The box office race during the 2025 Tet holiday was harsh not just because of Tran Thanh and Thu Trang’s products. "Yeu Nham Ban Than" (Friend Zone) directed by the duo Nguyen Quang Dung and Diep The Vinh was also forecasted to be a formidable competitor.

Nguyen Quang Dung was once a leading name in the Vietnamese cinema before Tran Thanh and Ly Hai made their mark. He had made many blockbuster films and even set several box office milestones. His partner, Diep The Vinh, is also a renowned DOP (director of photography), known for the visuals of "Mai" (2024), "Bo Gia" (Dad, I’m sorry) in 2021, and "Tiec Trang Mau" (Blood Moon Party) in 2020.

However, the collaboration of these two prominent names did not yield the expected results. "Yeu Nham Ban Than" was overshadowed by other names in the Tet movie race, with ticket sales many times lower than its two competitors. 

For Nguyen Quang Dung individually, this failure could be seen as a significant setback, as this is the second time in a row that his films have failed to create a positive impact. His previous work, "Dat Rung Phuong Nam" (Song of the South) in 2023, was also mired in controversy.

Remakes

At the age of 46, Nguyen Quang Dung has had a relatively grand film career. He began directing his films in his twenties, when Vietnam's cinema market just began its development. Dung once had three of the six highest-grossing Vietnamese films of all time (2013).

Besides box office records in the previous decade, Nguyen Quang Dung is also remembered for his remakes/adaptations. Except for "Da Co Hoai Lang" (Night Drum Beats Cause Longing for Absent Husband) in 2017, which received mixed reviews, his other projects of this kind were successful in terms of revenue and quality. Thang nam ruc ro (tentatively translated as Brilliant May) in 2018 and Blood Moon Party in 2020 are two examples.

When Brilliant May hit the screen, it surprised both critics and the audiences. Critics commented that it was a hit by Nguyen Quang Dung. Prior to that, Dung had a lull, with three consecutive projects not faring well - "My Nhan Ke" (The Lady Assasin) in 2013, "Sieu Nhan X" (tentatively translated as Superman X) in 2015, and Night Drum Beats Cause Longing for Absent Husband.

Brilliant May, with the theme about youth, was the Vietnamese adaptation of "Sunny" (2011) - a film that had previously been a sensation in South Korea. The success of the project came from Dung's ability to use an already proven script framework, combined with valuable localized details. The movie became a phenomenon at the Vietnamese box office in 2018 with revenue of VND85 billion.

Two years later, Nguyen Quang Dung once again made a strong impression with Blood Moon Party. This work was a remake of the Italian film "Perfect Strangers" (2016), but its content was close to the Korean version "Intimate Strangers" (2018) (Perfect Strangers has over 20 remakes).

The product was even considered the most successful work in Nguyen Quang Dung’s career. The film was highly appreciated by critics for its story direction and the performances of its cast. Its impressive box office success also reflected the audience's appreciation. The film brought earnings of VND175 billion, becoming the top-grossing Vietnamese film in 2020.

Before making his mark with remakes/adaptations, Nguyen Quang Dung had faced considerable skepticism from both audiences and critics. It was the strategic shift which opened a completely new chapter in the director's career.

The fall

Joining the film race for Tet 2025, Nguyen Quang Dung remained ‘loyal’ to remakes, deciding to 'Vietnamize' the blockbuster "Friend Zone" (2019), which was a hit in Thailand.

The director also kept the formula that had brought him success with previous remakes -  adhering to the original, not changing crucial details, and only adding elements that bring a Vietnamese flavor. Previously, Brilliant May and Black Moon Party were noted for being very similar to their originals.

However, with Friend Zone, the aforementioned formula no longer helped Nguyen Quang Dung create something special at the box office.

While Brilliant May had a solid script and Black Moon Party impressed with a capable cast, Friend Zone possessed neither of these qualities.

As for Song of the South, the film project brought revenue of VND140 billion, which was just high enough to make a "small profit", as the production cost was several million dollars.

Tinh Le