Photo: Chen Tao/GT

The highly anticipated film Evil Unbound, which exposes the atrocities of notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit created during World War II (WWII), opened across Chinese cinemas at 9:18 am on Thursday with screenings timed to coincide with a painful national memory - the September 18 Incident that marks the start of Japanese military's invasion of China in 1931.

The film had surpassed 300 million yuan ($42 million) in box office on its first day of release as of Thursday evening, according to Maoyan. The film also set records for the highest number of single-day screenings and premiere-day screenings in Chinese film history, as reported by the China News Service.

The 125-minute movie highlights the atrocities suffered by the "Maruta" (the term the human experimentation subjects were called by the Japanese army) from the perspective of civilians. The shocking scenes put on full display the crimes against humanity committed by the Japanese biological and chemical warfare research unit.

For many moviegoers, the story resonated deeply. At a 9:18 am premiere showing, Bi Shufang, a retiree, recalled her grandfather, a Communist Party of China member from North China's Hebei Province.

"My mother told me he once fought Japanese soldiers in the village, and there was a scar on his head from that time," she told the Global Times after watching the movie, her eyes welling up. "I'm here to honor him, and to make sure his story isn't forgotten."

Evil Unbound is a key title for the upcoming National Day holidays period, while similarly themed film Dead To Rights will continue its run.

As the National Day holidays approach, 10 new films are set to hit theaters, with more titles expected to be announced for the holiday lineup, offering audiences a diverse lineup ranging from patriotic epics to action, comedy, and animation, ticketing platform Maoyan confirmed to the Global Times on Thursday.

As in previous years, patriotic films will lead this year's National Day box office. This year's highlight is no doubt The Volunteers: Peace at Last, the finale in a trilogy focusing on the Korean War.

This year's National Day box office carries added weight due to its historical significance.

"What matters is not the era being recounted, but the era in which history is recounted, and this makes this year's historical epics more special, not only for Evil Unbound but also The Volunteers: Peace at Last. It is believed to be the pillar work of this year's holiday season," veteran film critic Shi Wenxue told the Global Times on Thursday.

Shi highlighted that the movie The Volunteers is expected to show what it has been promoting with the slogan "If you want to negotiate, our doors are open; if you want to fight, we will fight to the end," which makes it particularly stirring against the backdrop of today's international climate. 

Yet the lineup extends far beyond history and war. A Writer's Odyssey 2, featuring newly crowned Venice International Film Festival best actress Xin Zhilei, is positioned as the major action spectacle of the holiday. 

Comedy also gets its turn with Row To Win, the only pure comedy of the holiday season. Focusing on family life stories, it was adapted from author Cai Chongda's essay collection.

Veteran actors like Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung Ka-fai will return in Sons of the Neon Night, while beloved children's franchise GG Bond celebrates its 20th anniversary with a new installment. 

Shi noted that Row To Win, which lands during the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a family-friendly choice, while A Writer's Odyssey 2 stands out as a major fantasy film with a strong cast and upgraded effects. He added that GG Bond and the new Three Kingdoms animation are also expected to perform well, given the rising success of Chinese animated films.

"The range is wide, from war and comedy to fantasy, action, crime and history, plus two animations, covering audiences of all ages," Shi said.

The 2025 National Day holidays film lineup is stronger than previous years, and with the holiday extended one day longer than before, the box office is expected to surpass 2024's, Shi noted.