Discover the best of Vietnamese cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Vietnam. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Vietnam
Vietnamese cinema has evolved from war-torn origins into one of Southeast Asia's most compelling film industries. The breakthrough came with Tran Anh Hung's "The Scent of the Green Papaya," which won the Golden Camera at Cannes in 1993 and became the first Vietnamese film nominated for an Oscar in 1994. This success opened international doors for Vietnamese storytelling and established the country as a serious cinematic force. Vietnamese cinema became famous worldwide primarily because of the Viet Kieu, directors born in Vietnam but living in the West. These filmmakers, including Victor Vu, Timothy Linh Bui, Charlie Nguyen, and Ham Tran, were either born or raised abroad and bring a different aesthetic to Vietnamese cinema. Their dual perspective has created films that bridge Eastern and Western sensibilities whilst maintaining authentic Vietnamese voices. The industry has experienced remarkable growth despite historical challenges. The first truly Vietnamese films were produced in Hanoi photographer Huong Ky's studio, establishing a foundation that would eventually flourish into a modern industry capable of producing both intimate art films and commercial blockbusters. Television has also evolved significantly, with Vietnam Television operating multiple channels including VTV1, VTV2, VTV3 and more. VTV3 has gained particular recognition for airing highly acclaimed international formats like Dancing with the Stars Vietnam, Vietnam Idol, and Vietnam's Next Top Model. What makes Vietnamese cinema distinctive is its ability to transform personal and national trauma into universal stories of resilience. Contemporary Vietnamese films blend traditional storytelling with modern filmmaking techniques, creating works that honour the past whilst embracing contemporary themes and global appeal.
Best Vietnamese series
11 Months and 5 Days 2021
A young woman leaves Ho Chi Minh City to start a new career. She has to face many problems in a new life alone.
91
Devil's Diner 2025
In a secluded part of town, a mysterious chef cooks up supernatural meals that grant his guests' deepest desires – if they're willing to pay the price.
75
How Beautiful Life is Still 2023
In a poor market, a woman tries for five years to pay off the debt left by her husband, who was dead at sea. Meanwhile, a man who grew up under the bridge raises his son to go to college alone and considers it all hope and pride for the future.
83
Suddenly Happy Family 2023
The life of an extended family is not always peaceful because of differences in personality, lifestyle, and the interior of each small family.
74
Don't Vex a Mom! 2022
An 18-year-old girl is about to enter university. The incident occurs when her sister has an accident, causing her not only to lose her home but also to adopt a new baby born to her sister.
85
Want to See You 2022
After losing his eyesight, Thach hires Phuc to assist him on a daily basis. As time goes by, they fall in love but Thach's entourage opposes this relationship.
71
Best Vietnamese movies
After the Dark 2013
At an international school in Jakarta, a philosophy teacher challenges his class of twenty graduating seniors to choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.
62
Furie 2019
When a little girl is kidnapped by a trafficking ring, they soon find they messed with the wrong child. Her mother, a notorious former gang leader, is close on their trail and will go to any lengths to bring her child home.
66
The Third Wife 2019
Though only 14 years old, May is selected to be the third wife of a wealthy landowner. Her new home seems idyllic, her husband favours her, and she quickly becomes pregnant with what she is certain will be the desired male progeny. But trouble is quietly brewing: she witnesses a forbidden tryst that will spark a chain reaction of misfortunes — and stir in May urges that until now had been dormant.
68
Furies 2022
Bi, a Vietnamese country girl, survives a brutal childhood and escapes to Saigon. There, she is recruited by the mysterious Mrs. Lin, who trains Bi and her new friends Thanh and Hong in killing and sensuality to take down Hai, a Saigon crime lord.
64
Goodbye Mother 2019
Văn comes back to Saigon from the US with his boyfriend Ian to visit his mother. Being the male heir of the family, everyone expects him to take a wife soon. And to top it all, his grandmother, who has Alzheimer, mistakes Ian for her grandson.
75
The Housemaid 2016
When an orphaned Vietnamese girl is hired to be a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina, she unexpectedly falls in love with the French landowner and awakens the vengeful ghost of his dead wife... who is out for blood.
62