Nerdly » ‘Escape from the 21st Century’ Review

18th Mar2025

‘Escape from the 21st Century’ Review

by Kevin Haldon

Stars: Qixuan Kang, Zhuozhao Li, Yichen Chen, Yang Song, Ruoyun Zhang, Elane Zhong | Written and Directed by Yang Li

Sometimes you just want to watch something a little different and this movie was most definitely that.

Escape from the 21st Century is the cinematic equivalent of chugging a Red Bull while playing Street Fighter II, and accidentally sneezing into a time portal, while wearing a hoodie that says “Carpe Diem” in Comic Sans. Directed by Yang Li, this sci-fi comedy is a messed up dream scenario that feels like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World crashed into Everything Everywhere All at Once, with a side of Turbo Kid plated up with some Kung Fu Hustle and a sprinkle of “What did I just watch?” It’s bat shit insane, and it’s the most fun you will have with a movie this nuts, this year!

Set on Planet K (which is basically Earth, but with 12-hour days), the story follows three teens, Paopao (Qixuan Kang), Chengyong (Zhuozhao Li), and Wang Zha (Yichen Chen) who fall into a lake of toxic waste (Alex Mack-style) and gain the power to sneeze their present self’s 20 years into the future. Yes, sneezing. Forget DeLoreans or phone booths; here, time travel is powered by allergies.

In 1999, they are just dumb kids doing dumb kid things, climbing towers, crushing on girls, and dreaming of being cool. But when they sneeze into 2019, they find themselves in the bodies of their adult selves (played by Yang Song, Ruoyun Zhang, and others), their lives are, frankly a mess. Chengyong’s a crime lord with a mullet that screams “midlife crisis,” Wang Zha’s a washed-up nobody, and Paopao’s… well, let’s just say his future involves a lot of bicycles. Naturally, there’s also a world-ending plot involving organ harvesting, evil corporations, and a villain who looks like he wandered in from a Dragon Ball Z audition… Naturally

Escape from the 21st Century tries to be a coming-of-age story, a sci-fi thriller, a martial arts comedy, and a teen romance all at once—and while not perfect it somehow manages to tick all the required boxes. The time travel rules are played very fast and loose, and the plot is massively out there. But here’s the thing: it’s so relentlessly fun that you don’t really care. It’s like doing a math quiz in a nightclub, you’re not here for the results, you’re here for the good time and the next day’s hangover.

And the humour? Oh, it’s gloriously unhinged. There’s a scene where the teens, in their adult bodies, try to act cool but end up looking like dumbasses as they’ve never seen a smartphone before, little touches like that can make or break the movie. Another gem is a mid-fight sneeze that sends one character back to 1999, where he resumes punching someone in a high school classroom. And don’t get me started on the pepper shaker weaponized to force a time jump, it’s the kind of attention to detail that makes you laugh and applaud at the same time.

The cast is split between the teen actors (who nail the awkward, hormonal energy of 1999) and the adult actors (who hilariously channel the teens’ cluelessness in 2019). Zhuozhao Li, as young Chengyong, is a standout, radiating “cool kid” energy that makes his future self’s fall from grace even funnier. Yang Song, as adult Chengyong, leans into the role, playing a crime boss who’s suddenly possessed by a teen who thinks “organ harvesting” is just a weird band name.

Elane Zhong, as a badass journalist in 2019, gets some of the best action scenes, including a motorbike chase set to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” that’s so over-the-top it feels like the movie’s daring you not to cheer. The chemistry between her and adult Wang Zha (Ruoyun Zhang) is surprisingly sweet, even if their romance is interrupted by sneezes and exploding buildings.

The performances are earnest to a fault, which is perfect for a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve. Sure, some secondary characters get lost in the chaos, but when the leads are this committed, you’re too busy having fun to notice.

Visually, Escape from the 21st Century is like someone spewed up a comic book, a video game, and a lava lamp then found the perfect 90s soundtrack. The 1999 scenes are truly nostalgic, while 2019 is widescreen and dystopian, with toxic waste glowing like a rave gone wrong. Yang Li mixes live-action with 2D animation, video game-style effects, and aspect ratio shifts that feel like they’re just there to mess with the audience. Asking questions like Why is that van upside down? Why did he grab the subtitles? The answer always is the same, Who cares it looks cool! I have a massive affinity for a director willing to take these bold choices and run with them.

The action sequences are a highlight, with fights that bring to mind Street Fighter II and Dragon Ball Z. One standout being a restaurant brawl that jumps between timelines, with punches landing in 1999 classrooms and 2019 kitchens. Another would be a chase scene where money flys around like confetti, and one of the notes slices an arm off in slow-mo. It’s ridiculous, it’s awesome, and I am so fucking there for it.

Yang Li’s direction is chaotic, but it’s chaos with purpose. The pacing is breakneck, the visuals are dazzling, and the musical cues, including some Ennio Morricone(!) are perfect. Sure, some stylistic choices feel like flexes for flexing’s sake, but when the film’s this fun, you’re not complaining you’re just along for the ride.

By the way, the soundtrack is a banger, with pop hits and retro vibes that amplify the film’s energy. Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” during the motorbike chase is peak cinema. The sound design is equally impressive, with sneezes that sound like time warps and punches that echo across decades.

Escape from the 21st Century is a mess, but it’s the kind of mess you want to dive into headfirst. It’s messy like a teenager’s bedroom, full of half-baked ideas and wild energy, but also surprisingly heartfelt. It’s not perfect, the plot is a tad much at times, and the time travel logic is nonsense. But it’s so honestly passionate, so inventive, and so damn fun that you can’t help but root for it.

It’s a movie for anyone who’s ever sneezed and thought, “What if I just yeeted myself into the future?” It’s for anyone who’s looked at adulthood and thought, “Yikes, can I get a refund?” And it’s for anyone who loves cinema that dares to be weird, wild, and wonderful. Just don’t try to diagram the plot you’ll end up with a Primer-style YouTube essay video and a headache.