The Troubling Message Behind Hộ linh tráng sĩ’s Box-Office Fall

Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu continues to dominate Vietnam’s box office, taking 191 billion dong after roughly three weeks in theaters and maintaining about 2,200 screenings a day. Its lead remains clear after the September 2 holiday, with new releases unable to break into the top three Vietnamese films.

Huỳnh Lập’s film opened on August 21, a week ahead of two competitors released around National Day. That early start gave it more time to reach audiences and build revenue before the holiday peak. Its combination of family themes, comedy and spiritual elements has helped it attract a broad audience.

The film has not yet surpassed the 240 billion dong earned by Nhà gia tiên, but its current performance suggests it is likely profitable. Box Office Vietnam projects that it could finish its theatrical run with between 210 billion and 220 billion dong.

Quý tử vượt giàu ranked second, earning 50 billion dong after 10 days with around 1,700 screenings daily. Remade from the successful Chinese film Successor, it follows a billionaire couple who hide their identity and move with their son to a poor working-class neighborhood to teach him the value of labor. The film’s natural dialogue and comic situations have sustained its entertainment value, although some jokes feel overstated and forced.

Hộ linh tráng sĩ: Bí mật mộ Vua Đinh placed third with 32 billion dong after 10 days and about 1,100 daily screenings. With a reported production cost of 100 billion dong, its failure has dealt a blow not only to the filmmakers but also to a wave of large-scale historical, war and revolutionary films due to arrive, including Cận kề cái chết, Mật mã Đông Dương, Đất đỏ, Nữ biệt động Sài Gòn and Vùng trời lửa.