Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- eerie
- intimate
- quiet evening
- supernatural drama night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hannah's spirit enters Samantha after the car crash, forcing the story to build conflict around concealed maternal identity.
The mother's death and continued presence in her daughter's body turn bereavement into an ongoing supernatural relationship.
Living Samantha's life exposes Hannah to the secrets and private conflicts her daughter concealed from her family.
The central question is whether Ben can accept that his wife survives inside their daughter's body, making family intimacy increasingly unsettling.
Films like The Secret, and why
The Change-Up
supernatural identity exchange, family grief, and emotionally serious drama
Freaky Friday
parent-child body transformation used to explore family relationships and hidden feelings
Ghost
romantic supernatural premise involving death, grief, and communication across boundaries
The In Between
intimate supernatural mystery centered on family secrets and emotional loss
Movie Details
- Director
- Vincent Perez
- Release Date
- 2007-10-10
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (84)
Cast
- David Duchovny
- Olivia Thirlby
- Lili Taylor
- Millie Tresierra
- Trisha LaFache
- Laurence Leboeuf
- Kathleen Mackey
- Corey Sevier
- Brendan Sexton III
- Jane Wheeler
Common questions
- What is The Secret about?
- After a fatal car crash, a grieving mother’s spirit inhabits her teenage daughter and struggles to protect her family while exposing its buried secrets.
- What is The Secret like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Secret as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Secret violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Secret as moderate.
- Which films are like The Secret?
- Films with a similar feel include The Change-Up, Freaky Friday, Ghost, and The In Between.
- How long is The Secret?
- The Secret runs 92 minutes.
