"Scare Out," a new Chinese espionage thriller directed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, premiered in London on Tuesday, with viewers praising its slick style and stunning plot twists.
The film offers a Chinese perspective on the often dramatized subject matter of national security and intelligence, with Zhang assembling a stellar cast of Chinese talent, with the film headed by pop star Jackson Yee and accomplished actors Zhu Yilong and Song Jia.
The spy movie has created quite a buzz on social media in China, with the trailer being viewed 5.4 billion times, boding well for box office attendance.
British viewers who attended the debut screening in London hailed the film, comparing it to other spy-themed thrillers.
"I think it was incredible. It was sort of like the Manchurian Candidate but from the other side, so it's very interesting to see China's perspective on sort of espionage, corporate [espionage] and state espionage, it was really interesting," said a local moviegoer.
The story of "Scare Out" follows a national security unit that investigates a significant intelligence breach. During its filming, China's Ministry of State Security provided guidance to the crew on protocols, adding a further air of authenticity to the production.
"Actually I was quite impressed with the technology that they were showing off, like the drone and using the AI and all that," said another local cinemagoer.
Famed for creating the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, Director Zhang remains a big box office draw.
"[It's quite a] contrast from Zhang Yimou's previous styles because I've watched lots of his films growing up being Chinese myself," said a moviegoer from China.
"You can see there are so many fast paced editing to make the scenario and the story very intense and hold your breath while you're watching the film, and there are so many plot twists," said a moviegoer.
"I feel like it's a really amazing movie, and we're really honored to be here to watch this on Chinese New Year," said another moviegoer.
Espionage thriller directed by acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou premieres in London
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea (ROK) was sentenced to life in prison on charges of insurrection stemming from his declaration of emergency martial law, live footage showed Thursday.
The Seoul Central District Court delivered its judgment in the trial of first instance in the martial law case of Yoon, which was broadcast live to the public, saying the crux of Yoon's martial law case was the fact that troops were deployed to the National Assembly.
The court explained that the martial law declaration constitutes insurrection if it infringes upon the authority of the National Assembly, noting that Yoon attempted to prevent the parliament from functioning properly for a significant period.
It recognized that the impeached leader committed insurrectionary acts with the intent to subvert the constitutional order, finding him guilty of ringleading the insurrection.
By South Korean law, the insurrection ringleader can only be sentenced to capital punishment or life imprisonment if found guilty.
The team of Cho Eun-suk, independent counsel in charge of Yoon's insurrection and other relevant crimes, requested a death sentence for Yoon on charges of orchestrating the insurrection by declaring an unconstitutional emergency martial law despite the absence of war, incident or equivalent national emergencies.
Yoon was also charged with mobilizing martial law troops and police to obstruct the National Assembly's resolution to lift the martial law and attempting to detain key political figures such as the leaders of the main political parties and the parliamentary speaker.
Yoon became the country's third former president to stand trial on insurrection charges, following former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were convicted for military coup and brutal crackdown under martial law.
The Seoul court merged three trials in December last year for eight suspects, including Yoon and seven other senior military and police officials, charged with performing critical duties in the insurrection.
The court handed former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun a 30-year prison sentence, convicting him of performing a significant role in the insurrection.
The special counsel team sought life imprisonment for Kim, whom it called a mastermind who planned and led the insurrection alongside Yoon by mobilizing the military.
Former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won and former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho received prison terms of 18 and 12 years, respectively, for their key roles in the insurrection.
The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec 3 in 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.
The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April of 2025, officially removing him from office.
Yoon was indicted under detention in January of 2025 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection.
South Korean ex-president Yoon sentenced to life in prison on insurrection
