China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has officially endorsed the counter‑espionage thriller “Scare Out,” making it the first Chinese film to receive backing from the country’s secretive intelligence agency. Directed by Oscar‑nominated Zhang Yimou and starring pop star Jackson Yee and veteran actor Zhu Yilong, the movie opened on Feb. 17, Chinese New Year’s Day, and has already pulled in roughly 1.1 billion yuan (about $160 million) in two weeks.
The MSS promoted the film on its WeChat account, saying it is meant to “strengthen the people’s defense line” and to “echo the needs of the times of national security education.” In a trailer released by the agency, Zhang himself warned, “Spies are just there around you,” underscoring the film’s intent to blur the line between entertainment and security‑awareness training.
State security officers were on set throughout filming, according to Zhang’s op‑ed in the People’s Daily, to ensure the story stayed “close to reality.” The plot follows a mole leaking classified data about a new fighter jet, prompting a high‑octane chase through Shenzhen’s glass‑walled skyscrapers and a dramatic drone attack that knocks the protagonist down.
Security scholars see the MSS’s involvement as a “sophisticated effort to mobilize Chinese citizens and make national security entertaining and fun to support,” said Sheena Greitens, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “It wants to build public and popular support to encourage people to share information,” she added.
Audience reactions in the United States echo the film’s impact. Alice Jin, a 28‑year‑old e‑commerce worker in Washington, said she expected to fall asleep but found the movie “better than I expected.” Wang Lehang, a 25‑year‑old student, argued that a patriotic film works “better on me” than a lecture, describing it as “better than a lecture.”
The move mirrors how other intelligence services have used Hollywood. The CIA, for example, routinely collaborates with American studios and has recently released recruitment videos in Mandarin that ask, “Do you have information about China’s top leaders? Are you a military officer?” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that it would take “all necessary measures to avoid any infiltration” after the CIA videos surfaced.
By turning a spy thriller into a state‑sponsored public‑education tool, China is joining a global trend of intelligence agencies shaping popular culture to further national‑security goals. While Western audiences may view the film as high‑spending action, Chinese officials see it as a “national‑security education” platform designed to enlist ordinary citizens in vigilance against perceived foreign threats.