Niu Lai is the definition of a “so bad it’s good” phenomenon. The Chinese animated film, released on August 5 with no fanfare and minimal promotion, made just 342 yuan on opening day (roughly $48 USD). After nine days, it had earned approximately 7,169 yuan with fewer than 300 viewers. Then the internet discovered it.
As with all good things, the meme-worthy film went viral on social media—and its box office exploded. Niu Lai has since brought in about 14.9 million yuan (roughly $2.08 million USD), a staggering climb from its opening weekend numbers. The movie was such a small project that it doesn’t even have promotional posters; theater staff had to improvise.
@chinaminutes How did a film like this actually make it into cinemas? 😭 Chinese animated film Niu Lai has become an unexpected viral sensation — not for its stunning visuals, but because viewers couldn’t believe just how rough the animation looked. Released on August 5 with virtually no promotion, the film made just ¥342 on its first day and only ¥7,169 ($1,000) after nine days, with just 236 people having watched it. Then the internet discovered it. Clips of its crude 3D models, unusual animation and bizarre scenes began circulating across Chinese social media, with viewers joking that it looked like something “even AI couldn’t generate.” Others admitted they knew it was bad but still wanted to see just how bad it could possibly be. The result? Its box office exploded to around ¥14.9 million ($2.1M) as cinemas added more screenings to meet the sudden demand. But the story gets even stranger. Niu Lai was made almost entirely by director Xin Yumeng and his mother, Sun Lifang, who reportedly spent around five years creating it without a conventional production team. Its distributor later revealed that Xin was an acquaintance and that they had actually tried to persuade him not to release the film after seeing it. Xin insisted, so they ultimately helped bring it to cinemas. 💭 Would you pay to watch a movie just to see how bad it really is?👇🏼 #viralmovie#failed#animation#chinesemovie#cinema♬ original sound – China Minutes
According to China Minutes, the film was almost entirely worked on by director Xin Yuman and his mother, Sun Lifang, who spent five years creating it. The distributor, an acquaintance of Xin, reportedly attempted to persuade him not to release it after watching it—but the director persisted.
Fans of the viral film joke that “even AI couldn’t generate” something like this. Despite the light-hearted teasing, the trending videos across social media show that Niu Lai has brought genuine joy to its viewers.
Niu Lai is a rare case of internet virality turning a box office disaster into a cultural moment. With less than 300 initial viewers and a five-year production history, it’s the kind of underdog story that only the internet could create. Check out the memes while they’re hot.
Source: TikTok
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