Oddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of Hokum

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FollowSee All FilmOddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of HokumDamian McCarthy’s previous film delivers more cursed objects and unsettling isolation in the Irish countryside. Damian McCarthy’s previous film delivers more cursed objects and unsettling isolation in the Irish countryside. by Terrence O'Brien Terrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Technical Details

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Image: ShudderPart OfWhat we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now. see all updates Terrence O'Brien Terrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor.

He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Hokum recently hit theaters, and it’s already outperforming box office expectations. If this Kubrick-referencing haunted hotel flick starring Adam Scott was your introduction to director Damian McCarthy, do yourself a favor and go watch his previous film, Oddity.

Industry Implications

If you prefer to go in blind — the ideal way to watch any movie — Oddity is available to stream on Hoopla, Kanopy, Hulu, and Shudder. Warning: Spoilers ahead. Like Hokum, Oddity takes place in a sprawling Irish countryside location.

They both traffic in similar kinds of scares — cursed objects, the occult, isolation, dark corners, and sketchy men living outside the norms of society. They also both embrace magic and the supernatural, while making the true evil seemingly respectable men who victimize the women in their lives. Both were also made on extremely small budgets.

Hokum cost just $5 million. Oddity’s budget has proven harder to confirm, but I’ve seen reports as low as $750,000. The result is a movie that’s gritty, extremely dark, and deploys its limited production budget smartly.

This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.