Box office is not just about horror movies
Human Trafficking Camp" directed by Toni Duong Bao Anh, with the participation of Steven Nguyen, Quach Ngoc Ngoan, NSND Nhu Quynh, NSUT Tuyet Thu, Huynh Minh Kien...
The film chooses a different direction compared to many Vietnamese works that are creating attraction outside theaters. Instead of horror and spirituality, "Human Trafficking Camp" focuses on action, crime and the story of victims being brought into a cross-border human trafficking ring.
On September 25th, the film rose to number one at the box office. The results on the first day are not enough to confirm the long journey of the work, but show that a Vietnamese action - crime film still has the ability to attract the attention of audiences when entering the market.
This is noteworthy in the context that horror continues to be one of the genres with clear advantages at the Vietnamese box office.
Most recently, "Ut Lan 2" continued to sell well after its release. Previously, many horror and spiritual works also generated significant revenue, making this genre increasingly appear densely in the release plans of producers.
Successful succession that easily creates a horror feeling is becoming one of the safe choices of Vietnamese cinema. Spiritual, mysterious or scary elements are relatively favorable for building trailers, creating curiosity and attracting audiences to theaters in the early days.
But the box office developments in September also show a broader picture.
Before "Trau Nguoi", "Le Huong" was a noteworthy case. The works of Khuong Ngoc and Tan Hoang Thong are not pure horror movies but mix comedy, family and stories revolving around the funeral profession.
Right from special screenings, the film has created a revenue advantage. Before the official release date, "Len Huong" had surpassed the 50 billion VND mark. This shows that a work that does not completely follow the horror formula still has the ability to create attraction if it finds a story and approach suitable for the majority.
Does the audience really only like horror?
Believing that Vietnamese films besides horror are difficult to find audiences and have not fully reflected the box office developments this year.
Blood Paradise" is a clearer example. The work has many similarities in the topic with "Human Trafficking Camp", exploiting the scam of "light work with high salary", Vietnamese people being taken abroad and trapped in criminal rings.
The film once exceeded the 100 billion VND mark after about two weeks of release and became the first Vietnamese film to reach the hundred-billion VND mark in 2026.
The achievements of "Heaven of Blood", the appeal of "Len Huong" and the leading position on the first day of "Trau Nguoi" raise another issue: maybe audiences do not necessarily prioritize a fixed genre, but primarily care about a story that is attractive enough for them to buy tickets.
When a genre is continuously successful, projects tend to follow a proven formula. But if too many films exploit horror and spirituality, the advantage of the genre itself is also at risk of decreasing when the audience faces too many similar choices.
A healthy film market is therefore difficult to depend on one film genre.
In the comedy - family group, "Len Huong" shows that life stories still have space. With action - crime, "Heaven of Blood" once created a precedent, while "Trafficking Camp" is continuing to test itself with this audience group.
However, the number one position in a day is only an initial sign. The more difficult problem for "Trafficking in Humans" lies in the first weekend, when the number of screenings is adjusted based on actual purchasing power. The ability to hold seats, the average number of tickets per screening and the rate of revenue accumulation will show whether the film creates longer-lasting attraction than the opening effect or not.
Looking broader, the competition between "Ut Lan 2", "Lenh huong" and "Trai mua nguoi" creates a more diverse box office in terms of horror, comedy - family and action - crime genres to find audiences.
