Secrets in the Hot Spring (2018) User Reviews

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 7/10 · 8 May 2019]

Secrets in the Hot Spring was actually a good movie.

For a comedy, it was solid, with many funny scenes that can actually make you laugh. And the whole story, even though rediculous, actually made sense. For a horror movie, well, it wasn't a horror movie. Even for me who can't stand the genre and can get scared easily, it wasn't scary at all. The vibes were good though and the atmosphere nicely presented.

The conclusion was good as well, although kind of cliche and cheesy. But I guess it suited the movie.

So, seven out of ten.

Goofy

[Foutainoflife · 5/10 · 20 May 2019]

This is not a film that is scary and there's not much of a plot going on. I would think that this would be a fun film for preteens or young teenagers. It's just goofy fun.

Secrets in the Hot Spring

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 5 January 2024]

Qie Xiaogin is a bleached blond with a reputation for being a trouble maker. After an incident at school he forms an unlikely friendship with the slightly wimpy Lu Qun and the somewhat camp 'Little Princess'. One day his grandparents invite him to help at their rural hot springs hotel, his friends invite themselves to join him. The three of them go and find it to be a rundown establishment. They find it more than a little creepy and soon believe it is haunted! Will they get to the bottom of the strange goings on?

This film was recommended as a horror on Netflix but the PG rating suggested there wouldn't be many real scares. It turns out to be about as scary as an episode of 'Scooby Doo'... and in many ways it could have been inspired by that show. Thankfully what it lacked in scares it made up for in laughs. It is all very silly and rather camp but worked better than I expected. The cast do a fine job as they deliberately ham it up for maximum comic effect. The 'horror' elements are fun rather than overly scary meaning this can be enjoyed by younger viewers and those who wouldn't normally watch a horror film. Overall a fun little film; not perfect but better than I expected.

These comments are based on watching the film in Mandarin with English subtitles.

Secrets in the Hot Spring: The next level of goofy

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 1 January 2019]

The marketing for Secrets in the Hot Spring clearly failed miserably because at time of writing the film has less than 50 ratings on IMDB and zero reviews. I am breaking the cherry and telling you about this obscure little Taiwanese comedy horror.

It's such a strange little film, it tells the story of a young man who goes to visit his late parents hotel now run by his grandparents. In tow are two of his friends (And I use that term loosely) and they discover the property might be haunted.

It's brand of humor is a strange one, namely it's very very camp and the whole movie comes across rather homo-erotic considerably throughout. Taking a step back and looking at the film I do not think that was even remotely intentional either.

The film has its laughs, but most are so silly and childish they'll appeal to children yet the horror is certainly not appropriate for them. For this reason the movie falls into a very strange limbo where I'm not sure who the demographic is!

Most of the movies characters are deeply annoying which is exacerbated by the previously mentioned puerile comedy.

It's an odd little film and it's not bad, it's just excessively goofy and I have no idea who it was really made for.

The Good:

Some funny moments

The Bad:

A lot of it gets real old real fast

Just plain silly

Annoying characters

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I've never used a hot spring and would like to rectify that!

Woolen knee pads and fingerless mittens are adorable and need to be a thing for all girls

Didn't expect it

[mhaag-98947 · 10/10 · 9 January 2019]

It was holesome, funny, and absolutely going on the great movie shelf. I wouldn't say it's 100% original by any means, but it does give a new spin on creating character development that I'd like to see more of! Gimme a sequel!!!

Tiresome Taiwanese teen film

[Wizard-8 · 3/10 · 6 January 2019]

Having found many interesting and entertaining Asian movies on Netflix, I decided to give this particular one a look, even though teen movies in general don't really interest me. Sadly, I thought the movie was for the most part a misfire. It's a really strange movie, even by Asian comedy standards, and initially the extremely wild and goofy tone does grab your attention. And I admit that there were a few mildly amusing moments here and there. But for the most part, I watched the movie with a stony face. To be fair, the movie seems to be aimed at a Taiwanese audience instead of a western audience, which may explain why this western viewer didn't seem to understand a number of plot elements and attempts at humor. But most of the movie is played out in an "international" slapstick way, and I simply didn't find this humor funny. Also, much of the humor aimed at a gay character borders on being homophobic. Even worse is that the movie is dragged out to about 108 minutes in length; it could definitely have been wrapped up in much less time. The production values are good, and the actors are very likable, which does save the movie from getting the lowest rating. But all the same, I'd recommend you skip the movie, even if you are Taiwanese.

Misunderstood little gem

[heterotopic · 9/10 · 5 August 2019]

I think a lot of people misunderstood the point of this movie, which is sad as it showed a lot of promise, and you can see the thoughtful details that went into creating this. It might be misbranded as a horror film; technically it is, and yet the whole thing is camp-y horror, which makes this film an actual comedy. There were a few moments or lines that were bad, but this movie took the whole campy horror/comedy genre to a whole new level: it deconstructed cliches and added some touching moments to the story. The whole thing's clever, including the storyline, as you see everything explained in the end. Maybe some may have noticed some things left unexplained, but hey, very, very few films have actually been able to deliver. Tight storyline, likeable characters, re-imagining the genre of horror-slash-comedy, and a beautiful set, too. I think this is a largely misunderstood gem of a film, and I hope to see more of this kind on the future.

Three Kinds of Bad

[bhsfacebook · 3/10 · 4 August 2019]

Starts as an attempt to be creepy. Then it tries to be funny. Then !t goes for poignant. It does none of these things well. What a mess.

Successfully made ticklish bone from start to finish!!

[wtwolf · 10/10 · 5 January 2019]

Wow!,me,my wife and our 3 kids enjoyed the movie from start to finish...brilliant directing,many funny and hillarious scenes..good job Taiwan film industry!..highly recommended..go see it,don't expect an oscar,just enjoy the laugh!

I laugh so much! Hahaha

[nethy-nho · 9/10 · 12 January 2019]

A weird and super funny movie of comedy and horror? Hahahaha. I really enjoyed this one and would like a sequel! \o/

Hilarious

[christineballone · 8/10 · 24 March 2022]

This is a good movie to be watched by teens and since I am a teen at heart (73) I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very funny, makes you laugh out loud several times, no serious swearing and the actors are likeable! Best to be watched in original sound track with English subtitles! Go ahead and enjoy!

Unespectedly good

[MoonsoulC · 9/10 · 31 October 2020]

Found this movie by chance and I can say that, although a bit goofy, it's one of the best comedies I've seen lately. Laughed from beginning to the end. Give it a try if you're into this kind of movies.

One of my favorite movies

[tlamberth-88718 · 10/10 · 16 May 2020]

10000000/10 one of the best movies I ever have seen, extremely rewatchable for me, very glad I found it out of the blue,

Loved it!

[gisellebertin · 10/10 · 14 January 2019]

Got this movie as a suggestion to watch and I wasn't disappointed. I don't like horror movies but I do love comedy's. This was the perfect amount of comedy and horror for a scaredy cat like me. 10 out of 10 would rewatch.

I found this by accident buts it the best movie

[lornamat · 10/10 · 18 July 2019]

Thats it, its the best movie. Its very funny and very good. And I loved it. And its the only good thing on netflix.

new favorite

[xyle666-236-135213 · 10/10 · 7 April 2022]

My wife and I have seen this a few dozen times now and i absolutely love this movie. Normally not big on subtitled flicks but this is the exception. Hoping to see these 3 in future horror/comedies. Great actors, cute story, not vulgar or political, definitely a new favorite of mine.

He-Hsuan Lin

[jammm-57057 · 10/10 · 17 January 2020]

The movie concept was amazing and a little confusing at times but if I'm being honest would have been a flop if He-Hsuan Lin wasn't in it....

Surprisingly Good Taiwanese Slapstick Comedy!

[dantetheegregore · 8/10 · 15 July 2022]

This was definitely a cute, fun slapstick comedy with some strong homoerotic undertones similar to Japanese shounen ai in some ways. I wouldn't go into it expecting a masterpiece, but it's a rather enjoyable watch. Much of the humor feels uniquely Taiwanese, but translates fairly well for western audiences in my opinion. Overall I say give it a chance.

Amazing

[kaseyclippmann · 10/10 · 14 March 2019]

Too funny yet scary. Great balance. Couldn't stop laughing as I was jumping. Even had a good heartfelt moment. Simply amazing.

Should be a cult classic

[RandIshi · 8/10 · 8 February 2021]

This is an underappreciated campy, goofy, scary and heartwarming movie that reminds us to not "judge a book by its cover" in all senses of the phrase.

There is some acerbic and mean humor and what appears to be homophobic attitudes, but later events in the film cause us to reflect on where those thoughts originate. Do they come from the film or from our own assumptions and prejudices?

PS, it's filled with brilliant Scooby-Doo references.

A Wonderful Family Movie

[Grojniar · 10/10 · 9 July 2021]

This movie had me laughing in the first 5 minutes. Honestly I couldn't stop smiling, I loved it, not to mention it even surprised me with a good song half way through. Of course this movie won't appeal to those who don't speak mandarin or like subtitles but to those who do then I would definitely recommend this because overall the movie was great. It's silly, had good music and even some teary heart filled moments near the end. I'd love to watch this again.

You will get both the comedy and the horror of the story.

[ClariSays · 10/10 · 6 October 2020]

Secrets in the Hot Spring (2018) is not an ambitious film. It knows what it is and thus, successfully executed and presented both the comedy and the horror elements without pretensions.

I'm sure you've seen comedy horror films that lean more on comedy and isn't scary at all. There are also films of the same genre that doesn't give justice to the comedy part. With Secrets in the Hot Spring (2018), you will truly get both the comedy and the horror of the story. And in the end, you will also receive a heartwarming story that completes the film experience.

Loved it

[tqlrse-956-221500 · 10/10 · 24 April 2021]

This was such a cute and some times scary but so heart felt I loved watching every minute. The grandparents were the best ever.

Goofy Spooky Fun

[ladymidath · 9/10 · 13 April 2023]

I love Asian horror movies, I find that they are atmospheric with great storylines. This movie however manages to combine scary with slapstick comedy. It reminds me of the old horror comedies of the 1940s. The story has some genuine scares and the comedy is funny and I really liked the way it all came together at the end. It also has real heart as well. The characters are interesting and fleshed out with real personalities. This movie is a lot of fun to watch and has a sweetness to it that I found touching. The grandparents were the funniest, their reactions to everything were laugh-out-loud funny. This is a fun movie if you want something a little lighthearted.