IT'S MY TIME (魔方小姐) (2026)

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Bai Xue
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Liu Haoran, Sa Rina, Bai Ke, Han Tongsheng, Qi Xi, Liu Yang
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: Golden Village and Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 23 July 2026

Synopsis: Zhao Yanhong (Michelle Yeoh) is a seventy-year-old rebel whose spirit lives thirty years in the future. Refusing to accept a predictable, dull life in a nursing home, she constantly stirs up trouble as her way of fighting back against aging and the hand fate has dealt her. A twist of fate collides her world with Wu Youwei (Liu Haoran), a former champion of the World Cubing Championship (WCC). Once a titan of the sport, he has fallen from grace, reducing his genius to cheap parlor tricks in bustling night markets—a brilliant slacker living by the code of absolute apathy. Driven by Zhao’s relentless passion and infectious energy, the fallen prodigy becomes her personal Magic Cube coach. Armed with the Magic Cube, this mismatched duo embarks on an inspiring, age- defying journey. Facing the skepticism of onlookers and the physical limitations of her aging body, Zhao Yanhong starts learning from scratch. Twist by twist, as she learns to solve the cube, she begins to untangle a lifetime of regrets and emotional knots. Against all odds, she breaches the grand stage of international competition— shattering expectations to prove that no matter the age, life still holds infinite possibilities.

Movie Review:

Michelle Yeoh's career has taken her across continents and genres. Long before she became an Oscar winner, she was already a household name in Chinese-language cinema with classics such as Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

In recent years, she has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in Hollywood through blockbusters like Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) and Wicked (2024). That is why there is something especially heartwarming about seeing her return to a Chinese-language production in Bai Xue's It's My Time.

Not only does she speak Mandarin, she also slips effortlessly into Cantonese throughout the film — and yes, hearing the ever-elegant Yeoh unleashing a string of colourful Cantonese expletives is unexpectedly delightful.

Inspired by the true story of Zhao Wenying, a retired teacher who became a national sensation and a record-breaking star after taking up the Rubik's Cube at an older age, the film follows an elderly lady who discovers an extraordinary talent for speedcubing late in life. It is a premise that immediately lends itself to an uplifting crowd-pleaser, celebrating the idea that dreams need not come with an expiry date.

The story is undeniably feel-good and refreshingly wholesome. Audiences will have little difficulty embracing a narrative centred on an elderly woman who rediscovers purpose and dares to pursue something many would dismiss as impossible.

While the concept itself feels novel, the screenplay unfolds along a fairly familiar path. The protagonist realises her gift, enjoys a period of success, allows confidence to cloud her judgment, suffers a setback before ultimately learning an important lesson and finding redemption. None of these beats are particularly surprising, but they are executed with enough sincerity to remain engaging.

Michelle Yeoh is, unsurprisingly, the film's greatest strength. Compared to her role in the Wicked films, where much of her performance relied on icy authority and controlled expressions, It's My Time allows the veteran actress to display an impressive emotional range. She conveys stubbornness, vulnerability, humour and determination with remarkable ease, reminding audiences why she has remained one of Asia's finest actresses since the 1980s. It is a performance filled with warmth and authenticity, and one that deserves generous applause.

Alongside her is Liu Haoran, who plays her young coach. His natural charisma and youthful earnestness make him an appealing screen partner for Yeoh, and the intergenerational dynamic between mentor and student becomes one of the film's greatest pleasures.

Beyond the Rubik's Cube competitions, the film quietly explores themes that will resonate strongly with audiences across Asia. The evolving relationship between mother, son and daughter-in-law reflects familiar family dynamics that many viewers will recognise, while the touching friendship between two elderly women offers some of the film's most affecting moments. Their companionship, tested by time and circumstance, also prompts reflection on the realities of ageing and life in a nursing home, reminding us how meaningful human connection remains in one's later years.

Director Bai Xue balances humour, emotion and inspiration with a light touch, ensuring the film never loses its accessibility. While It's My Time may not reinvent the sports-drama formula, it succeeds where it matters most. Anchored by another wonderful Michelle Yeoh performance and supported by an earnest ensemble, it is an uplifting reminder that passion, friendship and purpose can arrive at any stage of life. Sometimes, a simple feel-good movie is exactly what audiences need.

Movie Rating:

(Michelle Yeoh shines in a warm, uplifting crowd-pleaser about proving it's never too late to chase a dream)

Review by John Li