What is Niu Lai? The 'worst' Chinese film beating Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day at box office
There is a special kind of chaos that only the internet can manufacture: the accidental blockbuster. Every few years, some scrappy, threadbare, barely-competent piece of media gets discovered, mocked mercilessly online, and then, instead of dying in a bargain bin, gets carried to glory by the very people laughing at it. This summer, China has produced its purest specimen yet: an 86-minute…
In a peculiar turn of events, a low-budget Chinese animated film has skyrocketed to box office success, outperforming major Hollywood releases. "Niu Lai," an 86-minute movie about a cow having a dream, was released on August 5 with minimal promotion. Despite its amateurish visuals and lackluster reception, the film gained notoriety online and became a meme.
By mid-August, it had amassed more than 14.9 million yuan in revenue, thanks to a surge in screenings and social media buzz. The film's success is attributed to its handcrafted, human-made quality, which some critics praise as evidence of genuine effort. Its rise has caught Hollywood blockbusters like Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" by surprise, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of the box office.
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