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A little-known Chinese animated film has turned an unlikely weakness into a box office advantage. Niu Lai, a low-budget production featuring a cow and a confusing dream-like storyline, barely attracted audiences when it was released earlier this month. Its fortunes changed after clips from the film spread across Chinese social media, where viewers began poking fun at its unusual plot and rough animation. What started as online mockery soon became genuine curiosity, sending ticket sales sharply higher. The film has now earned millions of yuan and is even competing for attention with major Hollywood releases in Chinese cinemas.

Niu Lai Box Office Surge

According to Chinese movie-tracking platform Mao Yan, Niu Lai earned only 7,705 yuan during its first 10 days in cinemas. Its performance changed dramatically after the film began circulating on social media. The movie has since crossed 11.4 million yuan at the box office. Its sudden rise has placed it alongside major releases such as The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day in the Chinese theatrical market.

Much of the attention comes from people sharing clips of the film and questioning its unusual storyline and basic-looking animation. One widely shared social media post said: “You may regret it for 80 minutes if you watch it, but if you don't, you'll regret it for life.”

Social Media Turns Poor Animation Into A Selling Point

Rather than hiding from the film's rough visuals, viewers have made them the centre of the online conversation. Some users have described its animation as “hand-crafted”, suggesting that the visibly simple work is evidence that the creators did not rely on artificial intelligence. One Weibo user praised it by writing: “That's some serious craftsmanship.”

Another user called the film “pure handmade” and described it as the biggest “dark horse” of the summer movie season. The film has also attracted a different kind of following because of its title. In Chinese, the character associated with a bull/cow is also used in references connected with the stock market. Some users began joking that supporting Niu Lai could help bring a bullish market.

One Weibo user wrote: “If the index reaches 4,000 tomorrow I will go to the cinema to support this movie.” Another comment said: “It is a terrible movie but has a great name.” The unexpected attention has prompted cinemas to add more screenings. Some venues have even created their own hand-drawn promotional posters because the film reportedly did not have a conventional promotional campaign or proper poster.

Beijing News Questions Cinema Screenings

The film's sudden success has not pleased everyone. A commentary published by state-owned Beijing News warned that cinemas could risk “losing the trust” of audiences if they continue adding screenings of films that fall below expected standards.

The commentary argued that Niu Lai had further lowered the bar for poorly made films and called on cinemas to act as “gatekeepers for the audience” rather than simply responding to viral demand. For now, however, the film's unusual journey continues. A production that initially attracted almost no attention has become one of the season's most talked-about releases, largely because audiences could not stop talking about how bad they thought it was.