Dead to Rights

Set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, this historical drama follows a postman who survives by pretending to be a photo developer for the Japanese army. While working in a studio to process images for the invading forces, he secretly uses the location to shelter Chinese soldiers and civilians. The protagonist and his companions risk their lives to evacuate these refugees and preserve photographic evidence of war crimes to ensure the atrocities are documented for the world.

The film was directed by Shen Ao, who also wrote the screenplay alongside Zhang Ke and Xu Luyang. This production is the second of three films directed by Shen Ao between 2023 and 2025, following No More Bets and preceding Escape from the Outland. The cast features Liu Haoran in the lead role as Su Liuchang, supported by Wang Chuanjun, Gao Ye, Wang Xiao, Zhou You, and En You Yang.

Produced in China with a budget of 20 million USD, the movie was a significant commercial success, earning 423 million USD at the worldwide box office. It has been well received by viewers, maintaining a rating of 7.9/10 on TMDB based on 96 votes.