Is the exorcism scene of "Ghost Tomb Digging" too big a shadow for Vietnamese horror films?

With many similarities such as having a shaman presiding over the ritual, movements, musical instruments, spells... many recent Vietnamese exorcism films have unintentionally been stuck in the "shadow" of the Korean film "Exhuma."

After the success of the Korean film "Exhuma" (2024), many Vietnamese horror films in the exorcism genre that have recently been released are often questioned by audiences about their originality.

Recently, the movie “Cải mã” is scheduled to be released on October 24, in anticipation of Halloween. The movie is about a family who, after performing the custom of reburying their loved ones, continuously encounters strange supernatural phenomena and is threatened with their lives. From here, the movie reveals deep mysteries, denouncing those who neglect graves, disregarding morality and human values ​​to live greedily and selfishly.

The film features a scene of a shaman performing rituals while digging up graves, with the participation of Mr. Kim Young-min - a member of the "Ghost Grave Digging" film crew - as a co-producer.

Trailer for the movie "Grave Reclamation":

When asked whether “Cải Mã” was a copy of the movie “Quật Mộ Trung Ma,” producer Emily Lê denied: “We did not copy ‘Quật Mộ Trung Ma.’ At the time the Korean movie was released and achieved global success, the script for ‘Cải Mã’ was already completed.”

Invited to co-produce “Cải ma,” Mr. Kim Young-min commented that the work carries three adjectives: “tradition,” “secret,” and “reconciliation.”

The Korean filmmaker expressed a positive attitude towards the cultural similarities between the two countries: “Both countries consider the grave not only as a burial place, but also as a space connecting ancestors and descendants. In traditional rituals, secrets are gradually revealed. It is this process that creates reconciliation between the living and the dead. That is also the core of the film,” he shared.

Before “Cải ma,” Vietnamese audiences asked this question about the films “Den hon” and “Khe uoc ban dau” (2025).

Lanh Thanh in "The Contract of Selling a Bride." (Photo from the movie)

Actors' looks in "Ghost Tomb Digging." (Photo from the movie)

The films all have a shaman character who presides over the exorcism ritual, a shaman who uses spells, performs movements and dances, has special sounds and music , and uses natural tools and materials to create the ritual... creating a high degree of similarity.

The movie “The Bride Contract” also has a scene where actor Lanh Thanh (master of the ceremony) writes a spell on his body, similar to the image of actor Lee Do-hyun in “The Grave Digger.”

Responding to this opinion, director Le Van Kiet (The Contract to Sell Strawberry) affirmed that the film was not copied. He said that this similarity is a common cultural feature of many Asian countries, no country has a monopoly on these materials.

Director Hoang Nam (Den Am Hon) also affirmed that "he did not want to create controversy so he did not copy any film." He said the film was inspired by the ritual of the spirit medium in the Mother Goddess and shaman worship in Vietnamese culture, and did not want to imitate any other religion or culture.

The scene of exile in "Ghost Lamp":

Currently, the horror genre is still developing quite strongly in the Vietnamese film market. Every year since 2021, Vietnamese filmmakers have released about 4-5 works or projects. Most of the films follow the genre of spells and exorcism. This is also one of the most popular horror films in Asia in the eyes of international audiences, and many countries have bought it to release in their countries./.

"Exhuma" is about a group of spiritual experts who specialize in exorcism missions and rituals. Hired to excavate an ancient tomb, the group immediately faces many strange and dangerous supernatural events, exploiting the historical conflict between Korea and Japan.

The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival (Germany) and received relatively positive reviews. The film earned $93.9 million (according to Box Office Mojo) at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024 and the sixth highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea. Vietnam contributed about 10% of this revenue based on calculations from Box Office Vietnam data.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/canh-tru-ta-cua-quat-mo-trung-ma-co-la-cai-bong-qua-lon-voi-phim-kinh-di-viet-post1068942.vnp