With a title like “Hot Spring Shark Attack,” I thought I knew exactly what I was getting into when I screened writer/director Morihito Inoue’s feature debut. What I experienced, however, was something far beyond my expectations: a film as wacky as it is entertaining, packed with delightful nods to the aquatic horrors that came before it, especially “Jaws.”
“Hot Spring Shark Attack” premiered at the 2024 Tokyo International Shark Film Festival, where it took home the Audience Award, and was released in Japan and other international territories last year. The film made its U.S. debut more recently, at the Chattanooga Film Festival.
The film is set in the small hot spring town of Atsumi, where an ambitious mayor aims to boost tourism with a massive new development at the heart of the city. There’s just one problem: as construction progresses, bodies start piling up on the beach, and the evidence suggests that a shark is the culprit. Desperate to avoid bad press that could cripple the town’s tourism, the mayor hatches a plan to spin the negative into a positive. Instead, his scheme inadvertently escalates the death toll dramatically.
It’s hard to review “Hot Spring Shark Attack” without ruining some of what makes the viewing experience of this film so enjoyable. It’s a horror comedy that understands what it set out to achieve and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The film employs a fascinating mix of special effects—from CGI to puppets and miniatures—none of which are particularly well-executed. Yet, instead of detracting from the film, these charmingly low-budget effects quickly become part of its undeniable appeal. Couple this with the wild premise of a prehistoric shark somehow navigating a network of hot springs and pipes to hunt its victims, and you’re in for 70 minutes of glorious “what-the-fuckery” that truly needs to be seen to be believed.
Once it gets going, the film doesn’t let up and culminates in a final battle between the disgraced mayor, a marine biologist, and a character known as “Macho” (who can best be described as a real-life anime hero), and the threat to the town.
“Hot Spring Shark Attack” is precisely what you would expect to get from a film with this title and then some. If you’re a fan of eccentric Japanese genre films or simply enjoy cheesy aquatic horror, this is one you won’t want to miss.
“Hot Spring Shark Attack” will open at select theaters on July 11, 2025, and will be available to rent or own in North America on Cable VOD and Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, iNDEMAND, and Vubiquity, the same day.
