Trailer for Zhang Yimou’s New Thriller SCARE OUT Teases a High-Stakes Spy Hunt
CMC Pictures has unveiled the official trailer for Scare Out, the latest feature from legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, and it looks slick, intense, and packed with paranoia.
Scare Out dives into a contemporary world of espionage where suspicion spreads fast and no one is truly in the clear. The story revolves around a dangerous breach involving classified information tied to a new Chinese fighter jet, setting off a relentless internal investigation.
What starts as a hunt for an outside traitor quickly turns inward, pushing trust to the breaking point inside the national security team itself. The trailer leans hard into that tension, pairing sleek surveillance tech with sharp editing, drone-heavy visuals, and pulse-pounding car chases that suggest this might be one of Yimou’s most kinetic films yet.
The cast is led by Jackson Yee, alongside Zhu Yilong, Song Jia, Lei Jiayin, Yang Mi, and Nathaniel Boyd. Each appears to be playing characters with something to hide, and the trailer clearly enjoys keeping viewers guessing about who’s loyal and who’s playing a longer game.
It has the feel of a high-tech cat-and-mouse thriller, polished and tense, with more than a few standout set pieces teased along the way.
Here’s the official synopsis provided for the film: “Important intelligence of our country was leaked. The national security team immediately launched an operation, vowing to track down the traitor behind it.
“However, the arrest operations suffered consecutive setbacks, making the situation increasingly tense. As the investigation deepened, the suspicion pointed to within the national security team itself. Amidst the whirlpool of trust and betrayal, a silent battle was quietly unfolding.”
Scare Out continues an incredibly prolific run for Zhang Yimou, whose filmography includes Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Shadow, Cliff Walkers, Full River Red, and Under the Light.
The movie looks like a glossy, big-screen experience that mixes grounded suspense with large-scale action. There’s a sense that the film is as interested in psychological pressure as it is in spectacle, which is a combination Yimou has played with before to great effect.
CMC Pictures will debut Scare Out in U.S. and Canadian theaters on February 17th, 2026, day-and-date with its China release.