Vietnamese horror film to be shown in Taiwan

Director Tran Huu Tan said he is very happy to know about its release abroad and expects Taiwanese audiences to be curious about the film since it contains many Vietnamese paranormal myths.

Within six days after its release on Feb. 10, the movie raked in nearly VND60 billion ($2.62 million), the production company said Thursday.

A promotional poster for ‘Vietnamese Horror Story’ for the international markets. Photo by Production Q

Tan said though the film was not intended for a mass audience, its success demonstrates the potential of this genre.

“It is an optimistic sign that the market will soon recover to pre-epidemic levels”.

‘Vietnamese Horror Story’ is a collection of three stories told in chronological order. The first is about Lan Huong, a celebrity who used to be famous in Saigon and vanishes without a trace after an accident.

The second revolves around a young magician who is forbidden from pursuing magic. Once, disobeying his father, he performs for a child, sparking off a slew of strange occurrences.

In the final story, a psychic is hired by a family with a recently deceased young woman to locate her remains.

The film earned kudos for its artists’ make-up and its setting in a Saigon with old villas and apartments, which contribute to its somber ambiance.

Some have also criticized it for a lack of continuity in narrating three unrelated stories and confusion in the storytelling, particularly in the second and third chapters.

As a result, it is difficult for many viewers to grasp the story.

In addition to the three main stories, there is also a twist at the end, but it occurs too quickly and superficially.

Many studios have been seeking to take their films to the international market in recent years.

Tan’s previous horror film, ‘Bac Kim Thang’ (Home Sweet Home), was also shown in Taiwan in January last year and became the first Vietnamese horror film to be chosen for the A Window on Asian Cinema category at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.

According to Box Office Mojo, an American website that tracks box-office revenues, ‘Bo Gia’ (Dad, I’m Sorry) was released in America in June last year and earned $350,000 to rank 10th in terms of collections during the first week of its release.

It had also been screened in Singapore and Malaysia after grossing more than VND400 billion in Vietnam.

Ngo Thanh Van released her action film ‘Hai Phuong’ (Fury) in America in March 2019, and it took in more than VND200 billion.