Bad animation, weird plot: How memes turned Chinese movie 'Niu Lai' into a box office hit |
Bad animation, weird plot: How memes turned Chinese movie ‘Niu Lai’ into a box office hit
A low-budget Chinese animation called Niu Lai has turned from an obscure flop into an unlikely box-office sensation. Mocked for its crude graphics and confusing story, the film went viral on social media, with audiences praising its “hand-crafted” look. Its unexpected success has even sparked jokes about China’s stock market.
It had almost no publicity, barely sold any tickets and was mocked for its bizarre plot and rough animation. Then the internet discovered it.
Niu Lai, a tiny Chinese animated film about a cow caught in a dream-like adventure, has transformed into one of the most unexpected box-office stories of the summer.
Niu Lai: From flop to viral
A Chinese animated movie has gone viral after making just $1,000 at the box office, with only around 200 people seeing it Viewers branded its animation “worse than AI” pic.twitter.com/508Qv50g0d — Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 15, 2026
‘Watch it at your own risk’
Clip from Movie Niulai. https://t.co/Y5jsAGpfV3 pic.twitter.com/W8nut4hHEi — Record........