'The Road to Yin and Yang': Loose plot, weak scares

"The Yin-Yang Road" was heavily promoted and had a noisy debut, but its quality did not meet expectations. Despite the advantage of a beautiful setting, the film still received mixed reviews because of its loose script and unattractive horror elements.

Yin and Yang Road To be Vietnamese movies attracted attention when it had a noisy debut, using an ambulance to transport the cast to the red carpet, making many audiences curious but also causing controversy, forcing the crew to apologize.

The film is expected to create a new explosion at the box office, following a series of horror films such as Demon possessed, Ghost, Demon Dog, Lynx …

Unfortunately, the project was disappointing because the script lacked cohesion and the scares were bland, creating a feeling of disappointment.

The Yin and Yang Road is a Vietnamese film that has recently caused a stir because of its offensive release.

Ghost haunts the mountain pass

The main character in the film is Trong Nhan (Bach Cong Khanh), a young man who is unemployed after graduating from university. To earn money, he decides to try his hand at driving an ambulance despite the objections of his father - also a retired long-time driver (Minh Hoang).

One time, Trong Nhan was assigned to transport the body of a young girl to Mang Den in the middle of the night. Accompanying the character were his friend Phong (Tuan Dung) and the mysterious girl Thuy Chi (Lan Thy).

On the journey, the trio continuously encounter mysterious supernatural phenomena, from creepy sounds to ghosts passing by on the mountain pass... Over time, the secret about the body in the car is gradually revealed, creating a surprising ending.

Project leader is Hoang Tuan Cuong - ever done Bright lights, Vong nhi, Nha khong ban … The director has experience making many horror films. This time, he challenged himself by trying a new direction: Road horror.

The highlight of the project lies in the setting of Khanh Le Pass ( Lam Dong ). The wild yet mysterious beauty here is very suitable for the film's story. The crew also made good use of the setting to create a dark, creepy atmosphere.

The sound in the film is also invested. From the whistling wind to the strange echoes, everything helps to increase the sense of suspense when needed.

However, Hoang Tuan Cuong's brainchild has not stood out because the script is not tight. The film's plot is sometimes disjointed, lacking a reasonable connection between the details. Towards the end, the story becomes more and more confusing and predictable, making the ending not leave much emotion.

The horror element is also not attractive enough. The supernatural details appear randomly, the scares are inserted in an unreasonable way, sometimes forced, causing more confusion than fear. The demonic images are a bit old, creating a sense of theater rather than cinema.

Even the effort to incorporate humor makes the film confusing and not consistent with the overall story.

bland acting

Cast of Yin and Yang Road are not unfamiliar faces to the audience. Bach Cong Khanh had the opportunity to collaborate with director Hoang Tuan Cuong from The lights are on, but the house is not for sale . Therefore, he is favored in the new project, with more screen time.

Unfortunately, Bach Cong Khanh still shows his limitations in acting. He has not been successful in expressing the character's psychological changes. Sometimes, he is still a bit awkward in expressing emotions, especially in scenes that require internal acting, causing the main character to lose some points.

Lan Thy is also a notable face in the role of Thuy Chi. With the advantage of beauty and appearance, the actress born in 1998 brings a character that is both mysterious and attractive. However, the script has not fully exploited the role of Thuy Chi, making the character sometimes lack depth, not leaving a strong impression.

The supporting cast is also quite good. Tuan Dung succeeds in creating comedy. However, this is still his forte, so he has not been able to surprise the audience. Artist Minh Hoang also leaves a good impression in the role of the main character's father, but his acting space is not much.

Bach Cong Khanh has not stood out when playing the main role.

Yin and Yang Road launched at the time Possessed is causing a fever, setting a record as the highest-grossing Vietnamese horror film of all time with over 144 billion VND. Therefore, Hoang Tuan Cuong's film cannot avoid comparisons in terms of quality and box office appeal.

According to statistics of Box Office Vietnam (independent box office monitor), Yin and Yang Road has not had an explosive opening revenue, only over 5.5 billion VND to date. This number is quite low compared to the general level of Vietnamese horror films. But the crew still has the opportunity to attract audiences on the weekend if they have a reasonable promotional strategy, helping to increase the coverage of the film.

Most reviews say the film has beautiful scenery and well-made sound. However, the project loses points because of its loose script and sometimes exaggerated acting. Some viewers think the middle part of the film is a bit long-winded, slowing down the dramatic pace, and the makeup is also not good.

In general, Yin and Yang Road shows the effort of the Vietnamese crew in finding new topics. However, the project's idea is not very interesting. The way the script exploits the story is not concise, leading to the film's inconsistent flow and lack of appeal.

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