Sean Parker
The shark-horror monster movie scene is one of those subgenres that allures us this time of year. Hell, my television will likely have every actor that’s ever faced a shark in a movie represented during the Fourth of July week. From the king of shark movies, Jaws, to the tsunami of titles that have recently been released, I love a marathon of emerging fins causing terror on the beaches and leaving blood in the water this time of year. While everyone certainly has their favorites, the template rarely changes. Well, at least until now. When I say that you have never seen a shark movie like Hot Spring Shark Attack before, I damn well mean it.
When a Japanese police detective on the verge of retirement begins noticing the correlation between a slew of disappearances at local hot springs resorts and a troubling influx of unidentifiable shark attack victims, it sets off a series of events leading to all-out chaos in Atsumi city. Learning that a shiver of ancient sharks (yes, a shiver is the name for a group of sharks) has awakened, sharks with cartilage that enables them to pass through drainage pipes, a small group of heroes band together and formulate a plan to stop the sharks and take back the city.
That is the most coherent way to synopsize Hot Spring Shark Attack. Everything about it is so exaggerated that you would think I was a lunatic if I attempted to incorporate any of the film’s more outlandish details. Calling the movie bat-shit insane doesn’t even begin to describe it. From the time I plopped down in the Chattanooga Theatre Center to witness this cinematic marvel, to right up until the credits rolled, my eyes were glued to the screen. Then again, so much was happening that my eyes were practically doing backflips to catch all of the non-stop mayhem.
Hot Spring Shark Attack begins as if you’re looking at a Jaws clone, with a hard-nosed police officer, a conniving mayor, and a shark expert from the university on the way to help. But as the situation begins to get beyond their control, they team up with a nameless beach-body beefcake called Macho, who may or may not be some sort of underwater god. Macho can stay underwater for way more time than the average human, and he’s so built that he can punch sharks in the face underwater with little resistance. With the addition of Macho, the movie effortlessly devolves into a chaotic live-action anime filled with CGI sharks that talk (“shaaaaaaarrrk!”), Godzilla-inspired miniature sets, and a razor-sharp, hilarious sense of humor.
With a title like Hot Spring Shark Attack, it’s pretty clear what you’re getting yourself into, but instead of getting tied down by the template of shark films, it completely lampoons the genre, spoofing on the serious template and offering up something extremely entertaining in the process. The actors, even when they’re vivaciously embellished, manage to endear us to their characters, so much so that moments of intensity that put them at risk prove how invested you’ve become in the movie. The CGI is fully noticeable, as are the transitions to miniatures, but the point here is to lean in and be ridiculous for seventy minutes, and director Morihito Inoue crafts a whirlwind of delightfully silly moments that are so over-the-top you’ll be grinning from ear-to-ear every time you see a clip art fin roll by.
This film knows exactly what it is, and if you’ve enjoyed titles like Dead Sushi, Monster Seafood Wars, or even the Jaws-on-a-golf-course spoof, Blades (where a killer lawnmower replaces the shark), then you’re going to have a great time seeing Hot Spring Shark Attack. This is definitely a title I recommend seeing with a group of like-minded people, as it was a blast to watch in the Chattanooga Theatre Center for CFF25. People were absolutely howling with laughter throughout the movie, and it was hard not to join them. In no way, shape, or form is Hot Spring Shark Attack meant to be taken seriously, and its irreverence makes it all the more fun for everyone.
Hot Spring Shark Attack is playing in select Alamo Drafthouse and Cinemark locations for one night only on July 9, three days before its theatrical release and PVOD debut. This film demands to be seen with a crowd while having a beer (or whatever helps you relax) in hand, and I’m sure you’ll be talking up the film’s most bonkers bits for years to come. It may even become a new yearly summer tradition that you play right after Jaws.
Hot Spring Shark Attack played as part of the Chattanooga Film Festival on June 20. The film will preview at some Alamo Drafthouse and Cinemark locations on July 9, before swimming into theaters and onto PVOD on July 11.
Hot Spring Shark Attack | Official Trailer | Utopia
https://hotspringsharkattackfilm.com Special Event Screenings Nationwide July 9th | In Theaters and Digital July 11th In Atsumi City, where construction of a huge tourist complex led by the mayor, Mankan, is underway, a series of incidents have occurred in which the people while bathing in onsen have suddenly disappeared.
