A contemporary fable about life's up and downs, Upstream casts an eye on the millions of people trying to get by as gig workers in China. After a combination of bad luck, medical bills and an impulsive decision, programmer Gao Zhilei (played by director Xu Zheng) finds his comfortable middle-class existence has suddenly evaporated. Turning to delivery driving to support his family, Gao is thrown into a chaotic world ruled by algorithms and customer feedback, but newfound solidarity with his fellow drivers is tested when he has a chance to return to his old white collar life.

Xu Zheng's previously co-produced film Dying to Survive courted controversy by satirising corruption in China's healthcare industry, and Upstream has attracted a divided response of its own. Does it provide a grounded (if amplified) portrayal of the dangerous conditions, long hours and fierce competition faced by delivery drivers, or champion grit and determination as a path to success? Regardless of whether it's enough of a radical polemic, this is a richly engaging portrait of life in Shanghai and the challenges of surviving in a rapidly changing economy.