Scarlet Hill, aka Trại Hoa Đỏ, a Vietnamese series stars Tram Anh as Vy, Quoc Huy as Luu, Cao Thai Ha as Van, Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy as Mrs Hong, Phan Minh Anh as Bao (Vy’s son), Le Xuan Tien as Officer Bach and many others. Directed by Victor Vu, the series is based on Di Li’s novel of the same name. There are 8 episodes, each of an hour.
The series is in Vietnamese language and has English subtitles. The synopsis reads, “A businessman brings his fiancee and her young son to a scenic resort, and quickly finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation.”
Scarlet Hill Review Contains No Spoilers
In the Scarlet Hill series, Luu takes his fiance Vy and her young son Bao for a holiday in a hilly region. We learn that they take a long vacation somewhere quiet, away from the city, due to Vy’s trauma and treatment due to intimacy issues. However, their vacation brings no peace to them. Vy gets scary visions often. A murder in the area also makes everyone in the neighbourhood a suspect, including Vy and Luu.
Scarlet Hill is the slowest and most exhausting show I’ve seen in 2022. The first episode feels like it is 3 hours long. The experience of watching the entire show felt like someone had tied me up and played the episodes at 0.5 speed. The first episode hardly offers anything. Only at the end of the second episode, something major happens that catches our attention. That goes us till the very end.
Every episode is a challenge to watch. Despite having an interesting story, the screenplay makes you impatient and frustrates you. The show is also confused with its genre. Is it horror? Is it supernatural? Is this character not a human? Is it a thriller? We get our answers in the end. But only if someone manages to stick to the end.
One might argue that the slow pace can be seen with a plot development aspect or call the series a slow-burning thriller or probably horror or whatever the genre is. But the pace takes away the elements that would have helped the series to be good.
The entire murder investigation, horror elements and Vy’s past mystery would’ve been thrilling to watch if the narration style was better. Considering how it ended, it should have been just a 5-episode series.
Tram Anh and Quoc Huy have done a good job as Vy and Luu. Actor Cao Thai Ha brings good suspense to the story. Although, I found it ridiculous the reasons that made Vy one of the suspects in the murder case. It was said that just because she is going through the treatment due to her intimacy issues, it can sometimes make a person violent or even a murderer! I wish I could unsee and un-hear that scene.
Scarlet Hill Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, this is the series for you if you want to know how it feels when time stands still, leaving you frustrated. Scarlet Hill would have been a solid thriller/horror/supernatural series if the screenplay wasn’t so bad. The characters, the mysteries and the twists were good. But one has to force themselves to stick till the end to get the answers.
The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Are you planning to watch the show, or have you already watched it? Do let us know your thoughts on it in the comments section below.
Also Read: Shards of Her Review: Mystery Thriller That’s Intense and Painfully Slow
Scarlet Hill started slow pace in episode 1 and 2, it is understandable as the drama is building up the characters in this TV series. Personally, I would say this is a drama well done, good quality in filming, lovely locations, good acting and an awesome plot with a wicked twist. Worth to watch!
I thought the show was fantastic- sometimes I think we’re used to instant gratification in American shows/movies so I appreciated the slower plot. Loved the way it ended also!
All I can say.. the writer/critic should change her job/vocation.. as the review is nothing other than a well thought nonsense. The series is a brilliant take on a perfect blend of thriller and mild horror.
I LOVED this series! I loved the pace. The cinematography was outstanding. The background music was absolutely beautiful! The combining of thriller/mystery/crime drama absolutely worked to make a complex plot. The setting was unusually lush and a welcome change to bland, indoor studio shots. I didn’t quite understand if there actually was a hidden treasure in the area of the family’s land or not. A great watch no matter!