On October 25th, after just the first two episodes aired on Monday and Tuesday of the past week, the series ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục’ (Hellbound Village) quickly rose to the top spot on both the K+ and Netflix paid platforms. This marks a historic milestone for Vietnamese horror period drama series, the first of its kind in Vietnam.
So, Vietnamese cinema is currently witnessing a new milestone in the horror period drama genre, with heavy investments in cinematic quality and international recognition. On the K+ platform, ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục’ (Hellbound Village) holding the top spot is not up for debate. However, when it comes to trending TV program rankings on Netflix, ‘Hellbound Village’ has surpassed ‘Doona,’ a Korean series gaining popularity, even with the nation’s sweetheart Suzy, and several other popular series among the youth.
This also shows that Vietnamese audiences are still showing a certain level of interest in Vietnamese film projects that are invested in passionately and promote cultural values.
With just the first two episodes, audiences have had the chance to admire the eerie and captivating beauty of the Northeastern hilly region. The familiar cherry blossoms of Ha Giang appear in the middle of the remote Sảo Há ancient village, blending seamlessly with the cinematic quality and the horror story in the hellbound village, based on the novel by author Thao Trang. Furthermore, other unique elements leave a strong impression on viewers, contributing to the increasing popularity of the series. These elements include the details of the dead foretelling dreams, the ancient village, cornfields, firefly lanterns luring spirits, the legend of skull wine, and the image of the boat carrying the departed. All of these elements create a sense of familiarity with a twist, making it both haunting and intriguing, and leaving the audience eagerly awaiting the next episodes.
Sharing his excitement about this milestone, Director Tran Huu Tan stated: “The fact that the film has reached the top spot on both major online streaming platforms, K+ and Netflix, truly surprised and delighted me. Achieving this, along with the positive feedback from the audience, is the result of the hard work of an entire team. However, it’s also a great pressure for the upcoming episodes to meet the viewers’ expectations. Making period drama films, especially in the horror genre, is never easy. But, we only discover our capabilities when we actually make it. I’ve always believed that this genre has a special place in the hearts of the audience. These past few days, as the film has been airing, I’ve had the opportunity to look back and remember the time of shooting. However, I always remind myself and my team not to dwell on hardships, but instead, to put in the effort to show the audience how much we love this film and its story and to do our best. Because nothing is more fulfilling than seeing the “child” we’ve created being loved by everyone. Thank you to the audience once again for providing valuable feedback and giving a fair assessment of ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục’ (Hellbound Village).
Mr. Hoang Quan – Producer of this series emotionally shared that: “This is truly good news for the entire team, the actors, and especially for K+ Original. With the vision of “bringing the cinematic experience” to series viewers, I believe K+ Original has taken a bold direction and has set an example for other investors who want to invest more significantly in the series genre.
Looking back at everything we’ve been through in this project, there’s truly nothing more valuable than being embraced by the audience today. Quan and Tan know that we still have our shortcomings, and we genuinely want to learn more and strive harder to be worthy of every opportunity to make films and live with our passion. Thank you to the audience, the ‘Sói Lửa’ (Fire Wofl) – the novel fans, our partners, and the people who have always supported ProductionQ on this beautiful journey.”
Beforehand, in the early days when the project released its first images, ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục‘ (Hellbound Village) received a lot of positive feedback from the public and reached the Top 2 trending Google keywords within just 24 hours. The audience appreciated this series for its investment in the setting, the balance between culture and audience preferences, and the deep incorporation of Vietnamese traditions and customs from ancient times into the story.
This also shows that Vietnamese audiences are still showing a certain level of interest in Vietnamese film projects that are invested in passionately and promote cultural values.
With just the first two episodes, audiences have had the chance to admire the eerie and captivating beauty of the Northeastern hilly region. The familiar cherry blossoms of Ha Giang appear in the middle of the remote Sảo Há ancient village, blending seamlessly with the cinematic quality and the horror story in the hellbound village, based on the novel by author Thao Trang. Furthermore, other unique elements leave a strong impression on viewers, contributing to the increasing popularity of the series. These elements include the details of the dead foretelling dreams, the ancient village, cornfields, firefly lanterns luring spirits, the legend of skull wine, and the image of the boat carrying the departed. All of these elements create a sense of familiarity with a twist, making it both haunting and intriguing, and leaving the audience eagerly awaiting the next episodes.
Sharing his excitement about this milestone, Director Tran Huu Tan stated: “The fact that the film has reached the top spot on both major online streaming platforms, K+ and Netflix, truly surprised and delighted me. Achieving this, along with the positive feedback from the audience, is the result of the hard work of an entire team. However, it’s also a great pressure for the upcoming episodes to meet the viewers’ expectations. Making period drama films, especially in the horror genre, is never easy. But, we only discover our capabilities when we actually make it. I’ve always believed that this genre has a special place in the hearts of the audience. These past few days, as the film has been airing, I’ve had the opportunity to look back and remember the time of shooting. However, I always remind myself and my team not to dwell on hardships, but instead, to put in the effort to show the audience how much we love this film and its story and to do our best. Because nothing is more fulfilling than seeing the “child” we’ve created being loved by everyone. Thank you to the audience once again for providing valuable feedback and giving a fair assessment of ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục’ (Hellbound Village).
Mr. Hoang Quan – Producer of this series emotionally shared that: “This is truly good news for the entire team, the actors, and especially for K+ Original. With the vision of “bringing the cinematic experience” to series viewers, I believe K+ Original has taken a bold direction and has set an example for other investors who want to invest more significantly in the series genre.
Looking back at everything we’ve been through in this project, there’s truly nothing more valuable than being embraced by the audience today. Quan and Tan know that we still have our shortcomings, and we genuinely want to learn more and strive harder to be worthy of every opportunity to make films and live with our passion. Thank you to the audience, the ‘Sói Lửa’ (Fire Wofl) – the novel fans, our partners, and the people who have always supported ProductionQ on this beautiful journey.”
Beforehand, in the early days when the project released its first images, ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục‘ (Hellbound Village) received a lot of positive feedback from the public and reached the Top 2 trending Google keywords within just 24 hours. The audience appreciated this series for its investment in the setting, the balance between culture and audience preferences, and the deep incorporation of Vietnamese traditions and customs from ancient times into the story.
An impressive horror period drama series known for its cinematic quality and cultural depth.
With its 12 episodes, Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục (Hellbound Village) is Vietnam’s first high-quality horror period drama series and is definitely worth watching. Adapted from the popular novel of the same name by author Thảo Trang, the series vividly portrays a mysterious village hidden in the wilderness, which one day witnesses a series of bizarre and terrifying deaths. This village serves as the current refuge for the descendants of once-notorious bandits. Each passing day brings a series of omens and gruesome murders that relentlessly afflict the innocent villagers, as a result of the malevolence passed down from their ancestors. However, Mr. Thap (Quang Tuan), The crippled (The Meritorious Artist Phu Đon), Mr. Tam (Vo Tan Phat), and the villagers gradually discover a supernatural shape-shifting being lurking in their midst, and someone is planning to exterminate the entire village using diabolical and insane demon magic.
Hellbound Village delves into the horrifying crimes born out of deep-seated grudges and the Vietnamese concept of karma and retribution through chilling folklore rituals such as skull wine, shape-shifting beings, and soul possession…
A quality-invested historical horror project
With the release of the first two episodes, it’s evident that ‘Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục’ (Hellbound Village) has several impressive and attention-grabbing strengths. The series makes strong investments in its settings, costumes, makeup, and a talented cast from both the northern and southern region of Vietnam. The ancient village backdrop, shrouded in mist, was discovered after numerous location scouts and was set among the rugged mountain slopes, creating an eerie and authentic atmosphere in Ha Giang. The northern mountainous spring scenery adds a mysterious and realistic feel for both actors and the audience. The costumes and character designs are meticulously detailed, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam. Each material and embroidered pattern is carefully considered to harmonize tradition and individual character traits. The makeup process, in particular, involves extensive research and meticulous detailing to portray the horror in every death, the terrifying transformations into demons and wolves, the scars, burns, and realistic depictions of the deceased—all of which enhance the enigmatic and eerie atmosphere in every frame.
The casts are comprised of talented actors ensuring exceptional performances.
All the actors from both the northern and southern regions have put in collective efforts, immersed themselves in their characters for extended periods, and delivered exceptional performances while enduring the harsh weather conditions and living conditions in Ha Giang. They have truly breathed life into the first high-quality historical horror series in Vietnam, and all of this promises to bring many surprises to the viewers. The project brings together a multi-generational cast of talented actors from both the northern and southern regions, featuring impressive transformations by Quang Tuan (Mr. Thap), Nguyen Thao (Mrs. Thap), Vo Tan Phat (Mr. Tam), Lan Phuong (Thap Nuong)… Of special note is the return of seasoned actors who demonstrate exquisite performances perfectly suited to their roles: Meritorious artist Phu Đon (The crippled), Meritorious artist Van Bau (Mr. Kham), Meritorious artist Hanh Thuy (Mrs. Lam), Meritorious artist Chieu Xuan (Mrs. Phong), Actor Viet Lien (Tutor Lam), all highly anticipated. With this project, audiences will witness surprising performances by Nguyen Thao and Vo Tan Phat. Additionally, the young actors Hai Nam (Mr. Duc), Dinh Khang (Mr. Dai), Huynh Nhu Dan (Ms. May) also garner attention.