The Secret

Loosely based on a real-life double-homicide case, Ann Hui’s grisly debut feature is a key film of the early Hong Kong New Wave. A young couple has been murdered—strung up in the woods—and Lin (Sylvia Chang), a friend of one of the victims, takes it upon herself to investigate. Interviews provide scarce clues, but every tree, alleyway, and red coat suggest something spectral. “The airy musical leitmotifs of Violet Lam Man-yee’s ghostly score send shivers down the spine” (Faith Everard, Senses of Cinema). Through a series of labyrinthine flashbacks, a refracted truth is revealed.