When Will Realism in Online Movies Bring Forth Films Like 'Dying to Survive'?

Written by: Qiushi

An unusual scene has appeared in the history of Chinese cinema: the official release date of a film seems to be less significant, as many people already know of its existence through the powerful word-of-mouth effect generated during the five-day preview period, shared through social media statuses, internet dissemination, and office conversations.

Today marks the first day of the public release of the film ‘Dying to Survive’ after its advance screening.

Given the overwhelming number of analytical articles circulating online about the film, [Online Entertainment Observation] (ID: wldygc2016) will not attempt to elaborate on its own points.

It is noteworthy that ‘Dying to Survive’, currently boasting a Douban rating of 9.0, marks a significant return to the high-quality realism of Chinese films from the 1990s. Regardless of whether its impact will be fleeting, it bravely addresses the long-standing “pain points” in the lives of ordinary Chinese people and the “ticklish points” for the ruling class regarding healthcare, demonstrating a considerable amount of humanistic concern and courage.

Moreover, with the quality of content as a prerequisite, both market feedback and industry evaluations indicate that truly good films that confront reality can achieve widespread dissemination, resonance, and even emotional connection.

Now, a rare masterpiece reflecting social reality, ‘Dying to Survive’, has emerged in the domestic cinema landscape. Additionally, this year, the online movie market in China has seen a surge in more reality-based films, including successful pieces like ‘Crime Path’. This raises the question: Is it easy for online films focused on reality to fall into the awkward situation of “getting good reviews but poor box office”? Is there a greater space for exploration in the creation of reality-themed online films? Is there an elusive “mysticism” between what can and cannot be done?

Is it easy for reality-themed online films to slip into the predicament of “getting good reviews but poor box office”?

Regarding the types of online films, common labels include drama, romance, comedy, action, suspense, thriller, crime, youth, fantasy, and magic. According to the definition provided by Baidu Encyclopedia, realism films are characterized by showcasing real social life and critiquing societal issues, employing natural lighting and simple cinematic language to restore the most authentic world.

Specifically, in online films, it can be a fusion of various labels. For instance, ‘Crime Path’ possesses elements of suspense and crime, while ‘Chen Xiang Six O’clock Iron Head Invincible’ includes comedy and action. However, this does not hinder them from strongly colliding with real life in terms of content expression. The former exposes the real societal issue of “sexual assault on minors”, while the latter touches on the objective reality of “naked loans” that swept many university campuses in smaller cities over the past two years.

From this perspective, the online films ‘Crime Path’ and ‘Chen Xiang Six O’clock Iron Head Invincible’, which aired in the first half of this year, can be considered strong examples of realism.

Many people say that the main audience for online content, especially online films, still prefers light-hearted or imaginative types of storytelling. For films that confront reality and feel somewhat heavy, the sentiment is often “too tiring to love”. However, we can first look at the performance of the aforementioned two films in terms of viewership, Douban ratings, and box office revenue.

As of now, on Tencent Video, the three films in the ‘Crime Path’ series have view counts of 130 million, 57.456 million, and 38.073 million, with an average view count of 80 million, totaling 230 million views. Their Douban ratings are 6.9, 6.7, and 6.7, averaging 6.8. [Online Entertainment Observation] (ID: wldygc2016) had an exclusive conversation with film producer Ma Ke (click the blue text to review: Interview with ‘Crime Path’ producer Ma Ke: “This is the first online film of Yi Guang Nian!”), and learned that the total production cost was 5 million. Although specific box office revenue is difficult to find in public data, it is estimated to be in the tens of millions.

On iQIYI, ‘Chen Xiang Six O’clock Iron Head Invincible’ achieved 60.557 million views and a Douban rating of 6.2. According to information disclosed by the Maoyan Professional app, the production cost was only 3 million, but it grossed 12.298 million in box office revenue within the first week, multiple times its production investment.

Last year alone, 1,892 online films were released in China. Among this vast array of films, it is impossible to list all the reality-themed works, but from the performance of leading content, at least two insights can be drawn:

First, in terms of theme, realism films can be serious or even heavy, but in expression, there can be more variations. For example, ‘Chen Xiang Six O’clock Iron Head Invincible’ incorporates many comedic elements, enhancing users’ viewing experience while also serving an educational purpose.

Second, reality-themed online films can achieve both popularity and critical acclaim, depending on whether the film’s quality reaches a high standard. Online films like ‘Crime Path’, which emphasize suspense, thriller, and crime elements, do not necessarily “scare away” audiences. Instead, they can attract young viewers through solid reasoning, plot twists, meticulous production, and valuable expression, forming a synergy through pre-release promotional effects and post-release word-of-mouth long-tail effects, ultimately becoming a surprising presence in the online film market in the first half of this year.

The main consumer group behind online films has been repeatedly mentioned by industry insiders. So, who exactly comprises this audience? Or what does the user profile of online films roughly look like?

Who are the real consumer groups behind online films?

Before attempting to outline the user profile of online films, we can start with the ‘2017 Tencent Video Annual Index Report’ released at the end of last year.

The report revealed that men make up over 70% of the core audience for online films, with those aged 18-24 (post-95s) accounting for 41%. 70% of users live in third-tier cities, and comedy, action, and romance ranked as the top three genres in terms of viewership in 2017.

However, as noted in the ‘2017 Online Film Development Report’ released by iQIYI at the beginning of this year, online films had already begun to show more varied types last year, with the emergence of animated online films like ‘Star Journey: The Storm of Famiira’, sci-fi online films like ‘Island’s End’, and military-themed films like ‘Special Forces King 2’.

It can be said that this trend of expanding subject matter has continued to this day, with excellent online films in the field constantly breaking through the industry’s original creative boundaries, such as ‘Crime Path’, which features strong suspense, thriller, and crime elements, and ‘Chen Xiang Six O’clock Iron Head Invincible’, which combines action, comedy, and reflections on reality, as well as the tear-jerking ‘Dad’.

From the perspective of content consumption economics, as more diverse and high-quality films emerge in the online film market, the audience for online films is also undergoing a layered change. An industry insider once expressed to [Online Entertainment Observation] (ID: wldygc2016) that the presence of critical comments on online films in bullet screens and Douban reviews is actually a positive sign, indicating that more people, including seasoned film enthusiasts, are beginning to pay attention to online films. This reflects the increasing influence of online films.

Content and audience are inherently interrelated. As the quality of content improves and its influence grows, it will naturally affect the audience’s appreciation level, acceptance of genres, and demographic changes.

Since the subject matter of online films is continuously expanding, is there greater space for online films to explore and express realism? Faced with the regulatory challenges that loom overhead, how can a balance be struck between what can and cannot be done?

Can the exploration of realistic themes become an “accelerator” for online films?

It must be acknowledged that online films, with a development history of only four years, still have a relatively small production scale compared to theatrical films. According to iQIYI’s ‘2017 Online Film Development Report’, although the growth rate is rapid, only 1% of films had production costs exceeding 6 million, and over 90% of online films have production scales below 3 million.

Even though the production scale of ‘Huang Feihong: South and North Heroes’ released in the first half of this year reached 15 million, it is foreseeable that in the near future, the highest production costs for online films will continue to be refreshed. However, it is also predictable that for a considerable period, online films will not have the advantage to compete with theatrical films based on production costs.

So, in the context of soft eroticism, content that skirts regulatory policies, and overall trends that rely on hot IP, how can online films achieve a “turnaround”?

Zhang Li, the director of Mango Entertainment’s self-produced film department, once told [Online Entertainment Observation] (ID: wldygc2016) that “investments exceeding 100 million, pursuing extreme sound effects, may choose to be released in theaters. However, for some films focused on personal expression and aiming to explore more essential connotations, audiences may not necessarily choose to watch them in theaters; the internet may be a more suitable channel for them.”

A director in the industry also mentioned to Online Entertainment Observation that due to constraints of production scale, small-screen viewing, and stricter regulations, online films should not pursue goals based on audiovisual effects or content scale, but should focus on refining their scripts. In other words, the subject matter and storytelling in online films are particularly important.

In light of this, the long-neglected realism theme in Chinese cinema has become a fertile ground for online films to delve into creatively. This genre does not require the production of grand visual effects like ‘Animal World’; its controllable production costs can provide more operational space for online films.

Some have worried whether ‘Dying to Survive’ would be withdrawn from screenings due to its sensitive subject matter and significant impact. However, Online Entertainment Observation believes such concerns are akin to worrying whether ‘In the Name of the People’ would be taken off the air after its broadcast. If you can still watch ‘In the Name of the People’ on the website, the question of whether ‘Dying to Survive’ will be withdrawn from screenings has essentially been answered.

In the uniquely Chinese social environment, the emergence of phenomenon-level film and television works often transcends mere entertainment phenomena; they frequently have deeper, unspeakable roots or intentions behind them. The 5.6 billion box office of ‘Wolf Warrior 2’ nearly completed a nationalistic spiritual cleansing, enhancing ordinary people’s recognition of the ruling party and the state. Last year’s popular show ‘In the Name of the People’ allowed the public a glimpse behind the mysterious veil of anti-corruption, catering to the people’s psychological demand for broader content scope, and enhancing their recognition of anti-corruption efforts, perfectly showcasing the Party’s achievements in this regard. Compared to these, ‘Dying to Survive’ merely presents the “healthcare” issue, a livelihood concern that is still relatively distant from the political realm, through the artistic medium of film.

Therefore, between what can and cannot be done, aside from the explicitly prohibited themes, approaches that pay attention to real life while knowing when to stop are often safer. We hope that domestic online films can make greater progress and more breakthroughs in exploring the value of realistic themes.

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