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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Play trailer 1:55 Poster for Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell Released Jan 19, 2024 2h 58m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 54 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Winner of the prestigious Camera d’Or for best first film at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the enthralling Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell from Vietnamese filmmaker Thien An Pham is a reverie on faith, loss, and nature expressed with uncommon invention and depth. It's a simple tale told with visual complexity: after a car accident claims the life of his sister-in-law and leaves his 5-year-old nephew an orphan, a thirtysomething man named Thien (Le Phong Vu) leaves Saigon for a trip back to his rural hometown. During his meditative, wandering visit, Thien wrestles with his own agnosticism in the face of others' religious beliefs, summons memories of his long-disappeared brother, and reconnects with a former girlfriend who now lives as a nun at a Christian church and school. With its drifting camera, evocative use of natural light, and gratifying perambulatory nature, this is a film with the power to readjust one's perceptions of the world around us.
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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

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Critics Consensus

Following its own alluringly inscrutable path between past, present, reality, and dreams, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell rewards patient viewers with an absorbing spiritual odyssey.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian The panoramic intelligence of this film is a wonder. Rated: 5/5 Mar 5, 2024 Full Review Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) It's a slow roll, very much about the images, language, thoughts and ideas. Feb 1, 2024 Full Review Sergio Burstein Los Angeles Times The entire film is marked by the brilliant cinematographic language used by its director and screenwriter Phạm Thiên Ân, who, in his first long-term work, displays an impressive and calm handling of images. [Full review in Spanish] Jan 30, 2024 Full Review Mattie Lucas trans|cendental cinema A work of quiet introspection that somehow feels as vast as the universe. Jan 7, 2025 Full Review William Stottor Loud and Clear Reviews The Caméra d’Or-winning Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell struggles to fully deliver on its initial promise of haunting, exploratory slow cinema. Rated: 3/5 Sep 3, 2024 Full Review Lisa Laman Culturess Wanderers are everywhere. Less common are movies as precisely and beautifully crafted as Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell. Aug 22, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kylo R it’s hauntingly beautiful and somewhat sad. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea though! It’s the only way I can describe it. This movie is not about the plot. It’s about beautiful images. I couldn’t keep my eyes away from the scenes… Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/03/25 Full Review Roberto T I am torn on how to rate this, because it is to me a 5 star movie that definitely NOT everyone should see. There is a relinquishment of responsibility here that is normal, following a heroic adoption of responsibility. The contents of the movie just reflect reality, but it is done with visuals and a stunning sense of time and sound that are purely meditative. In this way it is spectacular. Just purely based on the way it is shot, this is definitely one of the top movies you can watch. If you are ready for the contemplation, it is also a rewarding movie overall. I think it is challenging for anyone else. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/26/25 Full Review Tom G Probably the best film I've watched in a few years. Carefully choreographed and beautifully filmed throughout. Mesmerising at times. Thought provoking and educational in equal measure. Proper film making. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review William S Couldn't put Vietnam war out of mind. The crazy stupid Domino theory destroyed many American soldiers, a beautiful country and unbelievable culture. Cannot believe this movie wasn't a total condemnation of foreign policies leading to war or other acts causing suffering. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Matthew R I know I'm supposed to like this and be all draw into the beauty and magnificence of the story....but I can't. Its incredibly slow and incredible long, almost 3 hours. I am sure the symbolism means something to those with a greater intellect than me but it just didn't work for me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review sami p A miserable snooze-fest in the case if you're looking for an actually interesting story on any merit... This is the first time in my life I've actually been worried of falling asleep during watching a movie. There's so many scenes you could find online for "sounds to fall asleep to ASMR" The damn thing has two scenes of elderly people rambling on about literally NOTHING relevant to the movie, just some random nonsense... Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

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Movie Info

Synopsis Winner of the prestigious Camera d’Or for best first film at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the enthralling Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell from Vietnamese filmmaker Thien An Pham is a reverie on faith, loss, and nature expressed with uncommon invention and depth. It's a simple tale told with visual complexity: after a car accident claims the life of his sister-in-law and leaves his 5-year-old nephew an orphan, a thirtysomething man named Thien (Le Phong Vu) leaves Saigon for a trip back to his rural hometown. During his meditative, wandering visit, Thien wrestles with his own agnosticism in the face of others' religious beliefs, summons memories of his long-disappeared brother, and reconnects with a former girlfriend who now lives as a nun at a Christian church and school. With its drifting camera, evocative use of natural light, and gratifying perambulatory nature, this is a film with the power to readjust one's perceptions of the world around us.
Director
Pham Thien An
Producer
Jeremy Chua, Tran Van Thi
Screenwriter
Pham Thien An
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
JK Film, Fasten Films, Potocol, Deuxieme Ligne Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Vietnamese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 19, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 19, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$75.1K
Runtime
2h 58m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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