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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Released Jan 19, 2024

2h 58m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

69%

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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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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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The panoramic intelligence of this film is a wonder.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 5, 2024

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

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

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Jade B

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is not for everyone, nor was it ever meant to be. What it DOESN'T offer: a clear-cut storyline, a clean ending, dramatic twists, high stakes, or emotional payoffs. What it DOES offer: breathtaking cinematography that invites viewers to linger, to listen between silences, to 'see what’s unsaid'. It’s quiet literary cinema. Largo sostenuto made visual. The cultural elements aren’t just decorative. They feel like an earnest attempt to preserve something impermanent. That said, I don’t consider it a flawless work. For a film in the quiet literary tradition, much of it feels overly staged, "theatrical" in a way that undermines its supposed restraint. The performances are also stiff, lacking organic rhythm. And while I appreciate slow cinema, the nearly 3-hour runtime stretches the material thin. I can understand why some may find it self-indulgent or even boring.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

Full Review

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

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Pham Thien An

Director

Le Phong Vu

Thien

Nguyen Thi Truc Quynh

Sister Thao

Nguyen Thinh

Dao

Vu Ngoc Manh

Trung

Pham Thien An

Screenwriter

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell: Trailer 1

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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: Deuxieme Ligne Films, Potocol, JK Film, Fasten 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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