Vietnamese horror films are running out of steam.

The proliferation of horror films, coupled with a trend towards excessive overuse of quality rather than improved quality, has resulted in projects that are less appealing to audiences and a steady decline in revenue.

The film "Finding the Body". Photo: Galaxy distributor.

Vietnamese horror films are flooding theaters, but the quality is inconsistent.

Vietnamese cinema For the past two years, there has been a consistent presence of horror film projects, and in fact, during the period from late 2024 to mid-2025, filmmakers are releasing even more films in this genre.

Since the beginning of the year, Vietnamese cinema has seen the release of a series of horror films such as: "Possessed by a Ghost," "The Ghost Lamp," "Searching for the Corpse," "Under the Lake," "The Yin-Yang Path," "Five Ten," "The Ancestral House," etc. Many of these projects surpassed the 100 billion VND mark, bringing good profits to filmmakers. However, the sheer number of horror films released has led to audience oversaturation and boredom.

The film "Under the Lake" (directed by Tran Huu Tan) will be released in June 2025. The film has attracted attention for being the first to explore the theme of doppelgangers. This is a familiar theme in many Hollywood films, but it is not yet common in Vietnamese cinema.

The film depicts a confrontation between the "original" and the "copy," between a person in the present and their past self. Despite a good concept, the execution is clumsy, the special effects are flawed, and the acting of the cast is inconsistent, resulting in the project not receiving high praise from viewers. After nearly a week in theaters, the film has only grossed just over 19 billion VND.

Another example is the horror film "Five Ten," currently showing in theaters. Inspired by the traditional Vietnamese game of "Five Ten," the film doesn't focus on jump scares but rather on psychological elements, condemning pressing issues such as privacy rights, body shaming, and cyberbullying. Despite being praised for its good concept, the film was criticized as a disaster upon release, with weak performances from its cast. The film has only grossed just over 2 billion VND so far.

The film "Yin Yang Road," released not long ago, pioneered the adventure horror genre. The story also offered something new by addressing the dark side of the ambulance industry and the psychological burden faced by ambulance drivers. However, due to its overemphasis on gimmicks, the project left theaters without achieving truly breakthrough box office success.

The film "Searching for the Body" is another similar case. It faced much controversy regarding its quality but still sold tickets well in the first few days. However, after grossing over 30 billion VND, it was abruptly withdrawn from theaters due to concerns about competition from new films released a week later, such as "Flip Face 8" and "Detective Kien"...

The producers of the film "Searching for the Body" have now renamed the project "Headless Ghost" to bring it back to theaters at the end of June. However, many viewers believe the project has lost its appeal because it was already released previously. Furthermore, "Searching for the Body" has been criticized in many aspects, such as its content and special effects, preventing it from winning over audiences.

Horror films don't just rely on luck or curiosity.

Most Vietnamese horror films in recent times share a commonality: they draw inspiration from folk tales, urban legends, and so on.

This piqued the audience's curiosity because these stories are familiar to many Vietnamese viewers, having been passed down through generations, such as: "The Ghost of the Skin," "Demon Possession," "The Legend of the Stone Lake," etc.

However, over-reliance on suspense without improving film quality and acting leads to projects becoming formulaic, uncreative, and unappealing to viewers.

The surge of Vietnamese filmmakers producing horror films has also created a negative effect, as audiences will become more thoughtful and discerning in choosing a new film to watch, rather than simply being curious.

Currently, Vietnamese filmmakers are only lightly touching upon some new aspects of the horror genre. While the supernatural element remains an indispensable "flavor," the approach and perspective are shifting towards a more modern, introspective style. However, the weaknesses of Vietnamese horror films still lie in script development, special effects, and the acting of the cast. Most Vietnamese horror films focus on jump scares but lack sufficient depth in exploring human psychology.

Much Vietnamese films It has been criticized for repeatedly using old motifs and formulas, leading audiences to be skeptical and hesitant about buying tickets to see subsequent works.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/phim-kinh-di-viet-duoi-suc-3362450.html