A new film titled “Reverse Life,” directed and starring Golden Horse Award winner Xu Zheng, is set to premiere on August 9th. However, a public account claiming to be affiliated with “Shenbo International Cinema” released a statement on August 5th, declaring their refusal to screen “Reverse Life” in order to fulfill a commitment made four years ago in a joint statement regarding the online premiere of the film “Lost in Russia.”
In their statement, “Shenbo International Cinema” emphasized that they will not be showing “Reverse Life,” while assuring that the screening schedules of other films will not be affected. They cited reasons for boycotting “Reverse Life” which stemmed from the 2020 joint statement regarding the online premiere of “Lost in Russia,” showcasing their dedication to honoring their promises.
The statement also emphasized, “We do not encourage support for our actions, nor do we accept opposition to our measures. Although we are small and not perfect, this decision stems from a genuine love for film, encouraging filmmakers to uphold their responsibilities and respect fairness and equity.”
The mentioned “Lost in Russia” is the third installment of Xu Zheng’s self-directed and self-acted “Lost Series” films, marking his debut in the Chinese New Year box office with the franchise. The first two installments, “Lost in Thailand” in 2012 and “Lost in Hong Kong” in 2015, garnered impressive box office earnings of 1.26 billion and 1.6 billion RMB respectively.
“Lost in Russia” was originally scheduled for theatrical release during the 2020 Chinese New Year season. However, due to the well-known impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, cinemas were unable to operate normally at the beginning of the year, leading to the collapse of the Chinese New Year box office. Subsequently, on the eve of Chinese New Year, the production team of “Lost in Russia” unexpectedly announced its online premiere on the first day of the new year, allowing viewers to watch the full movie for free on various online platforms, making it the first Chinese New Year box office film to premiere online in mainland China.
Moreover, Xu Zheng’s production company “Huanxi Media” announced the termination of the original agreement for the theatrical release of “Lost in Russia” and signed a copyright licensing agreement with ByteDance for no less than 630 million RMB.
However, the decision to shift to online streaming after substantial marketing efforts had already been made for the theatrical release was viewed by cinemas as a betrayal, leading to the aforementioned joint statement regarding the online premiere of “Lost in Russia” with the participation of multiple cinemas and theater chains.
Despite subsequent successful theatrical releases of Xu Zheng’s films and a trend of film adaptations and online premieres in recent years, such as the film “Hot Pot Incident,” which was pulled from theaters and directly released online during the Labor Day holiday this year, the unexpected boycott of “Reverse Life” before its official premiere is noteworthy.
“Reverse Life” tells the story of mid-level executive Gao Zhi Lei (played by Xu Zheng), who becomes unemployed in middle age but regains courage and confidence with the support of his wife Xiao Ni (played by Xin Zhilei) and family, transitioning to work as a delivery driver. Starting anew, Gao Zhi Lei navigates urban streets, encountering like-minded “knights” who redefine life’s direction and experience the warmth and reality of human relationships.
Following the release of the trailer and promotional materials, there has been diverse online commentary differing from previous perspectives. Reviews from “Red Net” criticized “Reverse Life” as resembling more of a “product” rather than a blend of art and reality, expressing concerns about the film’s focus on a single profession like food delivery and its portrayal of downward gazing tendencies typical of white-collar experiences, questioning the real-world significance and societal reflections it presents.
Citing Xu Zheng, the Chinese media “Daily Economic News” quoted him as saying, “We want to capture the documentary feel,” highlighting the film’s realistic approach; nevertheless, it may have been shaped into a commercial realist film driven by capital operations and commercial interests. The premise of actors experiencing the life of a delivery driver and receiving salaries exponentially higher than them as a result in “Reverse Life” has led to critical reception of the film.
Notably, prior to its preview screening on August 2nd, online discussions emerged criticizing the film with remarks such as “Exploiting the underprivileged for views,” “Wealthy individuals acting out the lives of the poor,” and “Who has the time or inclination to watch when delivery workers are out on the streets every day.”