The fourth outbreak of Covid-19 in Vietnam negatively affected many fields, including the entertainment field. Vietnamese films in 2021 released a limited number of works.

Of the 10 movies below, one film had a high gross, but many films lost a considerable amount of money.

1. Dad, I'm Sorry (420 billion VND)

Tran Thanh’s “The Godfather” is the highest-grossing Vietnamese movie ever.

"Bo Gia" (Dad, I'm Sorry) was the most successful movie in 2021. Released in March, the film broke many records. The gross was 420 billion VND, becoming the most successful Vietnamese movie of all time.

The plot is based on relationships between Vietnamese family members. This is mostly the main reason why the film was so popular. "Bo Gia" also was released in the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong. This movie received many positive reviews and won four awards at Vietnamese Film Festival 2021. The Vietnamese Department of Cinema chose "Bo Gia" to represent Vietnam to compete at the Oscars for “Best International Feature Film” award.

2.  Face Off: 48H (more than 150 billion VND)

“Face Off: 48H" has the highest gross in Ly Hai’s film series.

Ly Hai’s work had a big success although it was delayed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The movie received 150 billion VND after two weeks. Its success based on Ly Hai’s reputation. The genre of the film is action. Focusing on affection between family members, friends, and a common vibe are some factors that helps “ Face Off: 48H” easily approach audiences. Ly Hai and his wife are writing a script and planning to film the sixth part in 2022.

3. Camellia Sisters: Living Like Royalty (more than 55 billion VND)

“Camellia Sisters: Living Like Royalty” incurred a financial loss but received positive comments.

Released at the same time with “Bo Gia”, the films were expected to compete in the gross. However, “Camellia Sisters: Living Like Royalty” only received about 55,4 billion VND overall. Comparing to the investment of around 46 billion VND, the production unit could not break even. “Camellia Sisters” was a popular Vietnamese series. As a result, its financial loss was an unexpected event to audiences. However, the movie was praised for its plot and visuals. In the end, it won three golden cups at Vietnamese Film Festival 2021.

4. The Guardian (35 billion VND)

“The Guardian” bumped up against the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic during its release.

The horror-thriller is a genre that Victor Vu loves. The movie had a good start and broke even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the only Vietnamese film among many international blockbusters in theaters.

5. Trang Ti (16 billion VND)

“Trang Ti” was expected to break even with investment of 43 billion VND.

Ngo Thanh Van’s movie was released on April 30. It is about the life of the character Ti and developed into an adventure genre. The movie received positive comments from children. However, due to the pandemic, “Trang Ti” stopped showing after three days and received 16 billion VND, a huge loss for the production company.

6. Big Sis, You’re Mine (14,3 billion VND)

Ngo Kien Huy’s work did not create much of an impression.

The romantic comedy was influenced by a Korean movie “Tie a yellow ribbon.” Singer Ngo Kien Huy, the character pretending to be girl could not save the whole movie. After its release, the film received 14,3 billion VND.

7. Mr. Vang (3 billion VND)

The film disappointed audiences as its plot was incoherent. Tran Vu Thuy’s movie lost 20 billion VND after its release.

“Cau Vang” was boycotted by audiences.

8. Kieu (2,7 billion VND)

The movie received many negative opinions.

Actress Mai Thu Huyen spent 10 years making this movie. But it turned out to be disappointing. It had plot holes, overuse of visual effects, and terrible filming techniques. “Kieu” received only 2,7 billion VND, compared to the investment of 30 billion VND.

9. Battle of The Pupils (more than 1,5 billion VND)

The film is considered a bummer as its plot is messy. After being released for a week, it was withdrawn from cinemas.

“Battle of The Pupils” has the shortest time release time.

10. Kieu @ (almost 1 billion VND)

Director Do Thanh An’s movie was filmed by the “one-shot” technique. According to its title, the film wanted to describe Kieu’s life in the modern world. However, the production unit used “The Flavour” – a classic reformed theatre – as their main source to develop the movie’s plot. When it was shown in theaters, it received negative comments about its plot and the overuse of inappropriate scenes.

There were around 10 Vietnamese films released in cinemas, but most of them incurred financial losses. Their grosses were affected by Covid-19 pandemic and audience higher demands.

With some upcoming films in theaters, it is anticipated that the Vietnamese film market will recover.

“Kieu @” was not as good as its original from the production unit.

Thuy Ngoc

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