Hokum

hokum is pure nightmare fuel that kept intensifying right before my eyes. the dreadful atmosphere kept my heart racing for over half the movie, but underneath the scares, there is so much thematic depth. the exploration of grief and forgiving your inner child is beautifully handled, especially with the choice to start and end the film using his book characters to show that growth. the witch is the most visually striking and intriguing element (an ancient terrifying hag meant to be the obvious threat) but my takeaway is that the true monster of this film was a man. i’m sure i’ll catch on to more details upon rewatch, and this was definitely one of the best horror films i’ve ever seen.