Chinese movie 'Evil Unbound' on WWII Japan’s notorious Unit 731 out in S'pore on Sep. 25

A Chinese movie that revisits the horrific human experiments conducted by Japan's notorious germ warfare Unit 731 in World War II will be released in multiple countries.

"Evil Unbound" opens in China on Sep. 18.

It is slated to be released as "731" in Singapore on Sep. 25.

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 3,000 people 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 "Dead To Rights" movie, which was released earlier in August 2025.

The historical war thriller depicting the 1937 Nanjing Massacre by Japanese troops has been released in Singapore.

It received positive reviews in China and is expected to top the box office charts there in 2025.

In Japan, the movie's release was panned as "propaganda" and it was argued that it could give rise to anti-Japan sentiments.

Worldwide release

According to the Weibo post announcing "Evil Unbound", the movie will open in Australia and New Zealand as early as Sep. 18, coinciding with its release in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions.

The movie is also scheduled for release in the U.S. and Canada on Sep. 19.

It will also open in Malaysia, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, and South Korea.

Significance of 2025

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.

In China, the anniversary is commemorated as the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-­Fascist War.

On Sep. 3, China held a military parade in Tiananmen Square in the capital to mark the anniversary.

Top photos via Evil Unbound