By championing the heroism and sacrifices of ordinary civilians, and shifting focus away from patriotic rhetoric to intimate character dynamics, the film proves surprisingly entertaining.

Gezhi Town is a gripping action film about Chinese refugees of Nanjing who resettle in Gezhi Town, which is invaded by Japanese soldiers in 1944. The movie has some corny dialogue and starts off slow, but once the suspense starts, it's intense.

Well acted and constructed script, I have never seen an account of this historical event in a movie before. The actors ALL did a great job. I especially loved the great-granddad and his great grandson,'the fixer'(Xiao Zhan). My only criticism was, it seemed to short, I wanted to learn more about the main 3 adult characters.

I was incredibly lucky to have watched Ge Zhi town in cinemas and let me tell you , this is a movie that leaves a very strong impression on the viewers. As a foreign viewer with only a vague understanding of Chinese history, Ge Zhi Town still reached me in a deeply personal way. I may not have grasped every historical detail, but I felt every emotion. The film speaks in a language that doesn’t need translation—loss, hope, moral struggle, and the quiet resilience of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. Xiao Zhan’s performance is especially moving. He brings a gentle humanity to his character, making his pain, doubts, and quiet courage feel intimate and real. Through his eyes, the story becomes less about history and more about the universal experience of being human when the world is falling apart. Ge Zhi Town reminded me that even when cultures and histories differ, emotions do not. It’s a film that lingers not because of what you know, but because of what you feel.