According to the director, the film will open in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic and Slovakia on March 13, before screening in Australia and Japan from March 26.

The overseas release comes as the film’s domestic revenue has remained below initial expectations. Data from Box Office Vietnam shows the movie had earned around VND 38 billion VND as of noon on March 4, while the producer previously said it would need roughly VND100 billion to break even.

“Mùi phở” was one of four Vietnamese films released during the Tet holiday in 2026, alongside Thỏ Ơi (Bunnie), Nhà ba tôi một phòng (My Father's One Room), and Báu vật trời cho (A Gift From Heaven).

The film follows the extended family of Mr Mui, a devoted phở artisan who hopes to pass down his family’s secret recipe to his grandson. Through the story of preserving a traditional craft, the film explores relationships across generations within a family, where differences and conflicts are held together by family bonds.

Pho appears throughout the film, recalling memories and traditional values. Some reviews, however, say the storyline can be predictable and at times slow-moving, with several repeated situations and loud confrontational scenes that narrow the film’s audience mainly to viewers in northern Vietnam.

Vietnamese film “Ky Nam Inn” to premiere at Toronto Film Festival

VOV.VN - The Vietnamese film Quán Kỳ Nam (Ky Nam Inn), directed by Leon Le, will have its world premiere this September at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), featured in the prestigious Special Presentations section.