Per Aspera Ad Astra (2026)
Per Aspera Ad Astra (orig. title: Xing He Ru Meng) is a 2026 Chinese action-adventure fantasy film directed by Yan Han and written by Channing Huang. The film is set to be released in China on February 17, 2026.
„Per Aspera Ad Astra“" is a Chinese science fiction adventure film that combines a high-concept idea with a visually spectacular execution. The film focuses on the theme of escaping reality through technology and the price that this escape brings.
The action takes place in the near future, where a revolutionary virtual dream system – „Good Dreams“ – allows people to create and control their own realities. It is a world in which desires can be experienced without restrictions, and reality becomes almost redundant. The main character Xu Tianbiao is an administrator of the system, who monitors its functioning. When strange anomalies begin to appear and people literally „get lost“ in their dreams, it becomes clear that the technology poses a serious danger.
Together with Lee Simmons, a captain with his own mission and connection to the system, he enters different levels of dream worlds. Each of them has its own rules, visual identity and genre feel - from action clashes to almost fantastic adventures. As the story progresses, the characters begin to reveal that "Good Dreams" is not just a tool for escape, but a system with a deeper and potentially dangerous structure. The line between reality and dream gradually blurs, and the stakes become much more than personal survival.
Han Yan relies on a dynamic and visually rich style. The film often changes its tone, moving through different "worlds", which creates a sense of constant movement and diversity. The direction clearly draws inspiration from Western sci-fi productions such as "„Genesis“" (2010), but adds its own aesthetic and a more pronounced action element. The emphasis is on visual experience and concept, sometimes at the expense of deeper psychological development.
Dylan Wang as Xu Tianbiao carries the main line of the film – his image combines confidence and gradually growing doubt towards the system.
Victoria Song as Lee Simmons brings a balance between action and emotional motivation, as a character with a clear purpose.
Feng Zi plays an important supporting role related to the technical side of the project.
Luo Haiqiong and Wang Duo complement the world by giving a more personal and social context to the story.
The acting is solid, but often takes a back seat to the scale of the idea and the visual style.
„Per Aspera Ad Astra“" is an ambitious sci-fi film that impresses with its concept and visual variety. Its greatest strength is the world it builds – dynamic, changing and full of ideas. However, the film sometimes sacrifices emotional depth for spectacle. This makes it more of an experience than a deeply psychological story – but that is precisely where its charm lies.
