2025年最受中國人期待的華語電影之一——以舊日本軍秘密部隊“731部隊”為題材的中國影片《731》，自9月18日上映以來，已經歷三周多的觀影周期，但觀眾與影評界普遍給予負面評價，被認為是“失敗之作”。在國際影評網站IMDb上，《731》僅獲得3.2分（滿分10分），而中國國內的電影App上亦出現大量批評性評論，甚至導致影片的評分功能被暫停。

據中國媒體報導，影片首日全國排片量超過25.6萬場，創下單日排片紀錄。影片原定於7月31日上映，但因故延期至9月，這一舉措曾引發觀眾熱烈討論，並成功吸引了大量關注。最終，《731》在上映前十日的票房就達到14.56億元人民幣（約合311億日元），在商業層面取得一定成績。然而，觀眾對影片內容的評價卻普遍不高。在中國的影評平台如“貓眼”和“豆瓣”上，批評之聲尤為突出，觀眾評論包括“這種片子拿到國際上放映怕是要被笑吧”等尖銳言論。儘管也有少部分觀眾認為“希望更多人通過這部電影了解歷史”，但兩大平台均未顯示影片的綜合評分，可見整體口碑不佳。

在IMDb上，同樣充斥著尖銳評論，不少觀眾指出影片“對歷史和犧牲者不敬”，甚至批評“這類水平的導演根本不應觸碰如此沉重的題材”。影片在展示細菌傳播用的跳蚤、老鼠及人體實驗等史實元素上有一定參考價值，但影片中突兀出現的“花魁遊街”場景、工作人員身著和服褲裙等與時代背景不符的設定，以及令人費解的劇情展開，使得整體觀感大打折扣，成為被批評的主要原因。

與此形成鮮明對比的是，今年7月上映、以舊日軍屠殺大量中國人的“南京事件”為題材的中國電影《南京照相館》，在IMDb上獲得8.1分的高評價。《731》僅3.2分的低分不僅顯示出觀眾對影片質量和歷史呈現的不滿，也反映出題材本身的敏感性與影片製作水準之間的落差。儘管影片在商業宣傳上成功吸引了眼球，但在歷史題材的呈現與藝術表達上，《731》明顯未能得到觀眾和影評人的認可。

One of the most anticipated Chinese-language films of 2025, 731, which centers on the infamous Japanese military “Unit 731,” has faced widespread criticism since its release on September 18, three weeks prior. The film has been widely regarded as a “failure” by both audiences and critics. On the international review platform IMDb, 731 received a score of only 3.2 out of 10. Meanwhile, Chinese domestic movie apps were flooded with negative reviews, leading some platforms to temporarily suspend the film’s rating function.

According to Chinese media, 731 had a nationwide opening-day screening of over 256,000 showings, setting a single-day record. Originally scheduled to release on July 31, the film was delayed to September, a move that sparked significant public attention and anticipation. In its first ten days, the movie earned 1.456 billion RMB (approximately 31.1 billion JPY) at the box office, demonstrating commercial success. However, audience reception has been largely negative. On Chinese review platforms such as Maoyan and Douban, critics sharply condemned the film, with comments like “This kind of movie would be laughed at if shown internationally.” Although some viewers acknowledged the film’s potential to educate audiences about history, both platforms withheld an overall rating, reflecting poor general reception.

On IMDb, reviews were equally scathing. Many users criticized the film for showing “disrespect to history and the victims,” while others argued that “a director of this level should never tackle such a weighty topic.” While the movie included historically grounded depictions of fleas, rats, and human experimentation, it was criticized for anachronistic and jarring elements, such as “courtesan parades” and staff wearing kimono-style attire that did not fit the era, combined with a confusing plot structure. These factors contributed heavily to the film’s poor reception.

The contrast with another 2025 Chinese historical film, Nanjing Photography Studio, which depicted the Japanese massacre in Nanjing and earned a high IMDb score of 8.1, is striking. 731’s 3.2 rating underscores the audience’s dissatisfaction with its quality and historical portrayal. While the film succeeded in generating commercial attention and initial curiosity, it failed to meet viewers’ expectations in terms of historical accuracy, narrative coherence, and artistic execution, leaving both critics and audiences largely unimpressed.