Chinese movie “Evil Unbound”, also named “731”, has ranked among the top five box-office earners of 2025 in China.
According to Beacon, as of 4:17 p.m. Sept 22, the Chinese movie Evil Unbound had grossed over 1.25 billion yuan, ranking among the top five box-office earners of 2025 in China.
Evil Unbound tells the story of Wang Yongzhang, a local vendor, and others imprisoned in Japan’s notorious Unit 731 during World War II. They unfortunately became victims of horrific medical experiments, including frostbite tests, gas exposure and vivisection.
Unit 731, a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base in Harbin, served as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII.
Director Zhao Linshan and his team spent six years gathering cross-border evidence. They even traveled to Japan to interview surviving soldiers, exposing the crimes against humanity committed by Unit 731. Zhao said that the film was not to reopen old wounds, but to let the light of peace illuminate the path of civilization.
“More than just a film”
The movie has been released in the United States and Canada, and will also go to Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
In New York City, audience said the film highlights a lesser-known history and encourages reflection on its broader significance.
“The movie Evil Unbound is a stark reminder of the past and a testament to the importance of remembering history. So much more than just a film,” a viewer named Ehsan Hami said.
Kimbal Cariou, president of the Vancouver Peace Council in Vancouver, Canada, said that he hadn’t heard about Unit 731 before seeing the movie. “The specific details are not very well known to people in Canada. So it was very useful to be able to see this film that shows exactly how things happened.” he said.
Some YouTube users expressed hope the movie could be released in their countries.
A South Korean user said the “human experiments conducted by Unit 731 on Asians, including Chinese and Koreans, are among the worst incidents in history. I’d love to see it when it’s released in South Korea.”
A Japanese user commented that many people in Japan “either don’t know about past war crimes or think they’re someone else’s problem.” He said he wants to watch the film and hopes that his country “properly confront the tragedies his nation caused.”
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by Ecns.cn and CGTN.
If you liked this article, why not read: Film 731 Premieres in Harbin, Goes Global
