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The Hit New Film Pushing Chinese Sci-Fi Into Unexplored Territory

In Kong Dashan’s hit new movie “Journey to the West,” the aliens aren’t hiding in the corn fields of the U.S. Midwest. They’re lurking in the villages of northern China. 

The film has become a sensation on the festival circuit in recent months by offering audiences something rarely seen before: a science fiction tale with a distinctly local flavor. 

Tang Zhijun, a middle-aged magazine editor from Beijing, travels to a remote village to investigate the mass sighting of an unidentified flying object. There, he meets a local poet who says the answer to the mystery lies at a distant mountain.  

As the tension mounts, the pair embark on a road trip that turns into a journey of self-discovery. It’s a quirky, often comic narrative that echoes the original “Journey to the West,” the classic Chinese novel about the monk Tang Sanzang’s quest to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures from India.

Last October, the film scooped an unprecedented four awards — including best film — at the Pingyao International Film Festival, China’s leading platform for independent cinema. It has since played overseas at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Osaka Asian Film Festival to more acclaim. 

With a Chinese theatrical release pending, film industry insiders say the buzz building around the feature is palpable. Kong, the film’s 32-year-old director, says the movie’s low-budget, down-to-earth style has proved to be an asset.

“We have given people science fiction within a story that might feel familiar to aspects of their own lives,” says Kong. “That is something new.” 

Leading figures in China’s science fiction scene have hailed “Journey to the West” as a step forward for the industry — and a sign it’s finally ready to step out of the shadow of star author Liu Cixin.

Chinese sci-fi has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, propelled by the breakout success of Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem.” The novel, which transcends time and space as it charts humanity’s war against an alien civilization, became a global sensation after winning the prestigious Hugo Award in 2015.

The Chinese government, once wary of sci-fi movies, began to actively embrace the genre as a soft power tool over the following years. This has opened the door for a string of big-budget science fiction productions, many of them drawing inspiration from Liu’s work.

In 2019, “The Wandering Earth” — an adaptation of a Liu novella about a group of astronauts trying to save the planet from destruction — became a box office smash, generating 4.4 billion yuan (then $638 million) in ticket sales and winning a slew of local awards.

Other Chinese sci-fi films to attract big audiences that year included the wacky comedy “Crazy Alien” — also based on a story by Liu — and the special effects-heavy alien invasion movie “Shanghai Fortress.” 

Though the pandemic has caused major disruptions to film production in China, a big-budget sequel to “The Wandering Earth” is set for release in 2023. Streaming giants Tencent and Netflix, meanwhile, are currently putting the finishing touches on a TV adaptation of “The Three-Body Problem.” 

Liu continues to loom large over China’s sci-fi scene. His style of fiction — speculative, epic in scale, and informed by hard science — has influenced an entire generation of Chinese writers. 

“Currently, I see a lot of physics, astronomy, and space — natural science stuff,” says Chen Qiufan, a leading sci-fi author and honorary president of the Chinese Science Fiction Writers’ Association. “It’s pretty much like America back in the ’50s. Like (Isaac) Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, those ‘golden-age’ authors.” 

But there are signs this is starting to change. Some creators are starting to experiment with a folksier style of sci-fi — one that draws more heavily on China’s cultural heritage and current affairs. For Chen, it’s part of a movement to explore “what are the Chinese characteristics of sci-fi.” 

“Maybe in the future, there’ll be something different,” he says. “I might also do some exploration myself to connect with some ancient Chinese philosophy and mythology … so the work is using a different kind of language.” 

Filmmaker Kong appears to be ahead of the game. “Journey to the West” turns on the travails of its relatable main character and his search for answers: not only about what might lie in the great beyond, but also about how his own life has panned out. 

It’s a work that comes steeped in the traditional themes found in science fiction, such as the search for redemption and humanity’s fascination with the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. Kong says his inspiration came from the hours he spent poring over sci-fi magazines as a child growing up in 1990s Shandong, a province in eastern China. 

“My generation all grew up reading science fiction magazines, books about unknown mysteries,” says Kong. “If we think carefully about what aliens represent, it’s actually another kind of system, totally different from human beings’ existence.” 

As opposed to Liu Cixin, whose work is often compared to the “golden age” sci-fi authors of the 1940s and ’50s, Kong’s work shows faint echoes of more recent classics. The central character — played by veteran actor Yang Haoyu — is fixated with outer space while his real life on terra firma falls apart, much like the protagonist in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 masterpiece “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” As in that film, too, there’s a journey of discovery that’s as personal as it is otherworldly.  

But there are also sly nods to arguably the greatest road trip of all — the one taken by Tang Sanzang and his three disciples in the original “Journey to the West.” In Kong's feature, however, the characters’ quest for fulfillment is rooted in a firmly contemporary setting. 

“In both that book and my film, you have characters looking for the ultimate answers in life,” says Kong. “I think this comes from the influence of ‘Journey to the West’ subconsciously. It’s a road trip, but inside it’s also his own mental journey. I think it’s necessary to have this kind of journey in science fiction.” 

The hope is that more Chinese filmmakers find opportunities to experiment with science fiction over the next few years. Chen, the author, says the outlook for Chinese sci-fi has never looked better, especially given the government’s embrace of the genre. 

“There have been themes of science fiction in China for about 100 years, but they’ve not been continuously developed because of wars or due to political reasons,” says Chen. “But (now) seems to be a golden age because it’s top-down. We have got a lot of support from the government and, also, the market is ready.” 

Chinese authorities are pouring resources into science -fiction-related projects. Next year, the southwestern city of Chengdu will host the influential World Science Fiction Convention. Officials have greenlit a massive $8 billion Paramount Park theme park in Kunming, another city in southwest China, which will include a zone themed around the “Star Trek” franchise.

In 2019, the government also helped launch the Chinese Science Fiction Academy at Chengdu’s Sichuan University, a facility whose stated mission is to develop “a sci-fi theoretical system with Chinese characteristics.” Last year, researchers estimated that China’s sci-fi industry was worth a massive 36.3 billion yuan in the first half of 2021.

The scene is also benefitting from the growing demand for sci-fi movies among young Chinese, Chen says. Unlike previous generations, who often didn’t have easy access to science fiction, Chinese millennials like Kong grew up immersed in sci-fi culture. 

“So many in the younger generation are so passionate about sci-fi as a genre, no matter if it’s literature, movies, or video games,” says Chen. “I think that’s been a fundamental change, because in the ’80s, or even in the ’50s and ’60s, maybe people weren’t ready yet for science fiction.” 

Editor: Dominic Morgan.

(Header image: A still from the film “Journey to the West.” From Douban)

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"ONE OF HONG KONG’S MOST POPULAR ACTOR-DIRECTORS EVER… STEPHEN CHOW IS BACK IN BOX-OFFICE STORMING FORM" - The Hollywood Reporter

"A BONAFIDE MASTERPIECE" - The Wrap

"SPECTACULAR" - Variety

"Some of the most outrageous visual effects yet seen in the cinema." - SHOCKYA.COM

"Stephen (Chow) is able to make us feel like giddy children again." - WEGOTTHISCOVERED.COM

"(Stephen) Chow at his weirdest and most entertaining." - AVCLUB.COM

"Hilarious and oddly reverent." - FILMJOURNAL.COM

"Alluring" - NY Post

"Delightful blend of fantasy, action, comedy and romance." - NY Post

"Dazzling" - LA Times

"Jaw-dropping visual inventiveness" - LA Times

"The film finds the sweet spot between spoofy and sincere, rollicking and dark." - LA Times

"Might Be Stephen Chow’s Craziest Movie Yet." - Vulture

"It’s a pageant of eye-popping strangeness." - Vulture

"Rarely is it that a CGI-heavy spectacle such as this could be called both entertaining and inspiring in the same breath, but such is the unexpectedly special magic of Journey to the West." - Slant

"A must watch for any fans of Chinese kung fu films and Stephen Chow." - NERD REACTOR

ABOUT THE FILM

In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong. Adhering to his firm belief in giving of one’s self for the greater cause, he embraces the demons as his disciples. However, in order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them must embark on a journey to the West that’s full of challenges.

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Journey to the west.

Directed by Kong Dashan

Tang Zhijun, an editor of a science fiction magazine, attempts to find signs of an alien civilisation. When a strange young man claims to have received instructions from aliens, Tang and his team follow him in search of extraterrestrial creatures.

Yang Haoyu Ai Liya Wang Yitong Frant Gwo Jiang Qiming Sheng Chen Chen Gong Geer

Director Director

Kong Dashan

Producers Producers

Gong Geer Li Jie Rao Xiaozhi Zheng Zhihao Xiangjin Yin

Writers Writers

Wang Yitong Kong Dashan

Casting Casting

Zhao Yilong

Editor Editor

Cinematography cinematography.

Matthias Delvaux

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Frant Gwo Wang Hongwei

Composer Composer

China Film Group Corporation Wanda Pictures Huayi Brothers Pictures Alibaba Pictures Group G!FILM Rao Xiaozhi Film Studio

Alternative Titles

Universe Exploration Editorial Department, Space Exploration Editorial Department, Journey.to.the.West, UFO를 찾아서, 宇宙探索編輯部

Science Fiction Comedy Adventure Drama

Releases by Date

17 oct 2021, 01 apr 2023, releases by country.

• Premiere Pingyao International Film Festival

117 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by universzero ★★★★★ 1

🙃 Comedy — 💎 Gem #123 ( 2021 ) 🏅 Top 100

"So it's like what I said before, on the surface, it looks like the television is broken. But actually, there's nothing wrong with the television. There is something wrong with the universe."

If I had to pick one film this year that came out of nowhere, surprised me completely, and is as close to perfect as matters, I’d pick Journey to the West, a witty and poignant comedy about a man who has devoted his life to finding extraterrestrial life.

I have watched this film at least three times this year, and it would be vying for top place in my 2023 ranked list, except it was nominally released in 2021…

Review by garza ★★★★ 3

“When the poem is long enough, one day we will understand the meaning.”

To go all the way to the outer reaches of the universe in search for an absolute truth to act as a balm for our broken soul, just to realize it has always lied within our own mechanism of self-deceit to steer clear of the intolerable pain.

Review by Justin LaLiberty ★★★★

I know UFOs are real, not because of congressional hearings, but because I watched this -- a delight

Review by AlittleBored ★★½

总体来说还可以。但是这种晃动镜头的风格拍90分钟以内差不多了，2小时太长了，没必要忍受漫长的不舒适的观影体验。 概括来说是民哲拍民科，套堂吉诃德和西游记的壳，裹上西南风土民情方言，佐以娄烨式摇晃镜头的假科幻。前半部分荒诞里蕴含现实在国产片里算不错，后半部分掉入男性自恋和人类中心主义，实际上是科学/哲学/艺术水平不够以至于无着落点。 很不喜欢父女故事线，以及有股自恋民科loser男气息，扣半星。郭帆出现，再扣半星。 我现实中知道的这种民科男既没有探索真知的灵气，也没有关心家人的体贴，只是自恋又不讲道理，拖累家人而已。 结尾看到镜头从探索宇宙到DNA双螺旋，到此想说，男编剧不要把自己看得太重要了。 It's ok but too long for this shaky camera style, should be under 90 minutes. And I don't like that this kind of self-opinionated male crank is portrayed as someone with true insight and someone who cares about their family, since in reality they are far from that. Also the ending seems anthropocentric perspective. These male creators should realize that they don't matter to the universe and stop making these narcissistic fictions where they explore the truth while they are not understood by ordinary people. Minus half star for Guo Fan showing up.

Review by Jack Russo ★★★½

Be it a UFO in the sky or the lamplight across the street, the truth often appears to be a star shining in the distance and yet to search those great lengths is to also look back and realise not how far you've travelled but rather how close you have always been; mockumentary as the telescope; humanity as the vessel; so often as routine as it is transcendent, like mere grains of sand existing before an impossibly vast ocean.

Review by holly hindsight ★★★★★ 3

WOOOOOOOOOOOOW HOLY FUCKING SHIT i loved this so much. super weird and philosophical and practically perfect for me. somehow all chinese films ive watched are so so great

ik this is not for everyone but it hits all the right spots for me. the premise. the pace. the characterisation. the acting. the batshit crazy plot. the classical score. the hand held shots and jump cuts (i usually despise them). the poetry. the gradual transition from being a mockumentary to a philosophical sci-fi. the cold open. the ending. THE ENDING

(also took me way too long to figure out the pieces used. i could identify shostakovich’s waltz no2 and bach’s prelude (arranged for cello and harp or something), but i still cant name the other symphonic piece used, im so frustrated)

31 aug, 1900, elements

hkiff 46 ranked

Review by Timmy Williams ★★★★½ 4

A “mockumentary” about the editor of a UFO magazine exploring a big lead after thirty years. He sets out with a fangirl, a drunk guy, and his very mean but loyal and loving assistant. They meet other characters on their epic journey to find proof of alien visitors.

This apparently adapts the famous Chinese legend of the same name. I have seen one of Stephen Chow’s movies about it, but I don’t remember much. I can tell you that there are a few times in this movie where the camera whizzes past people dressed up like the Monkey King.

But as its own thing, JOURNEY TO THE WEST ‘21 is loaded with very dry funny moments, some great quiet melancholic…

Review by Chichobutt89 ★★★★★

Close Encounter Of The Chinese Kind

Cook Book Film Review 1/4 cup Journey To The West Dash of Little Miss Sunshine Dash of The Sacred Spirit Dash of The Fourth Kind Dash of The Big Bang Theory Dash of The Office

Grab all that thick cut slab of that juicy mockumentary spiced with a little of those Spielbergian seasonings. Throw it down on that hot grill let that flame lick up that juiciness dab on that slab with some thick creamy magical realism rub in some mumblecore and New Age UFO spices. Once that slab of juicy goodness is ready off the grill sprinkle a little of tragicomedy and you have a slab of thick flavorful dish that brings the…

Review by eli ★★★★★ 2

this was pretty incredible. so unexpected. so human, so funny, so inventive, so so so good. a weird, beautiful take on life and connection. extremely fun and heartwarming. and the music! the poetry! this is an INSANE directorial AND writing debut feature from dashan kong (who is just barely 30!) who deserves his work to be seen the world over.

narcoleptic spinning cooking pot boy is the best character in cinema of the 20th century

recommended for fans of: one cut of the dead , the taste of tea , arrival , everything everywhere all at once , road movies

Review by detectivezinc ★★★★½

Direct translation of the title: Space Exploration Editorial Department What is the purpose of the universe? This movie defines my existence. 诗歌只是人类情感沟通的工具，但是，数学是整个宇宙都通用的语言。Poetry is just a tool for human emotional communication, but mathematics is the common language of the entire universe.

Review by Leesir ★★★★★

上班的人看不得这些啊，边看边哭。影片的核心就是多组矛盾的对立与统一，确定/不确定，数学/语文，科学/迷信，现实/理想，个人/宇宙，最后用“每个人的存在都是谜题，又同时是谜题的答案”来实现意义的统一。公路片的部分戏仿了《西游记》，你说西游记中的磨难是不是徒劳的，可以说是也不是，但是行走的这个过程本身就是意义。片中的主人公其实也想用宏大的超越自身的话题，来掩盖生活本身的伤痛与困顿，但是接受它需要花一辈子的时间，这也正是生活的意义。诗意与哲学发散的部分略显做作，不过我喜欢装得到位却不沾沾自喜的自我剖析。

Review by Wynand Olivier ★★★★ 1

Loved this from start to finish although I probably loved the start just a little bit more because I live in Beijing and it felt so authentic and familiar seeing the main character Tang in his dingy apartment, his messy office (complete with Hello Kitty air-purifier) and scooting around the city while the CCTV-building looms ever-threateningly in the background. The opening space suit scene is peak comedy, expertly set up and executed through smart editing and sharp acting. But it also has the perfect portion of pathos, for dear Tang, who having to impress the reps from a visiting company and needing to close the much-needed advertising deal to save his fledgling space-exploration magazine (an actual magazine in China in…

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Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

• Jul 29, 2013
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• Jul 26, 2014
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• Mar 1, 2017
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• Jun 30, 2014
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