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Spoiler-Free Summary

Reset (2017) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 105 min · English
Echo score 54
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Directed by
Chang, Hong Seung Yoon
Starring
Wallace Huo, Mi Yang, Shi-Jye Jin, Chang Liu, Guangxu Luo, Hee-won Kim

Following a groundbreaking discovery in time travel, scientist Xia Tian finds her life and work threatened when a kidnapper takes her young son. Forced to rewind 110 minutes into the past to save him, Xia Tian confronts various versions of her future self. Together, they must navigate a complex web of timelines to rescue the boy and protect her research from falling into the kidnapper's hands, all while unraveling the mysteries of time itself.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What it is about
  3. 3 Is it worth watching?
  4. 4 After you watch
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Reset
  7. 7 Every angle
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Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is Reset About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of Reset (2017) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

In a near‑future world where the boundaries between dimensions are finally within reach, a cutting‑edge research hub has unlocked the secret to bending time itself. The atmosphere hums with a blend of sterile laboratory precision and the electric anticipation of a discovery that could rewrite humanity’s understanding of reality. Yet the promise of such power casts a long, uneasy shadow over every experiment, hinting at consequences far beyond the lab’s white walls.

At the heart of this fragile equilibrium is Xia Tian, a brilliant scientist whose dedication to the project is matched only by the quiet strength she draws from her role as a mother. Her brilliance is tempered by the everyday pressures of balancing groundbreaking research with the tender responsibilities of parenthood, creating a character whose resolve is both intellectual and deeply personal. The stakes rise when forces beyond her control threaten both her life's work and the safety of her young son.

When that threat materializes in a desperate act that tears her family apart, Xia Tian is forced to turn the very invention she helped create into a desperate lifeline. By rewinding a precise 110 minutes, she steps into a version of the present that is both familiar and unsettling, confronting multiple iterations of herself. This encounter with alternate selves sets the stage for a tense exploration of identity, choice, and the ripple effects of each decision across converging timelines.

The film weaves a mood that oscillates between high‑octane scientific intrigue and intimate emotional urgency. Its visual palette juxtaposes sleek, cold corridors with moments of warm, human vulnerability, while the narrative pulse constantly asks how far one will go when the fabric of time itself becomes a tool for salvation. The result is a thoughtful, suspenseful meditation on the price of discovery and the lengths a parent will travel to protect what matters most.

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 16:53

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What to expect

Is Reset Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of Reset (2017) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen Reset? Now Read the Spoilers

Once you have watched Reset (2017), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning.

Movie threads

More Movies Like Reset, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Reset tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Time Loop Desperation Movies like Reset

Stories where protagonists face overwhelming odds by reliving the same critical event. This section features movies like Reset, where characters are forced to relive a traumatic event in a frantic attempt to change their fate. If you enjoyed the high-stakes tension and emotional burden of navigating collapsing timelines, you'll find similar thrilling and complex sci-fi stories here.

  • desperate
  • tense
  • anxious
  • frantic
  • high-stakes
  • existential
  • Tone: tense, desperate, anxious
  • Pacing: fast, frantic, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative structure is non-linear and often complex, revolving around a pivotal, traumatic event that the protagonist must relive and attempt to alter. Each iteration reveals new complications, forcing the character to make increasingly difficult sacrifices. The journey is less about a simple reset and more about the cumulative emotional and moral weight of each choice.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared core mechanic of time manipulation under extreme duress, a consistently tense and fast-paced tone, and a focus on the heavy emotional consequences of trying to cheat fate. They deliver a specific kind of intellectual and emotional intensity.

Movies about Maternal Sacrifice like Reset

Emotional stories about parents pushed to their absolute limits for their children. Discover movies similar to Reset that explore the powerful theme of a mother's sacrifice. If you were moved by the desperate lengths the protagonist went to save her son, these films offer equally heavy and intense emotional journeys centered on parental love and protection.

  • desperate
  • tragic
  • protective
  • heart-wrenching
  • anxious
  • sacrificial
  • Tone: tense, tragic, heavy
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot is typically triggered by a direct threat to a child, such as kidnapping or harm, forcing the parent into a relentless and often violent confrontation. The parent's character arc is defined by their transformation through trauma, as they shed their former self to become a protector willing to cross any line. The endings are often bittersweet, with survival coming at a great personal cost.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their central theme of sacrificial parenthood, a heavy emotional weight, and high-stakes scenarios that test the limits of a character's love and endurance. They deliver a potent mix of tension, tragedy, and a deeply resonant emotional core.

If you liked this

Movies Like Reset

Similar movies to Reset: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

Reset (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Reset in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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