Lamp of Souls: The peak of horror, the audience beats with a "unique" fear?

"Lamp of the Soul" is a Vietnamese horror film inspired by the legend "The Story of the Daughter of Nam Xuong". Under the direction of director Hoang Nam, this is still an attractive choice for audiences who love the spiritual horror genre.

The story of "Lamp of the Soul" takes place in a northern village in feudal times, where Thuong - a single mother, lives with her son Linh while waiting for her husband to return from the battlefield. It all started when Linh stumbled upon an ancient lamp, and from there, the bo.y began to call the reflection of the lamp his father.

However, a bronze gir.l in the village warns that this lamp has the ability to summon the souls of the dead, and is the link between the two worlds. Since then, strange and creepy phenomena begin to occur, and the family story gradually turns into a horror tragedy. Is the shadow that Linh calls her father Thuong's lost husband, or is another evil force lurking?

Inspired by "The Story of the Daughter of Nam Xuong", the film has cleverly integrated folklore elements into the story, thereby creating a vivid picture of Vietnamese national culture and traditions. The thrilling and spooky episodes of the story are tightly constructed, with a harmonious combination of deep human emotions about motherhood and traditional values. The film is not only about the suffering of women in feudal times, but also a journey to discover family values, love and sacrifice.

In particular, "Lamp of Souls" uses the background in Cao Bang with magnificent natural landscapes, bringing a mysterious and ghostly feeling. Ancient villages, majestic waterfalls, and primeval forests have created the ideal space for the story of mysterious phenomena that occur.

One of the highlights of "Lamp of Souls" is its unique storytelling, which is different from other horror films. The film does not focus on sensational effects or scary scenes, but instead, director Hoang Nam focuses on building the plot in a subtle way. The horror and spooky elements are very cleverly exploited, making viewers feel shivering without having to rely on excessive sound or visual effects.

Besides, the film's storytelling also brings a new breeze when weaving folklore values into the story. The image of the ancient lantern, the worship rituals, and especially the appearance of Ms. Dong Lieu have helped the film not only bring horror emotions but also leave a deep impression on the spiritual beliefs of the Vietnamese people.

Despite having an attractive plot and a solid script, "Lamp of Souls" still encounters some major problems with acting. Young faces such as Diem Trang (Thuong) and Phu Thinh (Linh) do not seem to show the necessary "depth" in acting to highlight the climactic situations of the story. Meanwhile, Hoang Kim Ngoc as Ms. Dong Lieu is a bright spot, showing the right grace and charisma for her character. She has succeeded in conveying the sacred, while also bringing gentle moments of humor.

However, the role of the female lead Diem Trang has not shown the pain and anxiety that a single mother has to experience when raising a chil.d in difficult circumstances. The austerity and sadness in Thuong's soul have not been clearly revealed in scenes that need an emotional explosion.

In particular, the dialogue in the film is also a factor that needs to be improved. Sometimes, the dialogue is somewhat "too literary", making the characters - especially the countryside - say sentences like from books, lacking naturalness. This makes some emotional scenes, especially tragic scenes, awkward and do not really touch the viewer's emotions.

Although it is Hoang Nam's first film, "Lamp of the Soul" has shown creativity in the way of filming, especially the diverse camera angles and the way the film space is created. The scenes with grand scenes and ceremonial scenes are made quite meticulously, contributing to creating a mysterious and ghostly atmosphere.

Along with that, the sound element of the film is also a plus. The spooky sounds, screeching sounds, and strange noises in the quiet space all help add creepiness to the film, making it easy for the audience to feel the atmosphere of tension and fear.

Overall, "Lamp of the Soul" is an interesting Vietnamese horror film, imbued with folklore and spiritual elements. With a unique storyline, creative script, along with the participation of veteran actors such as Quang Teo and Afternoon Xuan, the film has made a strong impression in the hearts of the audience.

However, with the acting not really impressive and some weaknesses in the script, "Lamp of Souls" has not yet been able to reach the level of excellence. However, for audiences who love spiritual, spiritual films and traditional Vietnamese values, this film is still worth enjoying.

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