The film Under the Lake (director: Tran Huu Tan) is a remarkable effort of Vietnamese cinema in boldly exploring the psychological horror genre, although there are still many limitations, it shows the desire for innovation and potential to reach out to the international arena.
As of the afternoon of June 17, according to Box Office Vietnam, Under the Lake has only earned over 26 billion VND, not very promising in terms of revenue. In fact, this is a rather modest number when compared to previous projects of the director duo Tran Huu Tan and producer Hoang Quan.
The transformation of Vietnamese horror films
The rise of a new generation of young and creative directors is contributing to a significant change in Vietnamese horror films. Not only do they approach international filmmaking trends, they also strive to integrate folk culture and indigenous beliefs into each frame. From there, they create new stories, imbued with Vietnamese culture.
With Under the Lake, it is no exception, when the film combines the Doppelganger theory and Vietnamese folk beliefs, when it is believed that river and lake areas where people have drowned are where ghosts reside, often trying to drag living people down to take their place.
Karen Nguyen as Tu
Inspired by the creepy spiritual legends surrounding the Stone Lake area of the university village, At the Bottom of the Lake made a bold choice when placing the human ego in the role of the villain. According to director Tran Huu Tan, this is the place that contains obsessions, evil thoughts, the darkest part of an individual. By evoking the struggle between good and evil, the film creates a tense psychological battle, where the boundary between the noble and the base becomes more fragile than ever.
Instead of exploiting horror elements simply to scare, Under the Lake chooses to juxtapose reality and the supernatural, as a way to reflect pain, hurt and the hidden corners of humanity - something more terrifying than any ghost.
The story Under the Lake can be seen as a journey deep into the consciousness, where the character Tu (played by Karen Nguyen) has to face and gradually overcome psychological trauma. The moment her biological father dragged her to commit suicide at Ho Da, followed by the painful departure of her close friends Kylie (played by Thanh Duy) and Trung (played by Kay Tran) created a deep emotional wound, associated with feelings of guilt and obsession.
Thanh Duy excels in the image of a drag queen (cross-dressing)
It was the second shock that forced her to face the darkness inside through the image of her own "copy". Not only did it stop at a physical struggle for survival, it was also a process of internal struggle between evil and good.
Although the character is built with a complex inner life, the way it is developed is not strong enough to fully portray it. The events that Tu experiences are potential materials to deepen the character's inner life, however, the psychological turning points are handled rather hastily, sometimes just flashed through a few moments of images or dialogue, lacking the emphasis to evoke emotions.
The film uses the image of water as a profound metaphor for the human inner world . Stone Lake is not only the setting for mysterious deaths, but also acts as a mirror reflecting the dark side of each individual. The lake's surface, seemingly calm, hides a dangerous underground world. Just like the characters, who appear calm on the outside, are hidden deep inside with repressed, chaotic emotions. This contrast shows that what people show is sometimes just a shell, while the real pain and fear still exist silently. Over time, they transform into evil thoughts, dominating human behavior and emotions.
The drag queen scene with Kylie is a masterpiece, not only because of its visual appeal, but also because of the way it conveys its message without any dialogue. The director chose a silent, yet powerful form of expression, using music as the main language.
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In this segment, Kylie's dance is not just a performance, it is also a declaration of her identity. Each movement is undulating, graceful, but decisive, as if tearing away the social shell imposed on her. No words are spoken, but everything that needs to be said is "sung" through body movements: the desire to live authentically, the rise of the ego, the desire to be recognized. The "copy" is the embodiment of the real person hidden deep inside Kylie, which is repressed by society and prejudice. The stage lights, the eyes watching, the music playing - all seem to put Kylie at the center of a world where he is seen, understood, and respected.
Multiple layers of content
The exploitation of many layers of content shows the ambition of the film crew in deepening the character's psychology and expanding the story. However, this embrace also has potential risks. Because if the script is not handled firmly, the details will easily overlap, disrupting the narrative and affecting the visual experience. Unfortunately, Under the Lake has somewhat fallen into this situation when many segments have not been arranged properly. The film therefore loses its continuity.
Some details are considered to be staged and forced. A typical example is the appearance of the character Yen Da (played by Nguyen Thao). She plays an important role, supporting the main character in the journey to discover the truth behind the mysteries surrounding Ho Da.
A novel combination of Doppelganger theory and Vietnamese folk beliefs
In the same situation as Tu, Yen Da also lost a loved one here. However, due to time constraints, her past is only portrayed through a short flashback, making the character lack depth. From there, it is difficult to convince viewers to believe in her influence in the main storyline. Instead of being an important link, Yen Da seems to have the task of "transmitting information" mechanically. Letting a potential character line stop at the role of "storytelling tool" makes the film lose the opportunity to develop a supporting character with weight.
Color is used as an important visual tool to build atmosphere and convey emotions. In the film, the dark blue color scheme covers most of the scenes, evoking a creepy, gloomy feeling. This coldness not only comes from the surrounding environment, but also reflects the mental state of the characters, especially Tu, as she gradually slides deeper into chaotic, uncontrollable emotions.
The dark space is maintained continuously, creating a slow, heavy rhythm, making the audience feel uneasy slowly and smoldering. This is also the way the director uses color as an independent form of storytelling, instead of relying solely on dialogue or action.
Overall, the cast of Under the Lake all completed their roles well. As for Tu, the emotional transformation of this character is quite complicated, so it requires the actor to have solid technique and a certain amount of experience. Meanwhile, Karen Nguyen, despite her experience in participating in music videos, when faced with a psychologically demanding film role like Tu, she still did not really leave an impression.
Overall, although Under the Lake still has some limitations in terms of film pacing, plot handling and acting, it cannot be denied that this is a bold experiment in approaching the horror genre. The choice of a new direction, combining spiritual elements with a visual storytelling style, shows the efforts of domestic horror filmmakers to innovate. This opens up a positive signal for Vietnamese cinema's commitment to new territories and difficult genres, with the expectation of gradually affirming its position on the international cinema map.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/phim-duoi-day-ho-mot-thu-nghiem-chua-tron-ven-nhung-day-tham-vong-3363022.html
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