Dang Tran Cuong, head of the Cinema Department, said on June 19 that an official notice had been sent to film production and distribution companies across the country.
According to the document, horror films have grown significantly in number in recent years. Some productions place excessive emphasis on violence, bloody scenes, superstition and shock value.
Ngoc Trinh as doctor Thanh in the horror feature "Tham my vien am phu" (Photo: Film crew).
The agency said many films have failed to make sufficient investment in artistic quality and cinematic language, while lacking humanistic values and meaningful social messages. In addition to domestic productions, several imported horror films have also required content revisions to comply with Vietnamese regulations.
The Cinema Department urged filmmakers and distributors to demonstrate greater social responsibility and help shape public tastes, particularly among young audiences and groups considered more vulnerable to negative influences. It called for a better balance of themes and genres, encouraging works with strong artistic merit, humanistic values and authentic reflections of contemporary life.
The agency also encouraged producers and distributors to prioritise films that promote Vietnam's history, culture, natural landscapes and people, while spreading positive and inspiring stories that foster patriotism.
Such works, it said, could help strengthen national pride and deepen younger generations' appreciation for their homeland.
"For Vietnamese films and imported foreign films released in Vietnam, careful consideration should be given to the selection, development and portrayal of themes involving violence, horror, superstition or content that could negatively affect viewers' perceptions and behaviour," the notice stated.
Since the beginning of the year, horror films have emerged as the dominant genre at the Vietnamese box office, outperforming many other categories and generating strong ticket sales.
During the April 30 and May 1 holiday period, Phi phong and Heo nam mong, two Vietnamese films inspired by supernatural folklore, each surpassed VND 100 billion (approximately USD 3.8 million) in box office revenue.
Earlier this month, Ma xo, featuring actors Hanh Thuy, Le Khanh and Tin Nguyen, grossed VND 135 billion (approximately USD 5.2 million), placing it among the highest-grossing Vietnamese horror films of all time.
Vietnamese horror films have surged in cinemas in recent times (Photo: Film crew).
According to representatives of Box Office Vietnam, an independent box office monitoring organisation, the three most successful films of the week all belong to the supernatural or zombie genre: Ma xo, Lau chu Hoa and the South Korean film Colony.
