IMDb 6.4 2024 HD

Escape from the 21st Century

Escape from the 21st Century

2024
Action Comedy Science Fiction
98 min TV-14 China
6.83 / 10
6.4 IMDB

Three friends discover that they have the power to travel back and forth 20 years with a sneeze. However, the future is not as good as they hope,…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Li Yang / Tengfei Tang
Starring
Zhang Ruoyun / Zhong Chuxi / Song Yang / Wu Xiaoliang / Zhu Yanmanzi / Leon Lee / Wen Zhengrong / Shi Liang

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

quirky intriguing ambitious uneven charming consequential inventive earnest dramatic thought-provoking entertaining

Reviews

I
Isabelle Moreau
Mar 17, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

While the central concept of 'Escape from the 21st Century' – a sneeze as a time-travel portal – is certainly inventive, the film doesn't always leverage its potential to its fullest. The performances from Zhang Ruoyun, Zhong Chuxi,…

A
Arthur Finch
Mar 17, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

'Escape from the 21st Century' is a breath of fresh air in the often-stale landscape of time travel narratives. The ingenious premise, powered by the most mundane of bodily functions, is executed with remarkable flair. Zhang Ruoyun, Zhong…

G
Genevieve Dubois
Mar 17, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

The originality of 'Escape from the 21st Century' is its strongest asset. The notion of temporal displacement triggered by a sneeze is a novel concept that immediately captures the imagination. The ensemble cast, including Zhang Ruoyun, Zhong Chuxi,…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Mar 17, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

This is a film that dares to be different, and largely succeeds. 'Escape from the 21st Century' takes a wonderfully quirky idea – time travel via sneeze – and builds a compelling narrative around it. The chemistry between…

E
Eleanor Vance
Mar 17, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

The premise of 'Escape from the 21st Century' is undeniably charmingly absurd – a sneeze sending you 20 years through time. Zhang Ruoyun, Zhong Chuxi, and Song Yang anchor the film with relatable performances as they grapple with…

FAQs

The central conflict arises from the friends' discovery that the future they experience, or anticipate, is far from ideal. This disillusionment compels them to move beyond mere personal exploration of time travel and embrace a much larger responsibility: saving the world. The narrative tension will likely stem from their efforts to avert a dystopian future, using their unique, sneeze-induced ability to navigate the past and present to achieve this monumental goal.