Chinese cinema enthusiasts are buzzing over an animated film that stands out for its rudimentary 3D animation and characters labeled as “ugly” and “eerie.” Despite these critiques, the film has sparked intrigue rather than dissuasion.
Titled “Niulai,” the film’s rise in popularity is largely attributed to its scathing online reviews, igniting curiosity and subsequently driving unexpected box office success. The story follows a calf on a journey of personal growth with the support of his family, capturing the hearts of viewers despite mixed reviews.
Initially, the film’s financial performance was underwhelming, amassing around 10,000 yuan ($1,480) in its first ten days post-release on August 5. On some occasions, daily earnings dwindled to a mere 200 yuan ($30), as reported by the movie-tracking platform Maoyan. This paltry income was particularly striking during the bustling summer movie period.
However, a remarkable turnaround saw the film’s box office figures skyrocket to 8.2 million yuan ($1.2 million) by Monday, with almost 300,000 admissions recorded, according to Maoyan. Cumulatively, the film has garnered 17.1 million yuan ($2.5 million), a testament to its growing appeal.
Red Star News, a Chengdu-based local news outlet, uncovered that “Niulai” was a labor of love crafted over the span of five years by a duo—director Xin Yumeng and his mother, Sun Lifan. Attempts to reach Xin for confirmation went unanswered, leaving the Associated Press unable to independently verify this account.
Posters seen at movie theaters featured a calf, hand-drawn in pen without color, alongside handwritten slogans: “Come on over if you’re into the bizarre” and “No refunds.”
A ‘terrible’ movie viewers recommend as a prank
On Douban, a popular Chinese movie-review platform, viewers piled on with mocking and bewildered comments.
Among the most popular: “unbelievably terrible and eye-opening,” “a symbol of the new internet troll culture,” and “a must-watch for Chinese stock market investors.” The last is a play on the film’s name, “Niulai,” which literally means “the bull is coming” in Chinese — a wish for a bull market.
Comments such as “over nine out of ten,” and “awesome and highly recommended” are also among the sarcastic reactions.
“My initial intention has always been to play pranks on my friends,” said Du Mingxi, a 19-year-old college student in Shanghai.
“If a friend asks me what I think about the movie, I’d say good and recommend them to watch,” he said, adding that he successfully tricked two friends to watch the movie with him. Both found it fun, but one fell asleep during the viewing.
Du compared young people going to the movies to see this kind of film to the mysterious “six-seven” craze in the U.S., saying that some are just drawn to things they find weird or funny, with many jumping on a trend whether they get it or not.
“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,” said Du.
Despite the flood of criticism and memes, some viewers didn’t mind the rudimentary production.
Zhong Jiaming, a vocational schoolteacher in Guangzhou, called it a rare find in an era when movies are often “visually exquisite and polished, but their stories can fail to engage.”
“This is a movie for the young at heart,” said Zhong. “It is simple and honest, like a bedtime story for children.”
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