A very entertaining mystery thriller that at times winks at the supernatural, but doesn't quite lean into it.

The film looks and feels exactly like what you would expect from a 1979 Hong Kongese independent film. At only 85 minutes of runtime, it is very fast-paced, which makes it entertaining and engaging. The acting is good, maybe one of the highlights of the film alongside the story.

And speaking about the story, it gets quite interesting towards the end. I honestly wish the film was remade. A modern-day interpretation of the story would be very enjoyable.

The Secret was my introduction to Ann Hui's work. I've gotten conflicting information about this film being or not her directorial debut. Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work.

"After establishing the premise of two lovers are discovered being brutally murdered, the film holds the point-of-view of a young nurse Lin (Chang), who is intrigued to seek out the truth not because she has her skin in the game, but propinquity, she is the neighbor of the purported victim Yuen (Chiu), and has already developed a close bond with Yuen's blind grandmother (Lai). THE SECRET starts out like a ghost story, with Yuen's alleged apparition (often shown only with her pair of shoes) lurking near her abode and spooking anyone who dares to go out in the darkness. But audience has no disillusion that anything paranormal is operative here, after piecing together the glimpses of the past, a love triangle emerges between Yuen, her boyfriend Cheuk (Man, really hoking it up gloriously in the risible death scene), and another woman Mui (Li)."

read the full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks