NEWS
Netflix adds Vietnamese horror original “Devil’s Diner” to global line-up; “Universal tales of human longing and the choices we make when faced with impossible dilemmas,” director Ham Tran says
27 January 2025
Horror series "Devil’s Diner" premiered on Netflix at the weekend, marking the TV series directorial debut of leading Vietnamese-American filmmaker, Ham Tran.
The 6x30 mins drama-horror series ("Tiem ăn của quỷ"), was conceived and financed as the streamer’s first Vietnamese original series, though it does not now carry that label. Nevertheless, it remains exclusive to Netflix and will be available across190+ territories.
Production is by horror specialist Zero Hour Films, Ho Chi Minh-based film production boutique Kontribute, and East Films, a U.S.-Vietnamese production company which includes Ham Tran and festival programmer Anderson Le among its founders.
The series probes human frailties such as ambition, desire and the classic moral conflict of self versus duty to family. The vector for such exploration is a modern-day Vietnamese diner, which not only serves excellent cuisine but also grants its patrons their deepest wishes – albeit at a price.
Fronted by a seemingly avuncular, middle-aged chef (portrayed by Lê Quốc Nam) who appears in all episodes, the six stories specifically explore Buddhism’s five mortal sins – greed, anger, delusion, pride and suspicion – as well as Karma or the consequence of committing these sins.
Other leading cast in the show include Sỹ Toàn, Nguyễn Lê Việt Hưng, Thanh Hiền, Đình Hiếu and Hoa Trần.
The producers pitch "Diner" as falling somewhere between "Hannibal", "Chef’s Table" and "The Twilight Zone". They also suggest that the focus on Karma in the sixth episode acts as a world-building springboard for future seasons.
Tran received his film education at UCLA in the U.S. and has had two of his six feature directing efforts ("Journey From the Fall" and "Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy") premiere at the Sundance festival. He is also known as a commercials director, editor and film doctor who has worked on many of Vietnam’s most commercially successful feature films.
“Devil’s Di...
Horror series "Devil’s Diner" premiered on Netflix at the weekend, marking the TV series directorial debut of leading Vietnamese-American filmmaker, Ham Tran.
The 6x30 mins drama-horror series ("Tiem ăn của quỷ"), was conceived and financed as the streamer’s first Vietnamese original series, though it does not now carry that label. Nevertheless, it remains exclusive to Netflix and will be available across190+ territories.
Production is by horror specialist Zero Hour Films, Ho Chi Minh-based film production boutique Kontribute, and East Films, a U.S.-Vietnamese production company which includes Ham Tran and festival programmer Anderson Le among its founders.
The series probes human frailties such as ambition, desire and the classic moral conflict of self versus duty to family. The vector for such exploration is a modern-day Vietnamese diner, which not only serves excellent cuisine but also grants its patrons their deepest wishes – albeit at a price.
Fronted by a seemingly avuncular, middle-aged chef (portrayed by Lê Quốc Nam) who appears in all episodes, the six stories specifically explore Buddhism’s five mortal sins – greed, anger, delusion, pride and suspicion – as well as Karma or the consequence of committing these sins.
Other leading cast in the show include Sỹ Toàn, Nguyễn Lê Việt Hưng, Thanh Hiền, Đình Hiếu and Hoa Trần.
The producers pitch "Diner" as falling somewhere between "Hannibal", "Chef’s Table" and "The Twilight Zone". They also suggest that the focus on Karma in the sixth episode acts as a world-building springboard for future seasons.
Tran received his film education at UCLA in the U.S. and has had two of his six feature directing efforts ("Journey From the Fall" and "Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy") premiere at the Sundance festival. He is also known as a commercials director, editor and film doctor who has worked on many of Vietnam’s most commercially successful feature films.
“Devil’s Diner is a deeply personal and ambitious project for me,” Ham Tran says. “Through this series, we’re not only telling uniquely Vietnamese stories but also universal tales of human longing and the choices we make when faced with impossible dilemmas.”
– By Patrick Frater
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