Once Upon a Time in the Middle East Review – China’s Oscar Entry Is the Most Heartbreaking War Movie of 2026

As the world appears to be a cauldron threatening to boil over and burn everybody, Wen Muye’s Once Upon a Time in the Middle East couldn’t have come at a better time. This war film isn’t about glory, or who’s right and who’s wrong in a conflict; instead, it demonstrates how war destroys and never solves anything.

Shen Teng plays Xu Fu, a Chinese chef who’s working to pay off a debt back home and moves to the fictional Middle Eastern city of Bahata to cook at the Loong Restaurant, which is owned by government official Zaid (Sherif Sobhy). Xu befriends restaurant manager Ma Junsheng (Jiang Qiming) and the city’s orphans, especially the young and troublesome Seif (Omar Sherif), while Loong Restaurant develops a reputation for its authentic Chinese cuisine and Xu’s excellent food.

After American forces strike Bahata, Xu attempts to head back home; however, Zaid strikes a deal with him to stay on and cook. Xu agrees, taking Seif on as his apprentice. As fate would have it, Xu’s cooking attracts American soldiers, who become regular guests at the establishment. The restaurant, and Xu, become rich during these times of war, but after a tragedy befalls Zaid, everything changes.

By inserting Xu as the outsider in Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, Wen creates a neutrality in the protagonist and avoids the film becoming war propaganda for either side. It is about America’s conflict in the Middle East, specifically the Iraq War, and all the death and destruction that took place (and continues to take place) in the region.

While Wen doesn’t pick sides here, he displays the utter brutality and savagery of war, and what it does to everybody, from soldiers to children. The film is a gut-wrenching and emotional lesson in how nobody is left better off after a conflict. The trauma breaks spirits and leaves a lifetime of lasting damage, proving that war only benefits those who profit from it financially or through the spreading of ideology.

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Once Upon a Time in the Middle East handles its characters as complex and layered individuals. Hardly anyone is portrayed as an all-powerful hero or full-blown villain, as the story demonstrates how the evolving situation around them changes who they are and how they make their decisions. Seif’s arc, for instance, is a thread intertwined with many of the other main characters, shifting from hopeful to resentful, then back again. If Seif hadn’t had the intervention and friendship of the people he met along the way, he might have had a tragic fate.

Shen Teng’s performance as Xu Fu needs to be highlighted for special praise here. Xu is a flawed human being, but his heart remains in the right place. He isn’t a soldier, nor somebody with combat skills, but he displays bravery and courage in a war that he has no involvement in. His compassion for others, even when it puts him in the line of danger, showcases how the best of humanity can still shine in the darkest moments. His jovial friendship with Ma, wonderfully portrayed by the charismatic Jiang Qiming, keeps the hope alive that there are still people who will do the right thing even if it costs them everything in the process.

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. It’s both a reminder of the best and worst of humanity, making you understand how war is never the answer. While the overall message encourages peace, the film doesn’t hide from the fact that it’s an uphill journey to achieve it. There’s Oscar buzz around Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, and it deserves every ounce (and more) of praise it has earned.

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Once Upon a Time in the Middle East opened in US and Canadian theaters on October 9 via Well Go USA. It is China’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards and has topped CN¥2.361 billion (more than $360 million) at the Chinese box office.