book – complete with quirky local townspeople, creeping dread, and a framing device highlighting the author's own creative process. Release Date May 1, 2026 Runtime 108 minutes Director Damian McCarthy Cast Writers Damian McCarthy Producers Derek Dauchy, Julianne Forde, Mairtín de Barra, Roy Lee, Ruth Treacy, Steven Schneider