Human trafficking camps face competition, unexpectedly being surpassed

Hanoi [Vietnam], October 22: After leading the Vietnamese box office for several consecutive days, the film 'Human Trafficking Camp' was unexpectedly overtaken by 'Karaoke Murder', which temporarily topped the box office for the day.
According to statistics from Box Office Vietnam, on the morning of October 21st, the film " Human Trafficking Camp, " after a period of dominating the box office, now has a direct competitor. Specifically, " Karaoke Murder Case ," starring Van Dung and Doan Thien An, is currently leading the daily revenue with over 1 billion VND (as of 11 AM). This figure is equivalent to more than 12,000 tickets sold out of a total of 1,136 screenings.
With that achievement, "Karaoke Murder" is temporarily leading the box office revenue, even though it hasn't officially premiered yet. The film begins with the tragic death of Mrs. Thuy, which then opens up a psychological chase where every character present at the scene is a suspect. The project features artists Van Dung, Tieu Bao Quoc, Tuyen Map, Thanh Son, Doan Thien An, Trinh Thao, and Quynh Ly.
According to the producers, "Karaoke Murder" is an entertaining and detective film, but also has a hint of horror to give audiences more choices when going to the cinema. "The cast was carefully selected to suit the characteristics of each character, so that everyone will be surprised when they find out who the real culprit is. We hope everyone will watch and support the journey of finding the killer in a relaxed way at the cinema," the producers shared.
Initially, the film was scheduled to be released on October 2nd. However, the producers later decided to postpone the release date to October 30th. This choice is seen as a way for many Vietnamese film crews to avoid the hype surrounding "The Human Trafficking Camp, " which consistently dominated the box office in terms of both revenue and screenings.
How did 'The Human Trafficking Camp' fare at the box office?
The arrival of "Karaoke Murder" has created fierce competition at the box office. Even before its official release, the film has already risen to the top spot, demonstrating the audience's interest in the project. This also pushed " Human Trafficking Camp" to second place, after its period of popularity in the film market. On October 21st, the film grossed 964 million VND, with over 12,000 tickets sold. Notably, this film had over 2,700 screenings, double the number of screenings for " Karaoke Murder".
After nearly a month in theaters, " The Human Trafficking Camp, " while somewhat less popular, still receives considerable attention from audiences. Currently, the film starring Toni Duong Bao Anh and Meo Bich Trang has reached 468 billion VND, becoming the highest-grossing Vietnamese film at the box office in 2026. In addition, this film about the "easy job, high pay" scam is also in the top 5 highest-grossing Vietnamese films to date, after " Red Rain " (directed by Dang Thai Huyen), "Mai" (directed by Tran Thanh), "Flip Face 7: One Wish" (directed by Ly Hai), and "Mrs. Nu's House" (directed by Tran Thanh).
"With only ' Mrs. Nu's House' and 'Mai' holding the number one spot at the box office from Tet (Lunar New Year) until the end of that year, the Tet season is no longer a 100% guarantee of box office success. 'Release during Tet' should not be a mandatory goal for blockbuster films. Vietnamese filmmakers can carefully consider the timing of their releases," a representative from Box Office Vietnam commented.
Source: Thanh Nein Newspaper