Movie Review: Escape from the 21st Century

It’s always a thrill to see a filmmaker that isn’t afraid to make bold creative choices in service of their vision. Of course it doesn’t always work, but when it does it results in some of the most memorable movies ever made. And honestly, even the failures can still feel worthwhile in some way. Chinese writer / director Yang Li’s Escape from the 21st Century is one such film and thankfully, it works.

In a distant galaxy on Planet K, which bears many striking similarities to Earth, high school boys Chengyong (Zhouzhao Li), Zha (Yichen Chen), and Paopao (Qixuan Kang) get into a fight with a neighborhood bully that ends with the three of them plunging into a pool of toxic sludge. For reasons that are never explained and which ultimately don’t matter, their contact with the goo has granted them the ability to travel back and forth between that time (1999) and twenty years into the future (2019).

They are initially pleased by their adult selves (played by Yang Song, Ruoyun Zhang, and Chenhao Li respectively), but as they spend more time there, they begin to learn that their futures, and in fact the future of the entire world, did not turn out all that great. Gradually, they ascertain that they may be the only ones capable of altering the planet’s trajectory, and they begin experimenting with their newfound power in hopes of saving humanity.

Wildly creative in the best ways, Li’s film recalls other over-the-top, action classics like Kung Fu Hustle, Night Watch (Nochnoy Dozor), and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The movie is a non-stop visual feast, with nearly every moment being hyper-stylized. Frenetic and utterly insane, once it starts it never lets up. The time travel logic is somewhat messy, but somewhat beside the point, as Li is more interested in examining the nature of fate and friendship and encouraging audiences to better appreciate their lives and loved ones while doing what they can to be the best versions of themselves. That lack of concern for logic does mean there are a couple of plot developments that feel underexplained, but the film’s momentum and emotional clarity make it easy to reorient yourself.

The cast is excellent; winning and charming throughout, with the adult versions of the boys maintaining enough of a childlike naiveté to make the notion that the teenage versions of themselves are residing in grown bodies believable. The ample humor, much of it on the juvenile side, heightens the enjoyment while further selling the conceit.

The special effects can sometimes belie the presumably low budget, but by giving the action set pieces an almost cartoon-like style, even often blending in and switching to actual animation, it only adds to the overall madcap charm of the film. Movies this imaginative don’t come along often and discovering one feels like a gift. That it is so well-made, consistently fun, and surprisingly heartfelt only makes me appreciate it even more. I eagerly await whatever Li cooks up next, but for now I’m glad to have encountered this future cult classic. ★★★★½