Detective Kien: The Headless Case - Good news for Vietnamese detective films

Considered the first historical, detective, psychological, and horror film of Vietnamese cinema, the film's success is a good sign, marking a remarkable step forward for this genre of film in contemporary Vietnamese cinema.

Movie poster “Detective Kien: The Headless Case”. Photo: Internet

Case within case

Detective Kien: The Headless Mystery follows the events in The Last Wife . After her husband was arrested, Hai Man (Dinh Ngoc Diep) returned to her hometown with her niece Nga (Doan Minh Anh). However, recently, people in the area have been harassed by evil spirits. Eight people had their heads eaten by evil spirits, their bodies floating on the river. One day, Nga suddenly disappeared. A shoe belonging to Nga was found on the riverbank. Could Nga be the next victim of the evil spirit that people often call a ghost? Hai Man writes a letter asking for help from Detective Kien (Quoc Huy). Since the appearance of Detective Kien, terrifying secrets have gradually been revealed.

Some audience comments said that the plot and details of the film were somewhat predictable, making the experience of watching the film less interesting. This is understandable, as detective stories are not the strength of Vietnamese literature or cinema. Choosing detective stories for this film project can be considered a rather risky move by Victor Vu, not to mention that Vietnamese audiences are already very familiar with classic detective works of the world . The challenge of the script - the most important factor determining the success or failure of a film - was overcome with a script with a complex but tight, logical plot that can convince the majority of the audience.

With the structure and plot of a case within a case, developed in parallel, while closely intertwining the missing case and the headless body case, the film has created enough complexity, drama, suspense and mystery to attract the majority of the audience to follow Detective Kien's journey to solve the case passionately. Without intentionally creating too much mystery, revealing the clues of the case slowly, the film seems to invite the audience to experience their own detective journey, participate deeply in the story and feel more interested in the process of watching the film.

Enmity upon enmity

Following each clue, detective Kien and his “assistant” Hai Man gradually discovered the truth. When the crimes were brought to light, the portraits of the perpetrators and the root causes of the crimes were also revealed. Although they originated from many different motives, in the end, the core, deepest cause is still human greed. Because of greed, people are willing to destroy the lives of others. And also because they want to live happily, some people accept to be the devil’s lackeys. Cases within cases are due to hatred upon hatred - generational hatreds that have not been thoroughly examined and completely resolved by the light of justice.

Continuing the story from The Last Wife , ending with an unsolved story, promises a future continuation of this film that audiences expect from a series of crime-solving, historical detective films with a strong Vietnamese color by Victor Vu.

It can be said that from the headless case, the film has exposed evil and hatred. Evil will give birth to evil. If evil is used to destroy evil, the cycle of sin and hatred will never end. The work is also a voice defending the weak, expressing the desire for justice and fairness for everyone. From another perspective, the film also raises the issue of adhering to principles or being flexible and sensitive in the investigation process. Rigidity ensures strictness in the process, but can miss important moments, especially when the victim's life is hanging by a thread. Which choice is better? That is truly a dilemma for those who enforce justice like Detective Kien.

In general, the explanation of the origin of evil is not groundbreaking, new, and does not go into the deep and complex corners of human psychology, making the explanation of the motive for the crime not really impressive or surprising enough to satisfy the demanding audience. However, touching on the eternal issue of evil, the relationship between greed and evil, the film still makes viewers think and be "purified" to be vigilant against evil that is always at risk of forming and manifesting inside and outside each person.

The plus point of sufficiency

In terms of visuals, Detective Kien: The Headless Case continues to show Victor Vu's aesthetic filmmaking style. The landscape of Cao Bang and Tuyen Quang in the film appears majestic, spacious, and beautiful when filmed in large scenes. The actors' costumes and makeup show careful and meticulous investment with time-printed fabric, fabric colors in harmony with the setting and characters, and meticulous horror styling. The lighting and color treatment is quite good when not overusing dark, ghostly, mysterious shadows, causing heaviness and inhibition in the viewer, while still having bright, brilliant footage that soothes the eyes and psychology of the audience. The unexpected scares are not too many, reasonable and just enough to create visual effects, leading to fear but not too haunting for the viewer.

The film also marked a breakthrough in the acting of young actor Quoc Huy in the role of detective Kien. He portrayed the temperament of a court official who always respected the law, intelligent, talented, dignified but not cold, but compassionate, sometimes humorous and youthful. Besides Quoc Huy, the acting of the other actors was also quite well-rounded, even with the young 17-year-old actor Doan Minh Anh as Nga. It can be said that the director chose the right role for each actor, and they shined in their roles, whether they were the main or supporting roles, creating a well-balanced overall performance that deserves praise.

Victor Vu also proved his ability to combine many genres in the film. The elements of spirituality, horror, psychology, detective and even humor all appeared in moderate doses, both supporting and highlighting each other. The legend of the ghost made the detective color more unpredictable and ambiguous. The mind games made the film more dramatic and profound. The humorous, unexpected and graceful pieces helped soften and reduce the tension of the case and create the necessary "break". The moderation and sufficiency of the elements really made the film, although diverse in nuances, not make the audience feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable.

The success of Detective Kien: The Headless Case shows that Victor Vu is still a name that guarantees the quality of the product, even though he has had some setbacks with films that did not create a box office fever. Continuing the story from The Last Wife , ending it with an unsolved story, promises a continuation in the future of this film that the audience expects of a series of crime-solving, ancient detective films with a strong Vietnamese color by Victor Vu. Currently, Detective Kien: The Headless Case is still a choice of many audiences when going to the cinema, even with late screenings at the end of the day.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/van-nghe/202505/tham-tu-kien-ky-an-khong-dau-tin-hieu-vui-cho-dong-phim-trinh-tham-viet-1a51989/