Vietnamese whodunit Karaoke Murder (Án Mạng Karaoke) is set to make a record-breaking entrance this Halloween, becoming the first Vietnamese film to open theatrically on the same weekend across four continents: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The film will open nationwide in Vietnam on October 30, the same weekend it arrives in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Norway, Australia and New Zealand through speciality distributor 3388 Films.
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Directed by Hoang Le in his feature directorial debut, Karaoke Murder is produced by 89s Group and F35 Studio, with director-producer Vo Thanh Hoa serving as creative director and Mai Bao Ngoc as producer. Its ensemble cast includes Doan Thien An, Thanh Son, Dai Nghia, Van Dung, Phuong Dung, Tieu Bao Ngoc, Tuyen Map, Quynh Ly, Ta Lam and Trinh Thao.
The story unfolds at a remote mountain retreat, where a widely disliked tycoon with an obsessive love of karaoke is found silenced in the middle of the night. Cut off from the outside world and fed only by suspicion, the guests soon find that anyone could be the killer.
Timed for Halloween, the film leans into a premise that is unmistakably Vietnamese: karaoke as both national pastime and potential flashpoint. According to the producers, karaoke is woven into everyday life in Vietnam, from weddings and birthdays to Lunar New Year gatherings and Sunday afternoons in the alley. But noise complaints, neighbour disputes and late-night singing can also turn joy into conflict; Vietnam fines noise after 10 p.m., and karaoke remains among the most common sources of neighbourly tension.
Thien A. Pham, founder of 3388 Films, said the simultaneous rollout marks an important milestone for Vietnamese cinema.
“Karaoke Murder is a special cinematic treat this Halloween because Vietnamese murder mystery films are rarely produced and most importantly, it’s extremely difficult to sync domestic and international release dates for foreign and independent films. It’s a significant breakthrough moment when Karaoke Murder becomes the first Vietnamese film to open theatrically across 4 continents. And we need gutsy partners, like the producers of Karaoke Murder,’ as 3388 Films continues to redefine possibilities for Asian films.”
Vo Thanh Hoa, of 89s Group, said the film’s appeal lies in pairing a deeply local setting with a universally recognisable tension.
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“My signature has always been ‘local story, global telling’ – deeply Vietnamese stories told in a cinematic language anyone can feel. With Karaoke Murder, we didn’t try to make a film for the world. We made a film about Vietnam, yet it’s a film the world can see itself in. Every city has a karaoke-obsessed neighbour. Every audience has a neighbour they’ve secretly wished would stop singing. From New South Wales to Paris to London to Los Angeles, this is a local story that needs no translation.”
Karaoke Murder opens in theatres from October 30. 3388 Films is the exclusive international distributor for the film in North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan.
