Gezhi Town

2025 2h 2m ZH

👍

6.9

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 56★7IMDB · 3,625

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A group of Chinese refugees and straggler soldiers, led by a machinist, defend their mountain town, "Gezhi," against a surprise attack by Japanese reconnaissance troops in a desperate fight using civilian ingenuity against a trained military force.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Xiao Zhan
Mo Dexian
Peng Yuchang
Zhou Yiran
Yin Zheng
Yang Xinming
Alan Aruna
Gan Yunchen
Zhou Siyu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kong Sheng
Writers: Lan Xiaolong
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released last year.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kong Sheng, shot by Zeng Jian. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Guo Sida. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Derek Hui Wang-Yu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Xiao Zhan and Peng Yuchang and Zhou Yiran carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt33014233 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kong Sheng directs. Zeng Jian behind the camera. Guo Sida scores. Derek Hui Wang-Yu cuts. Produced in China. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released last year.
2Directed by Kong Sheng, shot by Zeng Jian. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Guo Sida. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Derek Hui Wang-Yu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Xiao Zhan and Peng Yuchang and Zhou Yiran carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt33014233 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Zeng Jian
Original score: Guo Sida
Editing: Derek Hui Wang-Yu
Runtime: 122 min · 2h 2m
Status: Released
Box office: $49,627,843
Original language: ZH
IMDB: Gezhi Town (2025)
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 3,625 votes

Awards

4 wins & 10 nominations total

Also by

Kong Sheng

Community reviews

What people are saying

RoeRoberts2025-12-26
★ 10/10
Well acted and constructed script, I have never seen an account of this historical event in a movie before. The actors ALL did a great job. I especially loved the great-granddad and his great grandson,'the fixer'(Xiao Zhan). My only criticism was, it seemed to short, I wanted to learn more about the main 3 adult characters.
kiwiBlue2026-06-03
I was incredibly lucky to have watched Ge Zhi town in cinemas and let me tell you , this is a movie that leaves a very strong impression on the viewers. As a foreign viewer with only a vague understanding of Chinese history, Ge Zhi Town still reached me in a deeply personal way. I may not have grasped every historical detail, but I felt every emotion. The film speaks in a language that doesn’t need translation—loss, hope, moral struggle, and the quiet resilience of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. Xiao Zhan’s performance is especially moving. He brings a gentle humanity to his character, making his pain, doubts, and quiet courage feel intimate and real. Through his eyes, the story becomes less about history and more about the universal experience of being human when the world is falling apart. Ge Zhi Town reminded me that even when cultures and histories differ, emotions do not. It’s a film that lingers not because of what you know, but because of what you feel.
neoai2026-06-04
★ 10/10
Wow! the way they did dark humor and transitioning between scenes from humor to serious. So great to watch. I wanna watch it again on big screen at my place.