Sharp revenue, Vietnamese films struggle
If from the beginning of 2025 to around August 2025, Vietnamese films have witnessed spectacular accelerations with the films "Lat mat 8", "Detective Kien", "Mua dong dong"..., then in the fourth quarter of 2025, the market seems to be "cold". Many works were released in theaters but did not create an effect, even falling into disrepair.
A typical case is the film "Bim mat catching Nai", which only earned more than 300 million VND as of the afternoon of November 3, a modest number compared to projects not only in 2025 but also in many years for a film shown in theaters. The film was criticized for both script and acting, becoming a typical example of the situation of "going to the cinema to... have a film".
The horror film "House of Drunken" after initially attracting curiosity has now stopped at 17 billion VND - a temporary stable result but far from expectations. Meanwhile, the black comedy Fire: Mothers birthday only earned 3.3 billion VND, this type of film is quite picky about the audience and lacks new highlights.
Another name is the movie Cai Ma, although it held the top spot at the box office at the time of its release, the movie still only earned more than 11 billion VND. The film is embroiled in controversy regarding actor Thien An.
The project has a quite interesting theme but the exploitation angle has not really attracted audiences. Although the film is currently at the top 1 box office, on weekends, the project only earns 1-2 billion VND/day. Compared to previous outstanding projects, a weekend can bring in a revenue of 20-30 billion VND, and some films even earn about 40-50 billion VND.
Even projects that were once highly anticipated such as "The Golden Department of Foreign Affairs" - a film that gathered famous actors such as Hong Dao and Viet Huong, invested in meticulous images but only stopped at 74 billion VND, making it difficult to reach the hundred billion VND mark as initially predicted.
The number of films released in theaters has not decreased, but the quality and appeal have decreased sharply. The audience is more cautious with Vietnamese films, after a long time of witnessing the difference between promotion and reality.
Vietnamese cinema repeats old mistakes
It can be seen that the main reason for Vietnamese films' decline is the lack of good scripts and clear directions.
After the hundred-billion-dong fever, many manufacturers quickly followed their tastes, reusing the old formula: Exploiting family tragedy, charm or spiritual elements. This repetition makes the audience get bored quickly, while the box office is gradually losing its appeal.
Another problem is the disruptive communication strategy. Instead of focusing on content, many film crews attract attention with tricks: personal scandals, shocking statements, or excessive marketing tricks. This may help the film attract attention in the first few days, but cannot retain the audience if the quality is not met.
Compared to the previous period, viewers are now more alert and demanding. They are willing to pay for Vietnamese films, but only when they feel "worth the money of a bowl of rice".
Recent successes such as "The War in the Air" and "Red Rain" all have in common: strong content, sincere emotions and clear human values. That is something that filmmakers today need to look back on.
In addition, competition with foreign films is increasingly fierce. Every month, Vietnamese cinemas welcome a series of Hollywood blockbusters and Korean and Japanese films with high quality, making domestic films that are not truly outstanding easily "swallowed". Theaters are also forced to reduce the number of screenings for Vietnamese films if the revenue is low, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape.
However, the market still has opportunities if filmmakers focus on Vietnamese stories, exploiting the depth of Vietnamese culture and people instead of following trends. The fever of hundreds of billions of VND has passed, but that does not mean the door is closed. It is just a reminder that the audience is looking forward to works that are truly touching emotions.
Vietnamese cinema enters the challenging period at the end of the year, Vietnamese films are forced to renew themselves, from script, acting to production thinking to retain viewers.
