An animated film in China, widely criticized for its rudimentary 3D animation and described by some as “ugly” and “eerie,” has experienced a surprising surge at the box office. The movie, titled “Niulai,” tells the story of a calf who dreams of growing up with his family's help.
Initially, the film saw meager returns after its August 5 release, earning only about 10,000 yuan ($1,480) in its first 10 days. On some days, ticket sales were as low as 200 yuan ($30), according to the movie-tracking platform Maoyan. This performance was particularly low during China's competitive summer movie season.
However, the film's fortunes changed dramatically. By Monday, its box office had climbed to 8.2 million yuan ($1.2 million) with nearly 300,000 admissions, according to Maoyan. The total box office has now reached 17.1 million yuan ($2.5 million).
Red Star News, a local Chinese news outlet, reported that "Niulai" was created over five years by a team of just two individuals: director Xin Yumeng and his mother, Sun Lifan. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify this information.
Promotional materials for the film featured a hand-drawn calf in pen without color, accompanied by slogans such as “Come on over if you’re into the bizarre” and “No refunds.”
On Douban, a popular Chinese movie review platform, the film has been met with a barrage of mocking and bewildered comments. Popular reviews included phrases like “unbelievably terrible and eye-opening” and “a symbol of the new internet troll culture.” One particularly noted comment called it “a must-watch for Chinese stock market investors,” a play on the film's title, "Niulai," which translates to “the bull is coming” in Chinese, a common wish for a bull market.
Many comments on Douban and other platforms sarcastically recommended the film, using phrases like “over nine out of ten” and “awesome and highly recommended.”
Du Mingxi, a 19-year-old college student in Shanghai, described his initial intention as playing pranks on friends by recommending the movie. He successfully convinced two friends to watch it, both of whom found it entertaining, though one reportedly fell asleep. Du compared the phenomenon to the U.S. “six-seven” craze, suggesting some young people are drawn to things they find uniquely weird or funny, often participating in trends without fully understanding them.
“They are just the same, it is funny but hard to describe what's funny about it, and young people just love spreading these memes virally,” Du said.
Despite the widespread criticism and the proliferation of memes, some viewers appreciated the film's unpolished production. Zhong Jiaming, a vocational schoolteacher in Guangzhou, viewed “Niulai” as a refreshing change from films that are “visually exquisite and polished, but their stories can fail to engage.” Zhong described it as “a movie for the young at heart. It is simple and honest, like a bedtime story for children.”