HANOI, May 1 — Vietnam’s versatile director Ham Tran tries his hand at horror with “Hollow” (“Đoạt Hồn”), in which a girl returns from the countryside to live with her family.

But the 8-year-old starts exhibiting strange behavior — unless you include internal bleeding and levitation among the usual expressions of childhood frustration.

What her family doesn’t know is that their daughter wasn’t just missing, she was dead. Found after she drowned in a river and somehow washed ashore further upstream, her body has been repurposed as accomodation for an evil, vengeful spirit.

Cue disturbing occurrences, rising family tensions, a meddling witch, and a full-on police raid as the Wang family’s visitor begins manifesting an unwelcome agenda.

‘Hollow’ signifies a new genre for director Ham Tran. — AFP pic

For director Ham Tran, the upcoming July 18 release signifies yet another genre tackled.

Previous projects include post-war immigrant story “Journey from the Fall,” moving family history short “The Anniversary” and romantic comedy “How to Fight in Six Inch Heels,” in addition to post-production work on martial arts film “The Rebel.” — AFP-Relaxnews