The Third Wife 2019

14-year-old May is thrust into a daunting new life as the third wife to a middle-aged landowner in a rural village famous for its silk production. As she navigates her new role, she quickly realizes that after giving birth to her son, the influence of the first wife, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, looms large over her, especially since the second wife has only welcomed daughters into the family. To secure her position and gain the independence she desperately craves, May understands that the key lies in bringing forth a male heir.

Despite the initial warmth from her co-wives, when May confides in them about her painful experiences with intimacy, they encourage her to explore her sexuality and desires. May soon conceives again. While this development creates an emotional bond with her husband, she remains emotionally disconnected, rebuffing his advances. The complexities of their family dynamics deepen when she discovers that Xuan, the second wife, is involved with her husband’s son from his first marriage, the enigmatic Mai Thu Huong Maya.

Her husband’s shifting affections lead him back to his first wife, Mistress Ha, who in turn becomes pregnant as well. Torn between hope and trepidation, May fervently prays for a son, believing it will validate her worth within the household. However, when Mistress Ha suffers a miscarriage, May’s guilt grows, convinced that her own selfish prayers may have caused the loss. In a moment of vulnerability, she shares a kiss with Xuan, only to be met with rejection, as Xuan dismisses it as a fleeting emotion brought on by pregnancy.

Eventually, the pressures of love and family manifest when Mistress Ha’s son reaches marrying age. Despite being in love with Xuan, he resists the marriage arranged by his parents, even threatening to take his own life. Yet, under duress, he is wed to a girl who happens to be of a similar age to May. Following an unfathomable act of disdain, he distances himself from his new bride, ultimately resulting in her tragic suicide when their marriage is contested.

Desperation gnaws at May as she contemplates a harrowing solution to her plight — the idea of poisoning her daughter with a toxic plant she had observed being used on the family’s livestock. The narrative crescendos to a haunting close, revealing one of Xuan’s daughters, who had once dreamt of being a man with multiple wives, as she defiantly cuts her hair short with a pair of scissors.