Gezhi Town

Plot Summary

• Gezhi Town is a 2025 Chinese war drama directed by Kong Sheng, written by Lan Xiaolong, and produced by Hou Hongliang — marking Daylight Entertainment's first venture into theatrical film after over a decade producing acclaimed television. Xiao Zhan plays Mo Dexian, a craftsman and reluctant leader who organises the town's civilian resistance. Peng Yuchang plays Xiao Yan, an artillery officer sheltering in Gezhi with a small group of straggler soldiers and a disabled Solothurn anti-aircraft cannon. Zhou Yiran plays Xia Cheng, another key figure in the makeshift defense. Xinming Yang plays the Great Grandfather, the town's eldest resident. Set almost entirely within the mountain town of Gezhi and the surrounding highlands of Yichang, Hubei Province — chosen for its Three Gorges terrain — the film focuses on ordinary people improvising a defense against a formal military force, using wit and collective will rather than conventional weapons. Unlike much Chinese war cinema, it takes a civilian perspective and incorporates dark humour. The project was a decade in development. It was released in China on December 6, 2025, to an extraordinary audience reception — presales exceeded 100 million yuan and it grossed 170 million yuan in its opening weekend. It received a US limited theatrical release on December 25, 2025, and is available internationally on Netflix. In Mandarin Chinese with subtitles. Best suited for fans of wartime cinema told from the ground up, particularly those drawn to Chinese historical stories and ensemble-driven survival drama.