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Hotspring Sharkattack (Movie Review)

This isn’t your average shark movie — and it’s definitely not your average hot spring getaway. In this Hotspring Sharkattack movie review, we’re diving into a creature feature that dunks its B-movie thrills in steaming mineral water and stirs in plenty of offbeat comedy. Yes, there’s an ancient shark. Yes, it’s picking off spa guests. But what makes this Japanese genre oddity stand out is how much fun it has being ridiculous — and how hard it commits to the bit.

 

Let’s be honest: Hotspring Sharkattack isn’t winning any Oscars — but it might just win your heart if you’re in the mood for unhinged aquatic nonsense with a Japanese twist. Set in a quiet onsen town suddenly plagued by an ancient shark with a taste for spa-goers, the film leans hard into parody and regional flavor. The plot? Ridiculous. The effects? Questionable. The tone? Spot-on. This thing knows exactly what it is — and that’s part of the fun.

There’s something infectious about a movie that commits this hard to its bit. The satire is slathered on thick, like bathhouse mud, poking fun at everything from small-town bureaucracy to media overhype to the trope of the rugged, misunderstood hero. I enjoyed Hotspring Sharkattack — in a cheeky sort of way. It’s not trashy, but it definitely plays to the gallery. Bonus points to any film that operates on a clearly non-existent budget and still throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Honestly, if a sink had flown through the air during one of the attack scenes, I wouldn’t have blinked.

Even though it’s clearly a feature film, the humor channels the kind of character-driven awkwardness you’d find in Parks and Recreation or Mythic Quest. Not because the stories are similar, but because the cast members bounce off each other with a sitcom-like rhythm that makes even the most absurd dialogue feel natural. One character walks around like a parody of a local tourism official — clipboard always in hand, ready to spin a shark attack into a PR opportunity. It’s unhinged, and it works.

Tonally, the film dips into the kind of absurdity that would make Police Academy blush. Shark sightings are treated like civic emergencies, but the solutions offered range from hilarious to downright idiotic. I found myself grinning ear to ear more than once, especially whenever the town’s resident “Aquaman” knock-off showed up — bare-chested, stone-faced, and constantly striking heroic poses like he was waiting for a camera that never came.

Final Verdict: Hotspring Sharkattack won’t be for everyone — but if you’re the type who’s ever said “I wish this horror movie had more bathhouse comedy and community theater-level shark effects,” then this one’s calling your name. It’s absurd, oddly endearing, and surprisingly sharp for a spoof this silly. This Hotspring Sharkattack movie review is your invitation to the weirdest onsen in Japan–bring a towel, and maybe a harpoon.

 

 

 

Selected Hot Spring Shark Attack July 11 Theatrical Openings:

Los Angeles: Laemmle Glendale (weeklong)

New York: Posteritati (one night)

Dallas: Texas Theatre (one night)

Atlanta: The Plaza (one night)

A full list of screenings can be found here.

More dates will be added as confirmed.

Hot Spring Shark Attack: 77 minutes / Japan

Japanese w/ English Subtitles