The Story of Reset: One Mother's Race Against Time
Reset follows Xia Tian, a scientist who's spent years perfecting the impossible—time travel technology that actually works. When she finally achieves what seems like the ultimate breakthrough, her triumph turns to ash in an instant: her young son is kidnapped. Rather than wait for authorities or negotiate with the criminals holding him, Xia Tian makes a desperate decision. She activates her experimental device and sends herself backward through time, hoping to prevent the abduction before it happens. What she discovers instead is far more complicated than a simple do-over. Jumping through time doesn't erase her previous self—it creates parallel versions of her future self, all existing in the same timeline, all aware of the kidnapping, all desperate to save the child. Now, multiple Xia Tians must coordinate across different temporal versions of their own reality to outsmart the kidnappers and bring their son home. It's a high-concept premise that trades straightforward narrative for something messier, more fractured, and ultimately more human.
Behind the Making of Reset: Jackie Chan's Production and International Collaboration
Reset arrived in Chinese cinemas on June 29, 2017, as a co-production that brought together talent from across East Asia. The film was produced by Jackie Chan, the legendary Hong Kong action star whose name alone carries weight in the region's film industry—and whose involvement typically signals ambition beyond a standard thriller. Director Chang, a Korean filmmaker, helmed the project, bringing an outsider's perspective to what could have been a purely Chinese production. The cast assembled around Yang Mi, who carried the film as the fractured protagonist Xia Tian, and Wallace Huo, known for his work in Chinese television and film. Supporting roles featured King Shih-chieh, Liu Chang, Hummer Zhang, Wang Lidan, and Kim Hie-won, creating a genuinely multinational ensemble. The 106-minute runtime gave the filmmakers space to explore the conceptual complications of their premise without feeling rushed—though reviewers would later debate whether all that time was spent wisely. At Movie OTT, we track how international productions like this one navigate distribution across streaming platforms, and Reset's journey to global audiences reflects the growing appetite for non-English sci-fi thrillers in the streaming era.
What Makes Reset Stand Out: The Performances and Fractured Narrative
Yang Mi's performance is the film's central anchor, and she carries the weight of playing not just one protagonist but several versions of the same character at different points in their emotional arc. What's striking is how she manages to make each iteration feel distinct—the desperate first version of Xia Tian who just jumped back in time carries a different energy than her later selves, who've had time to process the situation and strategize. There's a particular scene where multiple versions of herself are forced to confront each other's choices, and the tension between them feels real in a way that could've easily become campy in less capable hands. The film's core idea—that solving a problem doesn't mean avoiding suffering, that time travel creates more complications than it solves—gives the action sequences a philosophical weight they might otherwise lack. It's not just about stopping the kidnapper; it's about whether Xia Tian can trust her own future decisions, whether the versions of herself she encounters are allies or obstacles, whether saving her son is even possible if the timeline keeps fracturing. Critics on IMDb gave the film a 5.7/10 rating, suggesting the execution didn't always match the ambition, but that doesn't mean the core concept failed—sometimes a movie's ideas outpace its ability to dramatize them, and that's not necessarily a failure.
Where to Stream Reset Online
Reset is currently available on Prime Video, where you can stream it as part of your subscription or rent it on demand. If you're hunting for where to watch it, the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page shows real-time availability across all major platforms in your region. Movie OTT keeps those listings updated constantly, so if Reset has moved to another service since this article was published, you'll find that information there. The film's availability varies by country and can shift month to month as licensing agreements change, so checking that widget before you settle in is always worth the extra click.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Reset?
Reset was directed by Korean filmmaker Chang and produced by Jackie Chan. It's a multinational production that brought together talent from China, Korea, and Hong Kong.
Q: What's the runtime of Reset?
The film runs 106 minutes, giving the complex time-travel premise enough breathing room to explore its central conceit without feeling either rushed or bloated.
Q: Is Reset based on a true story?
No, Reset is an original science fiction thriller. The story about time travel and a mother trying to save her kidnapped son is entirely fictional, though it explores themes about parenthood and the limits of control that feel emotionally grounded.
Q: Where can I watch Reset?
Reset is currently available on Prime Video. You can check the "Where to Watch" widget on this page for the most up-to-date streaming availability in your region.
Q: What's the plot of Reset?
A scientist discovers working time-travel technology, but when her son is kidnapped, she jumps backward in time to prevent it. She discovers that her past action creates multiple versions of herself in the same timeline, and all of them must work together to save the child.
Final Thoughts on Reset
Reset isn't a perfect film—the 5.7 IMDb rating reflects real shortcomings in execution—but it's the kind of movie that lingers because it's genuinely trying to do something difficult. Not every ambitious premise lands cleanly, and that's okay. What matters is whether the film respects its own concept enough to follow it through, and Reset mostly does. If you're in the mood for a time-travel thriller that doesn't follow the typical Hollywood playbook, that's willing to get weird with its central idea, and that centers a woman's agency rather than male heroics, it's worth the two hours. Just go in knowing this is a film that prioritizes concept over polish.
