Directed by Ly Hai, the movie, called Lat Mat 4 in Vietnamese, will premier in U.S. cities of San Francisco, Houston, Garden Grove, Orange, Seattle and Dallas on various dates this month. In May, it will begin screening in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney.

Face off: The Walking Guests is the fourth sequel of a movie series that tells the story of Vy and Huan, a couple visiting Vy’s home village with their friends. Vy learns that her brother suffers from a panic disorder and that her mother has sought a sorcerer’s help to cure her. Vy and her friends are then caught up in some bizarre, terrifying phenomena.

Director Hai said that he has long nurtured a desire to introduce his work to foreign markets, which would also promote Vietnamese culture among international audiences. Apart from several comic horror scenes, the movie highlights stunning scenery in Vietnam, a festival featuring flower garlands and coloured lanterns, as also an ethnic minority market in a mountainous area.

Hai said he is hoping to replicate South Korean success in foreign markets. Several South Korean movies have proved popular in the U.S.

"Since 2010, South Korean movies' revenues have gone up by up to 40 times. I believe that to reap such benefits, it is essential to have trailblazers. I hope that international audiences will have a positive impression of Vietnamese movies," he said.