A low-budget animated film about a young cow, Niu Lai, earned less than $1,000 in its opening week but later surged to Rmb29mn ($4.3mn) in ticket sales, according to Maoyan, appearing in recent daily top‑10 box office rankings behind Hollywood blockbusters such as *The Odyssey* and *Spider‑Man: Brand New Day*. Made by a mother‑and‑son duo in the northern city of Dalian and released in early August, the film relies on unusually basic animation and sound effects that contrast starkly with big‑budget CGI productions. Thomas Hale reports that many viewers in China relished the film’s technological limitations in the age of AI, likening its cult status to that of the critically panned American film The Room (2003).

"Frankly, if the production quality were slightly better, it might not have been as hilarious," said Zhang Tongjia, 24, who works in the toy industry, after watching the film in Shanghai. "It’s good because it’s not good." Vinci Xu, who works in the AI software industry, added that the film “doesn’t try to impose strange values on the audience.” At a Shanghai cinema, attendees chuckled throughout the 86‑minute story of a bovine hero encountering a snake and a leopard, while viral references spread on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Weibo, including an AI‑generated remake of a pivotal river‑jump scene.

The phenomenon reflects broader trends: China’s domestic box office receipts reached Rmb52bn ($7.7bn) last year, higher than 2024 but below pre‑pandemic levels, with over 1,000 new cinemas opened. Industry observers note a backlash against mainstream cinema and a appreciation for homegrown, grassroots works. As one popcorn attendant put it, "Even if it’s really bad, so what? How bad can it be?"