Hai Phuong, is an ex-gangster who is estranged from her family after her father disowns her for having an affair with a gangster and getting involved with criminal activity. After giving birth to her daughter Mai after she had a gangster arrested, Hai Phuong decides to lie low in the countryside and retire. She works as a debt collector, and barely supports her daughter or herself. Mai has been bullied due to Hai Phuong's reputation as a debt collector and for not having a father, and she wants to stop going to school so that she can support her mom so she won't be hated by the community anymore. One day, while in the market Hai Phuong sees Mai being accused of stealing a wallet. The other witness pressures Hai Phuong to take their side, which hurts Mai’s feelings and infuriates her when Hai Phuong does not believe her, resulting in Mai scolding her mother for trusting strangers more than her own family and running away. It is revealed that someone framed Mai, and Hai Phuong tries to find Mai to apologize, but Mai is captured by thugs. Hai Phuong tries to catch up to the thugs, but she has to fight through many henchmen. After a lengthy chase, Hai Phuong barely loses them, but not before learning that the thugs are taking Mai to Ho Chi Minh City. Hai Phuong hitches a ride in a truck, and she later arrives in Ho Chi Minh City. Hai Phuong tries to get help from her fellow gangster member, but she is rebuffed. Hai Phuong goes to the police, and steals reports of criminals related to missing children. Hai Phuong confronts a criminal name Truc, which results in a brutal fight where at first Truc gains the upper hand, but Hai Phuong manages to turn the tables and nearly kills him, but spares him because of Truc's mother. The police enlist Detective Luong to solve the case. Truc then tells Hai Phuong where the thugs are, and Hai Phuong finds their base of operations, which reveal that the thugs are using children as illegal child organ donors. She then defeats many henchmen, before facing the boss of the operation, Thanh Soi. Thanh Soi soundly defeats her, and knocks her out and tells her henchmen to throw Hai Phuong in the river, but not before Hai Phuong hears the train that Thanh Soi would be taking. Hai Phuong is rescued in the river by Detective Luong, but escapes with the help of a sympathetic nurse. Hai Phuong then goes to her brother for help, but he refuses to help her, due to him not getting over the fact that Hai Phuong betrayed their family to become a criminal and never came back to reconcile with them when she left the gangster life, and never attended her parents funeral, and tells his sister she is a terrible mother and Mai deserves better. Detective Luong finds Hai Phuong, and convinces her to team up with him. Hai Phuong and Detective Luong finally finds the train, and both of them fight off the henchmen. While on the train, Thanh Soi tells her henchmen to change the train tracks on her signal, as well as split the train. Hai Phuong confronts Thanh Soi, and finally kills her, but not before the train tracks switch, splitting the train apart. Hai Phuong reunites with her daughter, and reconciles with her. Hai Phuong then quickly defeats the remaining thugs, but is shot in the chest by a random thug. The thug plans to kill her, but Detective Luong kills the thug. In the end, Hai Phuong is hospitalized and makes amends with her brother. Mai is treated well by her peers, and Hai Phuong promises Mai she will teach her how to fight.
Cast
Veronica Ngo as Hai Phượng, an ex-gangster now living with her daughter in the countryside. She is skilled in Vovinam.
Cát Vy as Mai, her daughter
Phan Thanh Nhiên as Detective Lương, a detective also skilled in Vovinam.
Phạm Anh Khoa as Truc
Trần Thanh Hoa as Thanh Sói
Release
Action movie Hai Phượng has reached VND135 billion in the box office two weeks after its release. It is the latest movie produced and starring Ngo Thanh Van. She was awarded a certificate by Mayor Tri Ta of Westminster City in California for her efforts to promote the Vietnamese movie to the world. Well Go USA Entertainment officially bought the U.S. distribution rights for the film, which was released on 1 March 2019. The film is also available on Netflix from May 21, 2019.
Reception
The movie was released to positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 95% based on 21 reviews with an Average rating of 6.43/10. Nafees Ahmed of High On Films in his review writes, "it is a hyper-stylized martial art action film that packs clean and high octane action scenes." The movie broke the record for highest-grossing Vietnamese film in history.
