“Scare Out,” a Chinese counterespionage thriller, has moved from the screen into official messaging after the Ministry of State Security endorsed it as the first motion picture the agency said it backed. The Associated Press report described the film’s action-heavy appeal, including a dramatic sequence in which a drone joins a chase in the southern city of Shenzhen—an effect that was not real but part of the movie. The film has been seen by millions of people domestically and abroad, including in the United States, according to the report.
MSS’s endorsement breaks with its prior approach, where the agency has been closely associated with keeping tight control over what is shared and what the public sees. The film, the report said, was promoted as being “led and created” by the MSS, and it is framed as both entertainment and national-security education. The report tied the timing to the movie’s theater debut on Feb. 17, Chinese New Year’s Day.
In a statement that MSS issued to promote the release, the ministry said the film aims to “strengthen the people’s defense line” and “echo the needs of the times of national security education.” MSS also posted about the film on social media, and the report said this comes as the ministry has become more open about its work over time. The Associated Press described how MSS has increasingly used platforms such as WeChat to publicize messages that span both fictional and alleged real-world cases.
In the run-up to the film, the report said MSS’s online posts have included stories about alleged attempts to gather sensitive information, including a claim about a travel blogger asking a college student to take pictures of a military base. It also cited another example that, according to the report, involved a military enthusiast buying books described as military secrets for under $1 at a neighborhood recycling station. The report added that the ministry has published other types of content, including comics, short videos and mini movies.
The movie itself centers on an intelligence-agency mole, the report said, depicting a hunt for a leaker within China’s intelligence service. MSS-backed promotion describes the plot as involving the leaking of classified secrets tied to a new fighter jet. Directed by Oscar-nominated Zhang Yimou, the report said the movie stars Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong, and that Zhang said in an MSS-released trailer: “Spies are just there around you.”
Zhang also argued in a People’s Daily op-ed that state security officers accompanied the production to keep it close to reality, the report said. For some security experts, the report said, MSS appears not only to make its work more visible but also to encourage public participation in identifying suspicious activity. Sheena Greitens, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told the Associated Press that MSS wants to build public support “to encourage people to share information,” adding that the effort is “a very sophisticated effort to mobilize Chinese citizens and make national security entertaining and fun to support,” as described in the report. Liam McLoughlin of Edge Hill University also contrasted the framing style, telling the report that Western spy films tend to emphasize “here’s where the trouble is coming from,” while China is highlighting internally that “they don’t side with the West.”
The Associated Press report noted rumors on social media claiming that the movie’s plot is based on a real case involving a researcher allegedly leaking information about China’s J-35 fighter abroad. The report said MSS did not respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
Outside China, the film’s reach has continued after its release, the report said. It has been playing in the United States, Canada and Australia, and its box office has reached 1.1 billion yuan ($160 million) in two weeks, according to the report. Viewers quoted by Associated Press included Alice Jin, who works in e-commerce in Washington and said she went with the hope of “not falling asleep,” calling the film “better than I expected” and adding: “I had no idea what it (MSS) was before.” Another quoted viewer, Wang Lehang, said: “I love watching movies, so a movie on patriotism education definitely works better on me,” adding that it was “better than a lecture.”
In the background, the report contrasted international spy portrayals and noted that while the CIA has been depicted in movies and TV, the agency itself has also used social media recruitment messaging targeting Chinese officials. A recent CIA video described in the report asked, in Mandarin, “Do you have information about China’s top leaders? Are you a military officer, or do you work with the military?” and said, “Please contact us. We want to understand the truth.” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the recruitment attempt, the report said, saying it will take “all necessary measures to avoid any infiltration.” The AP report said Castillo reported from Beijing.