Resurrection

Resurrection (狂野时代 is a 2025 Chinese science fiction drama written and directed by Bi Gan. The film is divided into six chapters, each representing one of the five senses and the mind, exploring a future in which most of humanity has lost the ability to dream. It follows Miss Shu (Shu Qi), who discovers that one inhuman creature (Jackson Yee) can still dream. She enters the creature’s visions, using her ability to perceive illusions to distinguish the truth within its surreal depictions of Chinese history.

The production of Resurrection spanned several years. The film was first announced in 2021 by Huace Pictures, which had previously backed Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018). Principal photography was completed in three phases between April 2024 and April 2025, with locations including Chongqing, China, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The film features a 30-minute long take, filmed at night over more than half a month, executed using DJI Ronin 4D technology. Bi Gan cited German expressionist cinema as an influence, particularly The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922), with early chapters employing visual language reminiscent of early 20th-century cinema.

The cast includes Shu Qi as Miss Shu, Jackson Yee as Monster/Qiu/Damned Dog/Man/Apollo, Mark Chao as Commander, Li Gengxi as Tai Zhaomei, Huang Jue as Mr. Luo, Chen Yongzhong as Spirit of Bitterness, Zhang Zhijian as Old Master, and Chloe Maayan as the Smoke Attendant, among others. The complex narrative and visually ambitious style showcase Bi Gan’s signature cinematic approach, blending dreamlike imagery with experimental storytelling techniques.

Resurrection premiered in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2025, where it won the Prix Spécial. It also competed at the 30th Busan International Film Festival and the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival, with Janus Films acquiring North American distribution rights for a 2025 release. The film is theatrically scheduled in China on November 22, 2025, and in France on December 10, 2025, by Les Films du Losange.

Critics praised the film’s visuals and direction, with a 90% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82/100 score on Metacritic. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian highlighted the film’s enigmatic, artistically rich qualities, while The New York Times praised Bi Gan’s inventive visual and narrative techniques. Some criticism was directed at the opaque narrative structure, with a few reviewers finding the dreamlike vignettes lacking conventional plot resolution.