Abstract: The subject of the research is the genre expectations of Russian viewers and the differences in reviews of Chinese films. The object of the study consists of 169 reviews of six films of different genres published on the "KinoPoisk" website. The article examines the sources of expectations and the criteria that viewers use after watching. Such sources include Russian-language titles, trailers, genre labels, images of actors, and previous adaptations. The reviews analyze judgments about the plot, characters, visual solutions, scientific logic, and historical accuracy. Special attention is paid to the discrepancies between expectations and the actual content of the film. The aim of the research is to determine why such discrepancies lead to positive, negative, or neutral reviews and how prior genre experience affects the viewer's position. Qualitative content analysis of reviews, thematic coding, and comparative analysis were used. Out of 169 reviews, 35 were selected for an in-depth study. The novelty of the research lies in distinguishing between expectations before viewing and criteria arising after acquaintance with the film. Explicit expectations were found in 12 reviews. In 11 cases, they did not match the content of the film. However, among these reviews, there were positive, negative, and neutral ones. Therefore, the discrepancy with expectations does not itself determine the viewer's position. It is more important for the reviewer to be willing to reconsider initial demands and accept the new semantic center of the film. It was found that genre experience and comparison with similar works are more frequently the basis for judgments than other factors. Technical and visual quality contributes to the acceptance of the film but does not replace a clear plot, convincing character motivation, and accessible cultural-historical context. Russian-language materials related to films should more accurately reflect their genre and main content.

Keywords: Russian audiences, Chinese Film, genre expectations, audience reception, online reviews, KinoPoisk, differences in reviews, intercultural communication, film circulation, genre conventions