Plastic film mulching can control soil water content in the root zone under ground cover rice production system. With this system rainfall water can be fully used with the supplement of irrigations at appropriate amount and frequency. Based on previous research, the effects of plastic film mulching on soil water and heat, soil nutrients, greenhouse gas emission, and rice growth were summarized under ground cover rice production system in this paper. Moreover, the reasons of the yield change in different areas were analyzed and the mechanisms of water use efficiency enhancement were discussed. It is suggested that the water heat transfer process, the optimal selection of mulch materials, and the rice yield increase in different areas are the primary areas and directions for the future research on ground cover rice production with plastic film mulching.