Vietnamese viewers prefer foreign to local on Netflix

More Vietnamese are watching Republic of Korean and American films than Vietnamese films on the digital movie platform Netflix.
Vietnamese viewers prefer foreign to local on Netflix ảnh 1Vietnamese movies on Netflix are not receiving a lot of attention from local viewers (Photo: nld.com.vn)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - MoreVietnamese are watching Republic of Korean and American films than Vietnamesefilms on the digital movie platform Netflix.

Since its announcement of a Vietnamese interface last October, Netflix hasbeen increasing the number of Vietnamese films on the platform,according to a report in Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper.

However, the 10 most-watched movies among Vietnamese users on Netflix arestill a mixture of Republic of Korean and American films, including Itaewon Class, Crash Landing on You, Hi Bye,Mama, I Am not Okay with This, and others.

On the first day of Netflix's launch of its rating feature,K-dramas dominated the list of Vietnamese viewers’ favouritefilms, with seven Korean films on the top 10 list.

A Thai movie called Girl from Nowhere was alsoon the list. Though introduced in 2018, the movie has been at the top of searchessince then.

Local filmmakers are concerned that Vietnamese movies have not attractedthe full attention of Vietnamese, even though Netflix has offereda significant number of Vietnamese movies to encourage views frompeople who did not see them when they were first released.

Some popular Vietnamese titles available on Netflix include Trang Quynh, Sieu sao sieu ngo, Me chong, Sai Gon– Anh yeu em, Sac dep ngan can, Ngoi nha buom buom, Hanh phuc cua me, Hai Phuong,Trung so, Chung cu ma, De mai tinh, Yeu, and Hau due mat troi, amongothers.

New releases have also been added to the list, such as Anh thay ngoi sao, Troi sang roi noi loi tam biet,Cho em đen ngay mai, and Choivơi.

Most of these titles have been shown in theatres, and werenot big hits, experts have said. This has negatively affected viewer’s interestin watching local movies on Netflix.

In addition, because Netflix is not a popular movie platform in areas inthe country where there are no cinemas, it is difficult for local movies to bewidely recognised on Netflix.

“I think local movies posted on Netflix are not as interesting as the ones fromthe Republic of Korea or China because the quality of our films is notgood enough,” director Vo Thanh Hoa said.

Audiences these days do not want or need simple movie plots, he said,adding that filmmakers should step up their game and come up with qualitycontent.

To successfully gain audience’s interest on online movie platforms, Vietnamesemovies should be backed by investors who are strong enough to lead themarket, experts have said.

Though distributing movies via digital platforms has been trendingand is a barrier-free market that can bring a major source of revenue forfilm producers, Vietnam has not been able to take advantage of this market.

“During the COVID-19 outbreak, frequent moviegoers have had a tendency to stayat home and watch movies online. As they have a growing demand for qualityentertainment, filmmakers should produce better films, or else localswill opt for other entertainment platforms,” Hoa said.

Many film experts agree that quality scripts are the most importantfactor contributing to the success of films.

Director Bao Nhan noted that a poor script posed a worsethreat than technical problems or a lack of human resources. 

This has explained why local audiences have not paid sufficient attentionto Vietnamese movies on Netflix.

Currently, the film Phuong Khau,the latest film of director Huynh Tuan Anh, is being broadcast exclusivelyon Pops every Thursday night at 8pm.

This is the first Vietnamese film series with a focus on palace and haremdramas, and it has gained significant public attention since itwas introduced via the press.

If the series receives positive feedback from the audience, Phuong Khau’s copyright will likely bepurchased by Netflix, similar to what the Storyof Yanxi Palace has done.

Local experts have said that Phuong Khau isexpected to be successful in both the domestic and internationalmovie markets./.
VNA

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