The Grand Cinema Every movie in Hong Kong cinemas, reviewed
The Secret Floor (KINO)

The Secret Floor (KINO)

驚天大酒店 (KINO)

Released
19 Sep 2026
Runtime
96 min
Original title
Das geheime Stockwerk
Language
de

The verdict

There are not yet enough audience votes to give this a reliable score. It is not currently playing in Hong Kong cinemas. 96 minutes.

What it is about

When 12-year-old Karli moves to the Austrian Alps to help his parents restore a crumbling grand hotel, he stumbles upon a freight elevator with an extraordinary secret: it travels back to 1938. There he befriends Hannah, a young Jewish girl, and Georg, a hardworking shoeshine boy. When Georg is wrongly accused of theft, the three set out to find the real culprit and uncover something far more dangerous lurking behind the hotel's gleaming facade. Austrian director Norbert Lechner weaves history and adventure into a gripping mystery that never talks down to its young audience. A festival favourite, winning prizes at Goldener Spatz, Zlin and Giffoni.

What to expect

Karli is twelve, his parents are renovating a grand old hotel in the Austrian Alps, and the freight elevator turns out to go to 1938. There he meets Hannah and Georg, and when Georg is wrongly accused of theft the three of them dig into what is really going on behind the hotel's polished front. Norbert Lechner keeps the mystery moving without softening the historical setting — the movie has picked up prizes at Goldener Spatz, Zlin and Giffoni. It screens in German with English subtitles at KINO, a smaller venue, so it will not be around forever. At 96 minutes it is a tight sit, and the suspense is real enough that very young children may find a few moments intense.

Cast

  • Silas John Karli
  • Annika Benzin Hanna
  • Marie Jung Karlis Mother
  • Tobias Resch Bruno
  • Oliver Rosskopf Karlis Father
  • Marc Limpach Herr Friedländer
  • Maximilian Reinwald Georg
  • André Jung Hoteldirektor Schneider
  • Konstantin Horn Heinrich
  • Ben Winkler Herrmann
  • Dominik Warta Johann
  • Maximilian Simonischek Otto Hartwig
  • Fanny Altenburger Rosa
  • Marlene Hauser Almuth Hartwig
  • Franz Buchrieser Grandfather

Crew

  • Director Norbert Lechner
  • Writer Katrin Milhahn
  • Writer Antonia Rothe-Liermann
  • Producer Norbert Lechner
  • Producer Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu
  • Producer Bady Minck

Common questions

How long is the movie?
96 minutes.
What language is it in, and are there subtitles?
German with English subtitles.
Is it suitable for children?
It is aimed at a young audience and has won awards at children's festivals, so older children should be fine. Some suspenseful moments may be intense for very young viewers.
Where is it playing?
At KINO, a smaller curated cinema. It is not a wide release and is not showing in IMAX or other large-format venues.