STAND AND DELIVER

Gao spent over a decade working at a top internet company before being laid off months earlier. Now wearing the signature yellow uniform and helmet of a delivery driver, Gao hesitated as he approached his former office. 　

Not wanting to be recognized, he put on a mask before entering. But when he took it off to pass through the office’s face-scanning security system – a habit formed over years of working there, he was quickly recognized by a former coworker.　

“Old Gao, is that you? Are you cosplaying or what?” the man shouted, drawing the attention of the entire office. Gao felt exposed, standing in front of his former colleagues, deeply embarrassed. 　

This scene comes from the recent hit film Upstream. Written and directed by filmmaker Xu Zheng, the film tells the story of Gao Zhilei (played by Xu), a former highly paid programmer who is forced to become a food delivery worker to support his family. 　

The film tackles issues like unemployment, job insecurity and income inequality, offering a stark portrayal of the difficult conditions faced by millions of gig workers. But its portrayal of the working class has divided audiences, making it the most talked-about movies of the summer. 

Kong Yiji is a destitute scholar who insists on wearing his long gown, a symbol of his academic status, even though he is poor and often drinks in a tavern frequented by laborers. Throughout the story, Kong is mocked for refusing to take off his tattered gown, a metaphor for his fragile self-dignity. 　

Upstream echoes this theme, spotlighting the vulnerability of the urban middle class and shedding light on major issues in China’s job market, such as age discrimination and job insecurity. 　

The character of Gao Zhilei, once a symbol of middle-class success, had graduated from prestigious Tongji University in Shanghai and worked as a senior programmer at a major tech company. He supported a large mortgage, a wife who was a stay-at-home mom, elderly parents and a daughter enrolled in an expensive international school. 　

His salary was enough to sustain his family’s lifestyle, until a sudden layoff turned his world upside down. After months of fruitless job seeking, Gao was forced to “take off his gown” and start delivering takeout to make ends meet. 　

His story reflects a larger trend in China’s tech industries, where workers over 35 often face layoffs due to age discrimination. The so-called “curse of 35” leaves many middle-aged workers unable to find similar jobs. 　

As a result, gig work, such as food delivery and ride-hailing, has become a fallback. A 2023 survey by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions revealed that 83 million Chinese, 10 percent of the total workforce, are engaged in gig work. 　

Upstream offers a thorough and unflinching look at the challenges faced by delivery workers, from overwhelming workloads and the constant threat of traffic accidents to the pressure of bad customer reviews and punitive company policies. 　

Xu even worked as a delivery rider for research, when he realized nobody recognized him. 

　

“I recalled that, when I received takeout from delivery riders, I seldom saw their faces either. I never really noticed what delivery riders look like. Realizing this, I knew that delivery riders are so familiar in everyone’s life, but we actually know nothing about them,” Xu said at a Shanghai screening event on August 10. 

After its release, the controversy deepened. Many accused the film of exploiting workers for profit, with one popular critique being, “The rich make films about the poor and then ask the poor to pay to watch it.” 　

Upstream received a 6.8/10 rating on China’s leading media review site, Douban, significantly lower than Xu’s 2018 docu-drama Dying to Survive, which scored 9/10. Produced by and starring Xu, Dying to Survive, loosely based on a true story, follows a Chinese leukemia patient who smuggles affordable, unapproved drugs from India to help hundreds of cancer patients in China. 　

While both films offer empathetic depictions of working-class individuals struggling against larger societal forces, many felt Upstream failed to address the root causes of the issues it portrayed. 　

“[Upstream] shows delivery riders’ struggles – unfair treatment from rude customers and merciless security guards, road accidents and strict rules from the delivery platforms, but it doesn’t go deep enough into the systemic problems behind them,” Liu Hong, a 32-year-old service industry worker in Beijing, told NewsChina.　

Still, others defended the film, praising it for shining a light on the food delivery industry, and criticizing the backlash. 　

“If filmmakers stop making films about the working class, this group will disappear from screens entirely. They will forever be invisible. Is that really good for ordinary people?” wrote Douban user “Ah Nuan.” 　

Another Douban user, “Qingshan Yougu,” echoed the sentiment: “Most famous filmmakers and actors are rich but that doesn’t mean they can’t make good films about the poor. The movie delves into the working conditions of labor workers and gives audiences a detailed look at the food delivery industry. This helps people empathize with deliverers. That’s the film’s purpose.” 　

Not many delivery workers have seen the film. “The ticket price is too high. It often costs 50 yuan (US$7) or more,” said 26-year-old Zhang Tian, a rider in Beijing. “I’d rather watch online clips about the film at home.” 　

Sha Mo, a 40-year-old delivery rider, gave the film a positive review, praising it for its realistic portrayal of the industry. He pointed to the “Smile Campaign” as a particularly painful aspect highlighted in the film. 　

Launched by Meituan in 2017, the Smile Campaign is a daily mandatory face-scanning check system that randomly requires riders to verify their identity by smiling at their phone’s camera. Riders must stop what they are doing and complete the scan, from chest to head, within five minutes. 　

The system is designed to ensure that delivery workers are properly dressed and wearing helmets. Failing the scan can result in fines ranging from 200 to 1,000 yuan (US$28-140), and in some cases, suspension from the platform for three days or more. 　

“Rain or shine, the system suddenly demands you smile for a face-scan. If your phone malfunctions, you could fail the check and be severely punished,” he told NewsChina. 

“While the film addresses many relatable social issues... it doesn’t dive deeper into any one issue. Instead, it collages many topics together in a lighthearted way,” Zhou wrote in his article “Upstream: the Dialectics of Reality and the Shift of Focus” for newspaper Guangming Daily. 　

Zhou noted that the film loses some of its critical edge in the latter half, shifting focus from social inequality to celebrating individual perseverance and hard work. 　

The mixed reception has impacted the film’s box office performance. Initially, analysts predicted Upstream would gross over 1 billion yuan (US$140m) on a budget of 200 million yuan (US$28m). As of August 26, it had only brought in 335 million yuan (US$43.5m). According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the final box office could cap at 374 million (US$52.6m), much lower than initial projections. 　

During a meet-and-greet in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on August 13, Xu Zheng responded to the criticism. “I think it’s getting harder to make a film now. You can’t make a film that pleases everyone. Different people see different details and have different expectations,” he said. “But it’s unfair to harshly criticize a film without even watching it.” 　

Xu said that Upstream focuses on two professions – delivery riders and tech workers – whose challenges are shared with many others in society: “We wanted to show how common middle-aged struggles can be. They have to care for aging parents, raise young children and pay housing loans.” 　

“Through the story of one character, we hope to convey that hard work and resilience deserve respect,” Xu added. 　

Controversy aside, the film has sparked some positive changes. On August 16, traffic police in Changsha, Hunan Province, posted a clip from Upstream on Weibo to announce the opening of 61 traffic police booths as rest stops for delivery riders. 　

Open from 9 am to 10 pm, these booths offer riders shelter from the weather, as well as free services like water, medicine, phone chargers and disposable rain coats. 　

“Films may not change reality, but they can change hearts,” Xu said at the August 10 screening. “I hope audiences will give delivery riders a five-star rating next time after watching the film. In life, we all face uncertain and vulnerable moments, but don’t forget to treat others with kindness and give ourselves a five-star review, too… That’s the message I hope this film delivers.”