A new peak for Vietnamese cinema.
The Vietnamese film market is expected to experience exceptional growth in 2025. According to Mr. Nguyen Khanh Duong, founder of the independent box office monitoring unit Box Office Vietnam, by early December 2025, total box office revenue in Vietnam will have reached approximately 5,700 billion VND. Even before the end of the year, this figure is significantly higher than the revenue for the entire year of 2024, which was around 4,700 billion VND. Of this, revenue from domestic films accounts for an overwhelming proportion.
Red Rain attracted over 8 million moviegoers to theaters.
PHOTO: MANUFACTURER
"In 2024, Vietnamese domestic films reached 42% of the market, and in 2025, provisionally calculated to date, they have reached 62% of the national market share. That is truly encouraging, a brilliant success," Ms. Dinh Thi Thanh Huong - Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Galaxy Group, shared at a seminar last November.
The film "Red Rain" not only achieved record box office revenue but also received high praise from critics. The film recently won the Golden Lotus Award at the Vietnam Film Festival.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
In 2025, the Vietnamese box office witnessed the "phenomenon" of " Red Rain, " which grossed over 714 billion VND, setting a record for the highest-grossing Vietnamese film in history. Besides this film, among the top 10 highest-grossing Vietnamese films of the year, six others grossed over 200 billion VND: " The Four Venomous Women," "Battle in the Air," "Detective Kien: The Headless Case," "Ancestral House," "Flip Face 8: The Embrace of the Sun," and "Billion-Dollar Kiss ." Notably, five films released in 2025 made it into the top 10 highest-grossing Vietnamese films of all time.
The film "Red Rain" not only achieved record box office revenue but also received high praise from critics. The film recently won the Golden Lotus Award at the Vietnam Film Festival.
A highlight of Vietnamese cinema today is the strong resurgence of war films and films inspired by real events: "Red Rain," "Tunnels: The Sun in the Darkness," and "Battle in the Air ." Besides the depth of content, the quality of visuals and special effects, and the breakthroughs in storytelling, the synergy stemming from significant national events such as the 50th anniversary of national reunification, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, and National Day on September 2nd has attracted millions of viewers to theaters.
Ham Tran's " Battle in the Air" is one of the "blockbusters" that stirred up the Vietnamese box office in the second half of 2025.
PHOTO: MANUFACTURER
Vietnamese cinema in 2025 also saw a surge in collaborative films between Vietnamese filmmakers and teams from South Korea, Thailand, and India. Among them, "Bringing My Mother Abandoned" became a huge box office hit, grossing over 171 billion VND. The film's success is proof of a breakthrough in international cooperation, with the close collaboration of a skilled production team, a cast of dedicated and talented actors, and support from the Vietnamese distribution company.
The film "Red Rain" not only achieved record box office revenue but also received high praise from critics. The film recently won the Golden Lotus Award at the Vietnam Film Festival.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
Nevertheless, the Vietnamese film market is quite unequal. Besides the blockbuster hits, the box office still features many low-quality films, some even considered "disasters," which leave theaters with near-rock-bottom box office revenues: Pawnshop: You Play, You Pay (153 million VND), What Are You Waiting For? (approximately 309 million VND), Blindfolded Deer Catching (697 million VND)...
The drama "Quan Ky Nam" received many positive reviews from critics but had lackluster box office performance.
PHOTO: MANUFACTURER
Another sad reality is that independent, art-house, or domestic animated films lack a strong presence at the box office, despite being highly praised by critics and even receiving accolades and honors at prestigious film festivals both domestically and internationally. The cases of " Rain on the Butterfly Wings" (grossing approximately 647 million VND) and the animated film "Little Trang Quynh: The Legend of the Golden Bull" (over 3.2 billion VND) are clear examples. "Quan Ky Nam ," a Vietnamese film that received many positive reviews from both critics and filmgoers, is also facing the risk of an early exit from theaters due to the limited number of screenings, earning only 2.7 billion VND after more than a week of screening.
Efforts for sustainable development
Vietnam currently possesses enormous potential for developing its domestic film industry, with strong participation from both state-owned and private film companies, alongside abundant human resources, increasingly improved professional skills and production capabilities, and a market of over 100 million people with a large audience ready to support domestic films. Vietnam is also considered one of the fastest-growing film markets in the world , with an average annual growth rate estimated at over 20% in recent years.
Ly Hai and Minh Ha, the director-producer duo, achieved great success at the box office with their "Lat Mat" (Face Off) film series. The latest installment, " Lat Mat: Vong Tay Nang" (Face Off: The Sunny Circle), released in 2025, grossed over 231 billion VND.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
According to Trung Lun, director of the film "Making Money with Ghosts: The Diamond War" (which surpassed 100 billion VND last year), the success of Vietnamese films at the domestic box office in 2025 is a motivation for him and many other filmmakers to continue developing subsequent projects. The director also stated that because many Vietnamese films have achieved "huge" revenues, many people mistakenly believe this market is a "delicious pie." In reality, it's a fierce competition with an increasing number of high-quality films; those who don't do well will eliminate themselves from the game. This puts considerable pressure on filmmakers to invest both money and intellectual effort into new projects.
Director Dang Thai Huyen and her film "Red Rain" were warmly received at both the box office and prestigious film events.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
Alongside its resounding box office success, Vietnam has also become a prominent destination, building professional prestige with international filmmakers through large-scale film events such as the Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF), the Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF), and the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF). Furthermore, organizations like the Vietnam Film Promotion Association have a strong desire to bring Vietnamese cinema to the world. Simultaneously, the government's strategy for developing cultural industries until 2030 identifies cinema as one of the seven key sectors. This provides a crucial foundation for the film industry to break through and integrate more deeply with the world.
The Vietnam Film Festival returns with great appeal amidst the backdrop of Vietnamese films achieving great success in 2025.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
In particular, Ho Chi Minh City (the leading center for film production and consumption in the country) has just been honored by UNESCO as a creative city in the field of cinema. This turning point opens up many opportunities for filmmakers, connecting Vietnamese cinema with the international community, thereby achieving the goal of promoting the image of the country through the seventh art.
The Vietnam Film Festival returns with great appeal amidst the backdrop of Vietnamese films achieving great success in 2025.
PHOTO: BUI QUOC HOANG
Efforts to sustainably develop the film industry are also reflected in intensive training programs, from school-based courses to professional development courses pursued by reputable organizations in the industry. Among these, the Talent Nurturing Program within the framework of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival stands out, with its team of experienced international lecturers. Through the training process of young Vietnamese artists and filmmakers, director Tada Junnosuke (Japan) shared: "I have a belief and hope that they will become leaders of Vietnam's film and arts industry in the future."
"One day soon we will catch up with the international community."
Meritorious Artist Kim Phuong, a member of the jury at the recent Vietnam Film Festival, has an optimistic view of the future of Vietnamese cinema. She stated: "The major film nations have long surpassed us, possessing both strong financial resources and significant investment in production, along with a highly skilled workforce. But this year, after watching the films we've made, I believe that in the not-too-distant future, we will catch up with the international community."
She further noted that for the Vietnamese film market to develop sustainably, it needs commensurate investment and opportunities for young people, because many young filmmakers and artists have very good and unique creative ideas.
Vietnamese people still prefer watching Vietnamese films!
That's the assessment of film critic Tuan Lalarme when talking about the strong rise of domestic films in 2025. According to him, Vietnamese people have always prioritized watching Vietnamese films, it's just a matter of what kind of Vietnamese films they are. Films that are more unique than the average always have their own audience, from the time of "Dancing Girls" (2003), to "Em Chua 18" (2017), then Tran Thanh's opening of a new boom for Vietnamese films with "Bo Gia" (2021), and other big hits of the past year.
"It's certain that audiences will enjoy watching Vietnamese films, and fortunately, by 2025, the quality of Vietnamese films will be better, with more to watch. Plus, a favorable factor is that Hollywood blockbusters are in decline, with entertainment quality only at an average level and little breakthrough. Another important feature is that films in 2025 will have government involvement to boost audience morale through major events such as the 50th anniversary of national reunification, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, and National Day on September 2nd," this person explained. However, whether this will be maintained in 2026 and subsequent years depends on the quality of films in the future.
According to film critic Tuan Lalarme, a film that achieves good box office revenue must combine many factors, the most important of which are: the quality of the film itself, the marketing campaign, and the timing of its release.
Given the reality of independent and art-house films facing a slump in theaters, this commentator argues that even established film industries around the world cannot guarantee box office success for this genre, making it even more difficult in the Vietnamese market. "The issue isn't about improving the viewers' ability and level of appreciation, but rather that producers and production companies must clearly differentiate between films made primarily for profit and those aimed at winning international awards and enduring in the history of cinema as works of art," Tuan Lalarme emphasized.
He added: "A good film isn't necessarily a box office hit, and a box office hit isn't necessarily a good film—that's been perfectly normal around the world for many years."
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dien-anh-viet-truc-khat-vong-phat-trien-ben-vung-185251206225311008.htm
![[Image] Ho Chi Minh City simultaneously commences construction and breaks ground on 4 key projects.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/340x192/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/01/15/1768472922847_image.jpeg)
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