Detective Kien: The Headless Horror

Very good Vietnamese movie!

Firstly, the scenery is the best, it describes the very beautiful scenes of northern Viet Nam.

The content is well-crafted and natural.

I love the OST as well, the melody is romantic, the lyrics is meaningfully and bold Vietnam culture.

Just one of not too good is the ghost, it's quite fake, hopefully they will improve it in the next movies.

Overall, it is a good movie, one of the very few best Vietnamese movies over recent years, kind of I can rewatch it even I already knew its content.

The move is worthy of reaching out the world.

I'm looking forward to seeing the next series.

This film plays it so safe that it teeters on the edge of mediocrity.

My biggest complaint lies with Dinh Ngoc Diep's performance-she overacts in nearly every scene. Her delivery is so unconvincing that even the child actresses come across as more natural and compelling.

Beyond that, the characters are forgettable, the villains aren't nearly detestable enough, and the victim's presence is too passive that she fails to earn our sympathy.

Oddly, the film reveals its twist at the halfway mark-likely because the writers couldn't come up with a more creative way to sustain suspense. From that point on, the ending drags on for too long. I would've enjoyed it more if it had been trimmed by about 30 minutes.

One saving grace is the cinematography and the effective horror elements, both signature strengths of Victor Vu. Still, I wish the film had made better use of Northern Vietnam's breathtaking landscapes.

Great movie with talented actors and actresses. The story was well written keeping the audience guessing on what will happen next. Sound was well played. Scenery was beautiful which appears to be at Ha Long bay. The detective was well played by Quoc Huy. All the supporting people were well played. The story was set in the olden day in northern Vietnam where a number of people was murdered with the head chopped off! Some scary scenes will make the audience entertained. Well worth watching and hope there will be part 2. The story based on a novel. Many people still believe in ghosts in Vietnam. Well done.

There truly is no single word capable of capturing the exquisite beauty of this film. It stands out as the best Vietnamese movie I have ever had the pleasure of watching! I am particularly impressed with the visual effects; they are incredibly well-executed and elevate the storytelling to an entirely new level. The seamless integration of VFX really enhances the movie's breathtaking scenes and adds a layer of depth that keeps you engaged throughout. Story and Emotion While the setting captures your eyes, the story captures your heart. It is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, tradition, and resilience. The characters are deeply human-flawed, hopeful, and shaped by the times they live in. Their struggles reflect not just personal conflicts, but the broader socio-cultural tensions of Vietnam's past.

The pacing is deliberate, giving time for moments to breathe and for emotions to unfold naturally. There's a quiet power in the storytelling-it doesn't rely on grand drama or exaggerated twists, but rather on genuine human experiences, conveyed with sensitivity and realism.

Performance and Direction The performances are uniformly excellent. Each actor brings subtlety and nuance to their role. There's a grace in the way emotions are portrayed-often with more silence than words, more gestures than dialogue. The direction is confident and compassionate, with a clear vision and a deep love for the culture being portrayed.

When the young "Nga" (Doan Minh Anh) goes missing, her aunt "Miss Moon" (Ngoc Diêp) can't get the local authorities to investigate, so she writes a pleading letter to renowned judge's detective "Kiên" (Tín Nguyen) to see if he will come and look into things. When he arrives, complete with his official badge of office, he sets the cat amongst the pigeons in the small community that's not without it's suspects. To add to his problems, it seems that this village has an history of troubles, with a legendary water ghost reputedly emerging from the river and terrorising the population then leaving decapitated bodies to wash up all over the place. Now "Kiên" is a man of science, and now (reluctantly) allied with his enthusiastic new sidekick they discover that nobody in this village is quite whom they seem and with the chief, his wife, his daughter, the potter, the shaman, the lover and just about every one else in the mix, he has his work cut out trying to discover the truth. Though I found the production a little bit sterile, there is still quite an amiable chemistry between our detecting duo and with plenty of lies, deceit and red herrings the story carries along nicely until a denouement that's acrobatic, messy and leaves us wanting - whether we want it or not - needing more. It hits the ground running and doesn't hang about for a couple of hours that I though had shades of "Vienna Blood" (2019) to it. Worth a watch.