Once Upon a Time in the Middle East

Play trailer

2:24

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East

Oct 2026

2h 21m

Drama

War

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

One of China's biggest stars, Shen Teng, leads the acclaimed international box office sensation Once Upon a Time in the Middle East. Seeking a fresh start, chef Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to support his family and repay his debts. Alongside restaurant manager Ma Junsheng, he transforms the struggling Dragon Restaurant into a thriving business. But when war engulfs the city, their hard-won success is shattered and the restaurant becomes a refuge for those caught in the conflict. As danger closes in, Xu Fu must risk everything to protect his newfound community and preserve a small beacon of hope amid the devastation.

Joonatan Itkonen

Region Free

1 day ago

5/5

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is an elegant, old-fashioned plea for decency, and it made me cry more than once with both sorrow and joy. I think it will do the same for anyone who sees it, and everyone should.

Go to Full Review

Matt Orozco

Macabre Daily

1 day ago

4/5

Muye Wen has crafted an engaging, emotional, and entertaining film that occasionally feels a bit too tidy, but still weaves an impressively interesting and human story about family, survival, and community.

Go to Full Review

Brandon Avery

Just My Opinion Reviews

4 days ago

9.75/10

Your path to heaven can quickly shift to a path to hell if you’re not careful and fail to prioritize what’s most important in life.

Go to Full Review

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

4 days ago

3.5/4

A very good film about the difference one man makes by refusing to let cynicism overtake his empathy.

Go to Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Oct 13, 2026

4.5/5

Harrowing, heartfelt, beautiful, and agonizing, Muye’s “Middle East” takes inspiration from real events to craft a dramatic adventure which calls to all to sit for a meal before choosing to pick up a sword.

Go to Full Review

Brett Arnold

At the Movies Again

Oct 9, 2026

A heartbreaking, empathetic, and emotional depiction of the harsh and dehumanizing realities of war

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Charlene

2 days ago

Its 2 hours and 20 minutes without a second of boredom or distraction. A absolute must-see. Against the backdrop of war, it focuses entirely on the ordinary "little people." There are no absolute heroes or villains here—just real, layered individuals navigating a cruel era. Their choices, flaws, and struggles feel intensely human and deeply moving. Highly recommended! Kudos to the excellent Chinese film crew!

See more

Paul

Oct 15, 2026

Riveting and jarring super adrenaline packed great film

See more

joy

Oct 15, 2026

A unique and fresh angle to look at war and the people suffering during the wartime. Hopefully it’ll wake up more people to resist war and cherish and protect the peace.

See more

KK

Oct 15, 2026

Rarely give a 10/10 rating, but this movie is so well done, I would be doing an injustice if I didn’t. Amazing storytelling, acting, character choices, everything! Just superb! More people should take chances and watch foreign films. I, too, once didn’t like subtitled movies, but I’m glad I gave it a chance years ago. Now they are some of the better quality films in which American Hollywood cannot deliver. Take the leap. You won’t regret it!!

See more

Anthony C

Oct 14, 2026

awesome! powerful and moving.

See more

Sonja M

Oct 14, 2026

I still loved the move with it's original voice and the subtitles I would see it again

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Muye Wen

Director

Teng Shen

Actor

Qiming Jiang

Actor

Omar Sherif

Actor

Aarif Lee

Actor

Sherif Sobhy

Actor

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Trailer 2

2:24

Now Playing

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Trailer 1

2:16

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

One of China's biggest stars, Shen Teng, leads the acclaimed international box office sensation Once Upon a Time in the Middle East. Seeking a fresh start, chef Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to support his family and repay his debts. Alongside restaurant manager Ma Junsheng, he transforms the struggling Dragon Restaurant into a thriving business. But when war engulfs the city, their hard-won success is shattered and the restaurant becomes a refuge for those caught in the conflict. As danger closes in, Xu Fu must risk everything to protect his newfound community and preserve a small beacon of hope amid the devastation.

Director: Muye Wen
Screenwriter: Qunli Lang, Wei Zhong
Distributor: Well Go USA Entertainment
Genre: Drama, War
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 9, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $413.8K
Runtime: 2h 21m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings