Vietnam's Highest-Grossing Thriller 'Detective Kien' to Hit Malaysian Theaters on 7/17

Think Vietnam only makes romantic art films? Wrong! Vietnam's box office miracle of the year, Detective Kien: The Headless Horror, has burst onto the scene, sweeping the Vietnamese film market with its double allure of suspense and horror, raking in a phenomenal $9.5 million (about RM44.5 million) at the box office, setting a new record as the highest-grossing horror thriller in Vietnamese cinema history! Lauded as the “Vietnamese Detective Dee,” this sensational blockbuster is set to hit theaters across Malaysia on July 17, promising to ignite another movie-watching frenzy.

Upon its release in Vietnam, the film sparked a frenzy, surpassing $7.6 million (about RM35.6 million) at the box office in just 13 days, and has now accumulated $9.5 million, making it the highest-grossing thriller in history.

Detective Kien: The Headless Horror tells the story of Detective Kien, a calm and decisive investigator in the 19th-century Nguyen Dynasty, who travels to a remote mountain village to investigate a series of headless murders. As his investigation deepens, he gradually unravels a hidden royal secret and a terrifying curse. The film blends historical costume, detective mystery, supernatural elements, and palace intrigue, coupled with meticulously crafted art direction and deeply immersive cinematography, leaving movie fans exhilarated and propelling its box office performance even higher.

The film's director Victor Vu previously represented Vietnam in the Oscars Best International Feature Film category with Dreamy Eyes. After transitioning to the thriller genre, he shines once more, skillfully blending suspenseful tension, cultural depth, and visual artistry. The film not only restores the historical atmosphere of the 19th-century Nguyen Dynasty but also infuses many traditional Vietnamese cultural symbols, creating a unique horror aesthetic.

To achieve an authentic feel, the production team invested a large budget to create nearly a thousand handcrafted historical costumes. Actors had to wear three to five layers of costumes each day for filming to recreate the Nguyen Dynasty atmosphere with the highest accuracy. Special effects makeup for the horror roles took up to six hours per session, with the cost of the special silicone materials used each time reaching 300-600 million VND (about RM49,000 to RM98,000), all in pursuit of the most impactful visual effects.

The actor portraying the lake monster, Tran Ngoc Tu, hails from the Ho Chi Minh City martial arts team, standing 2.2 meters tall and weighing nearly 120 kilograms. His formidable physique lends the monster role an extra layer of terror, leaving the audience shivering with fear.