Resurrection () is a 2025 science fiction drama film written and directed by Bi Gan. It stars Jackson Yee and Shu Qi.
The film had its world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2025, where it won the Prix Spécial. It is expected to be theatrically released in China in 2025.
Plot.
In a future where most of humanity has lost the capacity to dream, a woman discovers that one creature is still able to experience them. She enters the monster's dreams, using her ability to perceive illusions to determine the truth in its visions of Chinese history.
The film is divided into six chapters, with each representing one of the five senses, plus the mind.
Production.
Bi Gan's then-untitled film was announced in 2021, when Huace Pictures announced it would be producing his next work; Huace had also funded Bi's previous film, "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (2018).
Initial reports stated that it would go into production in 2022. However, "Variety" reported that Bi was still finishing the script in September 2023, with the film being given an English title, "Resurrection". Shu Qi and Jackson Yee were cast in the lead roles, and Dong Jingsong was attached as cinematographer, having previously worked with Bi on "Long Day's Journey Into Night".
Principal photography was divided into three phases, with the first beginning in April 2024 and the second ending in September 2024. Filming took place on location in multiple cities, including Chongqing and Copenhagen. The third phase of filming resumed in the fourth quarter of 2024 and concluded in April 2025. The rough cut was finished in May 2025, just days before its premiere at Cannes; Bi later said that the theatrical version would be different from the cut shown at Cannes, as further editing and work on visual effects was needed.
In a press conference, Jackson Yee stated that the film's 30-minute long take took more than half a month to shoot – it had to be filmed at night, and only one take could be done each day. Bi said it was a relatively easy part of the filming process, as the crew had prior experience shooting the long takes in his previous two movies, "Kaili Blues" (2015) and "Long Day's Journey Into Night". Dong shot the long take using the DJI Ronin 4D.
According to Bi, the film's use of a "movie monster" references German expressionist cinema, notably horror movies such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) and "Nosferatu" (1922); its first chapter is set in the early 20th century, "[employing] the cinematic language of that era".
Release.
"Resurrection" premiered in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2025. It was a late addition to the festival, not having been included in the initial shortlist announcement on 10 April 2025; it was added on 8 May 2025. The delay was attributed to the film first needing to obtain domestic approval from the National Radio and Television Administration, which eventually granted it a public screening license.
In an earnings call in April 2025, Huace Pictures gave it an estimated release date of the second half of 2025 or 2026. During an interview at Cannes in May 2025, Bi said he expected it to be released in 2025.
Janus Films acquired North American distribution rights after the festival wrapped.
Reception.
Critical response.
"Resurrection" received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Bi Gan's direction and style, though some took issue with its opaque narrative. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 24 critics' reviews are positive. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave it four out of five stars, writing, "It is a deeply mysterious film whose enigma extends to the title – is what is happening 'resurrection' in any clear transformative sense? [...] Asking or answering these questions may not be the film's point and its riddling quality, combined with its spectacular visual effects, may leave some audiences agnostic – and I myself wasn't sure about the silent-movie type effects. Yet it’s a work of real artistry." For "The New York Times", Manohla Dargis said, "What makes the film especially delectable is that Bi Gan changes visual styles and narrative techniques throughout this movie odyssey. [...] Chockablock with nods to other films and filmmakers, "Resurrection" is a cinephile’s delight. [It] may be wreathed in melancholy, but Bi Gan’s own journey through cinema is enlivening and encouraging."
A few critics singled out the film's long take that appears near the end. Ben Croll of "TheWrap" called it a "breathlessly conceived and astonishingly pulled-off [...] bravura sequence"; "The Film Stage"s Su Zhuo-ning wrote, "The New Year’s Eve escapade, in particular, is an absolute marvel. There’s a casual fluidity to how things unfold as two characters make their way through the neighborhood that immediately creates a surreal, trance-like atmosphere. [...] Such choices—e.g. when the frame’s entire color scheme changes upon a character’s forceful entry into the room—take your breath away."
In a negative review for "Deadline", Damon Wise criticized the film's storyline: "While the visuals are endlessly inventive, the narrative is simply just endless; none of these vignettes seem have any plot or resolution whatsoever, which is certainly cool as a concept but not so much fun to watch. [...] "Resurrection" (whatever that title really means) is oddly liberating, being a film that — it would appear — operates on dream logic and leaves interpretation up to the individual."