The 2025 Lunar New Year film season seemed to have come to an end with two box office dark horses – Tran Thanh's " The Four Vengeful Spirits" and Thu Trang's "Billion Dollar Kiss" . However, the appearance of a newcomer has changed the reign of these seasoned "players". That newcomer is Hoang Nam's "The Ghost Lamp ".
Without big names, a director's face, or actors who guarantee box office success, the debut film of the 41-year-old director not only surpassed Tran Thanh's film in terms of screenings but also closely trailed Thu Trang's film in terms of revenue.
The box office "twist".
The film "The Ghost Lamp" borrows from the story of the girl from Nam Xuong in Nguyen Du's *Legend of the Strange Tales* . Hoang Nam's film explores this famous folk material and places it in a mysterious spiritual setting.
The main character is Thuong (played by Diem Trang), a young woman whose husband is a soldier. At home with her child, every night she points to the shadow on the wall and tells the boy it's his father to ease his loneliness. But this is no ordinary oil lamp; when lit, it inadvertently becomes a guide for spirits and evil entities from the other world to return to the mortal world and commit wicked deeds. When the medium Lieu (Hoang Kim Ngoc) gets involved, the true identity and motives of the spirits gradually become clear.
Compared to its competitors, "Ghost Lamp" doesn't have a renowned director like Tran Thanh or Thu Trang, nor prominent actors like Kaity Nguyen, or beauty queens with large fan bases such as Tieu Vy, Ky Duyen, or Thien An…
Conversely, the film features relatively unknown faces making their cinematic debut: Diem Trang is a tourism and culture student, Hoang Kim Ngoc is a Facebook content creator, and Tuan "Mo" is acting in a feature film for the first time…
The film crew of "The Ghost Lamp" (Photo: Character's Facebook).
But why is the film still compelling enough to create a series of unexpected plot twists in theaters?
According to Box Office Vietnam's data, as of 11:00 AM on February 11th, the film had grossed nearly 60 billion VND, surpassing Thu Trang's "Billion Dollar Kiss" (which was also a notable comeback) and Tran Thanh's "The Four Contresses" to take the number one spot at the box office for the day.
At the time "The Ghost Lamp" reached the top spot in box office revenue, its number of screenings was more than half that of its two strong competitors. After securing second place in box office revenue by the end of the day, Hoang Nam's film still grossed 10 billion VND, marking the beginning of sold-out days at many theaters afterward.
"The fact that the film ' Ghost Lamp ' still attracts audiences despite the absence of box office stars is truly a surprise," commented director and Meritorious Artist Bui Trung Hai.
According to him, the reason might be that Vietnamese audiences no longer place too much importance on which actors are in a film; instead, they may be leaning towards choosing films based on genre and storyline.
According to the director, one of the factors contributing to the success of "Ghost Lamp" is its ability to create diversity in this year's Lunar New Year film lineup. Mr. Hai believes that while the film's quality may be debatable, it clearly offers variety and distinction compared to the other three films – all romantic comedies.
"Ghost Lamp" is leading the box office for the day (left) and is in second place for the three-day weekend, from February 7th to 9th (Photo: Box Office Vietnam).
Speaking to a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper, expert Nguyen Phong Viet frankly expressed: "I am truly surprised that a controversial film, with nothing outstanding from the director's and actors' faces to the poor quality of the script, like 'The Ghost Lamp,' achieved such positive box office revenue. That's something I find very difficult to explain."
Perhaps it's because audiences are looking for something new and different from other films on the market."
This expert also believes that, given the current situation, the Lunar New Year film market in the coming years will see many new faces entering the race, and no one will be afraid of Tran Thanh anymore.
Speaking about "The Ghost Lamp ," film critic Le Hong Lam acknowledged the dedication of the director from Ha Giang and the film's strengths.
"The film is meticulously designed, building upon the already stunning landscapes of Cao Bang province. Hoang Nam – simultaneously taking on five roles as producer, creative director, editor, screenwriter, and director – didn't hesitate to invest in his debut work, even selling two apartments to fund the film."
His risky move is now paying off, as the film is indeed visually impressive, although some of the special effects are rather cheap but forgivable.
"The art design is creative and rooted in tradition to celebrate national culture. Many cultural aspects and customs of Northern Vietnam are skillfully incorporated into the film. The costume design is also meticulously crafted, and the cinematography evokes emotion with many creative shots. The sound and music also leave a lasting impression," the critic commented.
The expert also shared that what he disliked was that the script was a bit too safe and there wasn't a single character who truly stood out.
"Among the cast of relatively unknown actors (in the film industry), I liked Hoang Kim Ngoc's portrayal of the shaman," said critic Le Hong Lam.
Hoang Kim Ngoc - an amateur actress - is considered a plus point for the film (Photo: Character's Facebook).
The advantages of a "month of fun" and a "spiritual nourishment" are distinct.
Besides lacking box office stars, Ghost Lamp overcame several questionable factors such as: horror films are unsuitable for release at the beginning of the year, YouTubers venturing into filmmaking might not achieve the desired quality…
In fact, the horror genre itself became one of the key factors in the film achieving higher-than-expected box office revenue.
Commenting on the success of "The Ghost Lamp ," director and Meritorious Artist Bui Trung Hai stated that horror is a trend among Vietnamese audiences in the latter half of 2024. Many horror films with ghost elements, after being relaxed in censorship, have created a certain appeal for viewers. Examples include films like "Cam," "Ma Da," and "Quy Cau ," all of which grossed around 100 billion VND. "The Ghost Lamp" is a continuation of that trend.
"However, it's also important to acknowledge that Tet is a special time, when audience demand for movies is very high due to the 'January is a month for fun and festivities' mentality. Therefore, the high box office revenue of Tet films is understandable."
"Next week, Hollywood films like Captain America: A New World Order and several others will be released, and I think the box office competition will be even more intense then. That will be a test to see if the initial box office success of ' The Ghost Lamp' at this time is sustainable," director and Meritorious Artist Bui Trung Hai commented.
The film "The Ghost Lamp" is creating a surprise in this year's Lunar New Year film race (Photo: Provided by the film crew).
According to audience feedback after several screenings in Hanoi, the film has a rather simplistic and predictable plot, causing viewers to lose interest in the later scenes.
Audience member Ho Nghi (30 years old) commented: "The first half of the film was relatively engaging because the climax gradually increased, but the second half was no longer tense, so I knew the good guys would win." Audience member My Le (22 years old) said: "The motif of vengeful spirits returning for revenge should perhaps be more complex, with more hidden complexities, because currently it mainly serves to prove that the shaman character is a good and upright person."
Like critic Le Hong Lam, screenwriter Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat also acknowledged that the film scored points in many aspects but had some limitations in the script.
According to her, "The Ghost Lamp" scores points for its spiritual elements, the creative use of an oil lamp to open the gates to the underworld; the captivating hand-to-hand combat between good and evil; the engaging application of folklore and nursery rhymes; the costumes and sound design, which play a crucial role in creating the film's mysterious and eerie atmosphere; and the happy ending to a famous story… Ms. Ngat also specifically praised Hoang Kim Ngoc's portrayal of the shaman.
"I appreciate the director's dedication, especially since he's from the North, single-handedly writing the script, directing, and producing the film with money from selling his house. This alone has earned him the audience's admiration and is a reason to go see the film and show his support."
"Even though the film has a few flaws in the script, such as the wife's somewhat hasty suspicion upon her return, the special effects aren't very good, and the earthen walls look new in many places... the audience is still drawn into the story," said screenwriter Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat.
Dantri.com.vn
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