BAD BLOOD - VJ CONFIDENTIAL

Bad Blood (Kẻ Ẩn Danh / 霸刀) – Vietnam's Gritty Take on the Taken Formula

The promotional poster for Bad Blood hits you with raw intensity. Featuring Kieu Minh Tuan, Mac Van Khoa, Quoc Truong, Van Trang, and Mai Cat Vi, the imagery promises blood-soaked action and a father's desperate mission. The tagline "A Vietnamese Action Story" isn't just marketing—it's a declaration that Vietnam is stepping into the ring with regional heavyweights like Indonesia and Thailand. The film had already generated buzz with a screening at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival , setting expectations high for action enthusiasts worldwide.

Let's be honest from the start: the plot is Taken with Vietnamese seasoning. Lam (Kieu Minh Tuan) is a former gangster who has spent over 20 years trying to bury his violent past. He now lives a quiet, humble life with his wife Hanh (Van Trang) and his stepdaughter Hien (Mai Cat Vi) , working manual labor jobs in a poor Saigon community . But Hien, still struggling to accept Lam's love, falls prey to Tien—a manipulative young man who lures girls into brothels and the human trafficking underworld . When Hien is kidnapped, Lam's dark past claws its way back to the surface. Armed with old skills and relentless determination, he tears through the criminal underworld to bring his daughter home .

Yes, you've seen this before. But execution matters more than originality, and this is where Bad Blood gets interesting.

1. Action Choreography That Commands Attention

This is the film's crown jewel. The action team, led by Kefi Abrikh (who worked on Furies and The Princess), delivers choreography that blends brutal realism with creative flair . The opening scene drops us into a violent temple brawl sabers swinging, bodies falling announcing immediately that this isn't your average Vietnamese action flick . What follows are multiple standout sequences:

· The Museum Fight: Universally praised by critics, this set piece uses gallery exhibits as weapons and obstacles. It's visually striking, playfully creative, and utterly nonsensical in the best action-movie tradition .

· The Sauna Brawl: Raw hand-to-hand combat in tight quarters, showing off Kieu Minh Tuan's physical commitment .

· The Rain-Soaked Boat Finale: Gritty, chaotic, and generous with its violence. One reviewer noted this is what The Expendables 4 should have been .

The camera work is dynamic without being nauseating, using steadycam and fluid tracking that evokes both The Raid's intensity and Matthew Vaughn's kinetic style .

2. Kieu Minh Tuan's Performance

Tuan is the anchor. He brings a weathered, "đầm" (heavy) presence to Lam a man carrying decades of guilt and violence in his posture . Unlike many action leads who merely hit marks, Tuan balances technical fight execution with genuine emotional weight. You believe his pain, his reluctance, and ultimately his explosive release .

3. Supporting Cast Shines

Van Trang as the wife provides essential emotional grounding. Her chemistry with Tuan gives the family drama stakes beyond the action . Mac Van Khoa injects well-timed comic relief without undercutting tension a delicate balance the film mostly gets right . Quoc Truong as the antagonist, though underutilized, projects sufficient menace when on screen .

4. Efficient Pacing

At under 100 minutes, Bad Blood respects your time. It opens with a bang, settles into character development for about 30 minutes, then steadily escalates tension through three major action sequences . No fat. No filler.

5. Homage to Hong Kong Golden Age

Action heads will catch the loving nods to Hong Kong cinema's heyday—creative weapon use, stylized choreography, and a willingness to let fights breathe . It's a respectful tribute that never feels like mere copying.

The Cons: Where the Blade Dulls

1. The Plot Is a Xerox Copy

Let's address the elephant in the screening room: this is Taken. Beat for beat. Retired tough guy with a past. Kidnapped daughter. One-man war against traffickers. If you've seen Liam Neeson's iconic rampage, you'll predict every story turn here . The film even acknowledges its influences—one Letterboxd user quipped it "dares ask: 'What if TAKEN were good, actually?'" . Fair or not, the lack of narrative originality holds it back from greatness.

2. Digital Blood (and Not the Good Kind)

Whenever blades bite flesh, the blood is glaringly CGI. It looks fake, floating, and undermines the gritty realism the fights work so hard to build . Practical effects would have elevated this significantly.

3. Pacing Issues in the Middle

While the structure works, some viewers felt the middle act drags. About 30 minutes of pure drama tests patience for those primarily here for action . A tighter edit could have trimmed dialogue and added one more creative fight scene .

4. Underdeveloped Villains and Subplots

The antagonists exist as obstacles rather than characters. Quoc Truong's crime lord appears just enough to be a face, never a threat with depth . Similarly, the trafficking subplot feels sketched rather than explored, missing an opportunity for social commentary .

5. Predictable Emotional Beats

The stepfather-stepdaughter dynamic follows a formula: initial rejection, gradual thaw, crisis, and redemption. It works but never surprises. You'll see the emotional arc coming from the first family dinner scene .

6. Music and Sound Design

The score is functional but forgettable. Action scenes sometimes feel sonically flat, lacking the punch that great sound design brings to choreography . It's not bad just not memorable.

Technical Aspects: The Craft Behind the Carnage

· Cinematography: The visual palette shifts effectively between warm family tones and cold, desaturated underworld grit .

· Production Design: The art gallery fight proves the team can create visually rich environments that enhance action .

· Editing: Competent but never transcendent. Action sequences remain coherent, which is a win in an era of shaky-cam chaos .

· Stunt Work: The physical performers commit fully. Falls look painful, impacts register. Vietnam's stunt community deserves recognition .

Audience & Critical Reception

Reviews cluster in the 6.5 to 7.3/10 range, with action fans rating higher and general audiences noting the familiar plot . On Netflix, it has found a global audience, with subtitles in multiple languages expanding its reach . Vietnamese audiences praised the technical leap forward for local action cinema, even while acknowledging the script's weaknesses .

Letterboxd consensus: "Not amazing, but the choreography is dynamic and the camera work even more so" . "A sturdy enough actioner with nothing new to offer on the narrative front" .

Final Verdict: Should You Watch It?

Watch it if:

· You're an action completist hungry for regional cinema

· You appreciate well-choreographed fight scenes

· You can forgive a borrowed plot for quality execution

· You want to see Vietnam's action filmmaking evolution

Skip it if:

· Narrative originality is non-negotiable for you

· Digital blood effects ruin immersion

· You've overdosed on the "retired killer rescues daughter" trope

For a directorial debut, Dan Trong Tran shows genuine promise. The action team, particularly Kefi Abrikh, proves Vietnam can hang with regional peers. Bad Blood is a calling card a statement that Vietnamese action cinema is ready to step out of the shadows and throw real punches .

As one viewer put it: "Vietnamese action – to watch out for 👀" . I agree. Keep watching. The best may be yet to come.

Streaming: Available on Netflix in select regions

Physical Media: Not yet widely released on Blu-ray/DVD internationally

Trigger Warning: Contains brutal violence, human trafficking themes, and strong language. Rated 18+ in multiple territories.