Chinese movie 'Evil Unbound' on WWII Japan’s notorious Unit 731 to be released in S'pore

At least 3,000 people were estimated to have been subjected to human experimentation by Unit 731.

 

September 16, 2025, 06:09 PM

Significance of Sep. 18

The release date in China coincides with the anniversary of the "September 18 Incident" in 1931, which marked the start of Japan's 14-year invasion of China.

The multi-country release was announced by the movie's official Sina Weibo account on Sunday morning, Sep. 14.

The post said: "The smoke of atrocities once sought to shroud and conceal everything, but the truth will pierce every disguise and be revealed to the world."

"This dark history is not only a wound for the Chinese people but also a scar on human civilisation," it added.

It concluded with: "On Sep. 18, let evil find no refuge and let the truth spread worldwide."

What movie is about

Unit 731 refers to a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base.

It was established in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, and served as the nerve centre for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII, according to Xinhua News.

The film's director, Zhao Linshan, said the movie is about a local Chinese vendor and others who were imprisoned and lured by false promises of freedom if they underwent health checks and disease prevention research.

Those who complied were then subjected to frostbite testing, gas exposure and vivisection — brutal medical experiments carried out by the occupying Japanese forces.

At least  were estimated to have been subjected to human experimentation by Unit 731.

How China views this film

Zhang Peng, a cultural researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, told Global Times that the film is serving China's efforts "to promote historical justice and strengthen its voice on the global stage".

The movie will allow this chapter of human history to be included in "global anti-fascist memory", as well as "respond to the selective amnesia or avoidance of history in some nations", Zhang said.

Previous movie well-received

The release follows the "" movie, which was released earlier in August 2025.