# Decoded (film)

Decoded (Chinese: 解密) is a 2024 Chinese period drama film directed by Chen Sicheng, and starring Liu Haoran, John Cusack, Chen Daoming and Daniel Wu. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Mai Jia.

## Plot

The film is set in the war-torn 1940s and follows autistic math genius Rong Jinzhen with a past shrouded in myth who is forced to abandon his academic pursuits to become a code-breaker for a secret spy agency.

## Cast

* Liu Haoran as Rong Jinzhen
* John Cusack as Liseiwicz, a mathematician and Rong's university tutor
* Chen Daoming as Director Cheng, the chief of Bureau 701
* Daniel Wu as Xiaolili, the chancellor of Rong's university
* Faye Yu as Ye Xiaoning, Rong's mother
* Martin Wang [zh] as Vasily, an enforcer of Bureau 701
* Krystal Ren as Xiaomei, another member of Bureau 701
* Zhu Zhu as Mrs. Liseiwicz
* Yusi Chen as the daughter of Xiaolili
* Pan Yueming

## Production

Pre-production of Decoded began in 2018, with Chen Sicheng helming the project. The film is based on Mai Jia's novel of the same name, and is Chen's first project to be adapted from a literary work. Chen noted that he had wanted to produce a film about mathematics and cryptography for a long time, and planned to set Decoded up as a film series. The project was greenlit in July 2023, with Christopher MacBride announced as the screenwriter. Liu Haoran joined the cast in September 2023, followed by rumors of Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tang Wei starring in October, though both of them denied those reports. Principal photography spanned 98 days and wrapped on 25 January 2024. The film was presented on the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market in March.

## Release

Decoded had its premiere on 16 June 2024 on Weibo Movie Night, and was theatrically released in China on 3 August.

## Reception

Carlos Aguilar of Variety considered Decoded as "China's answer" to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), but criticized it for offering a sanitized and overly patriotic narrative, featuring an "uncritical depiction of China's policies and war tactics", while simultaneously demonstrating an "explicit desire to entice American sensibilities" to appease an international audience. Tay Yek Keak of 8days also compared the film to Oppenheimer in his 3/5 stars review, describing it as a blend of A Beautiful Mind (2001) and The Imitation Game (2014), but criticized it for being "too ambitious, over-plotted, and overlong" with convoluted plotlines that attempt to merge nationalistic themes with Western cultural references, while still appreciating the film's human moments and Liu Haoran's performance.
Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film 2/4 stars, describing it as a "conventional and hackneyed" spy thriller that suffers from a clichéd portrayal of a troubled mathematician and a "prevailing lack of charm and agency", rendering it "prodding" and failing to engage despite its ambitious premise. Ho Siu-bun of am730 emphasized the film's failure at the box office despite high expectations, calling it "underwhelming", and critiqued its ambitious yet convoluted storytelling that attempts to emulate Christopher Nolan's style, while also highlighting the implausibility of the film's political themes.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2024 | Weibo Awards | Anticipated Movie of the Year | — | Won |
| 2024 | Weibo Awards | Popular Filmmaker of the Year | Chen Sicheng | Won |
| 2024 | Weibo Awards | Popular Filmmaker of the Year | Liu Haoran | Won |
| 2024 | Weibo Awards | Technician of the Year | Ma Xiaoai | Won |