Recently, the China Film Archive disclosed the findings from its 2024 National Day audience satisfaction survey, which reported an impressive satisfaction score of 83.3 for this year’s holiday film lineup—a slight increase of 0.5 points from last year.
Among the eight films assessed, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” emerged as the standout, achieving a notable score of 86.0. Other films that performed well included “Fire Road,” “Panda Plan,” and “Only This Green,” all scoring above 83. This year’s selection showcased a rich tapestry of films featuring talents from older, middle-aged, and younger generations, highlighting a broad spectrum of genres and fresh releases.
The survey revealed satisfaction levels across three key indices, with the 2024 National Day film lineup scoring 83.2 for viewing experience, 83.9 for thematic depth, and 82.8 for communicative reach. These scores reflect gains of 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 points respectively compared to last year.
Directed by Chen Kaige, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” not only ranked first overall but also topped all three main satisfaction indices. This film, which delves into the profound significance of the Battle of the Iron Origin during the Korean War, taps into deep patriotic sentiments, touching family relationships, and camaraderie among soldiers, resonating strongly with audiences. Its thematic depth score was particularly remarkable at 87.1.
In the 2024 National Day survey, seven of the eight films received a “satisfactory” rating from viewers. Five films scored above 82, and four exceeded 83—the combined tally of films scoring over 82 from the previous two National Day releases.
Looking at individual ratings, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” led with a score of 86.0, surpassing the second film, “Fire Road,” by 2.7 points. Remarkably, this sequel improved its satisfaction rating by 2.2 points compared to its predecessor, “The Volunteers: The Spirit of War,” released in 2023, showcasing notable advancements across all indices—especially in viewing experience, which surged by 2.3 points. This stands in contrast to the common industry belief that sequels often falter compared to their originals, illustrating that “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” achieved a noteworthy level of quality that connected well with audiences.
The variety of films available for this National Day encompassed traditional genres like comedy, action, drama, and animation, alongside innovative formats such as dance poetry and adventure fantasy. The survey showed that 28.4% of general audiences and 27.4% of professional viewers considered the range of options to be “very good” and “rich,” indicating respective increases of 7.1% and 0.3% from the previous year.
This diverse lineup has offered audiences a vibrant viewing experience, catering to various age groups and preferences, enabling them to find films that resonate with their tastes.
In terms of audience consensus, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” and “Fire Road” ranked first and third, respectively, in different audience categories, while the lowest-rated films, “Amazing Good People” and “Room 749,” placed seventh and eighth. Notably, “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival” garnered unanimous acclaim.
Breaking down specific ratings, this film secured nine out of ten top positions in the general audience evaluation metrics, excelling in areas such as story appeal, visual effects, positive messaging, and thematic depth, where it led the survey significantly.
The organizers pointed out that with the rapid evolution of cultural and social content, which faces increasing competition from offline cultural tourism and online short dramas, filmmakers must pay close attention to audience feedback. This approach will help them craft more acclaimed works like “The Volunteers: The Battle of Survival,” encouraging viewers to visit theaters and remain engaged with the film market, ultimately enhancing visibility for diverse and innovative content.
