So bad it became good? How Chinese animated film Niu Lai turned into a viral hit

Chinese animated film Niu Lai, created entirely by a director and his mother over five years, looked destined to be a box-office flop after critics panned its rough animation and viewers struggled with its surreal plot. It made just over 7,700 yuan (US$1,000) when it first hit cinemas. Then the internet got involved. Clips of its unusual-looking characters went viral, turning the film into a meme and sending curious moviegoers to cinemas. On one Sunday alone, it raked in around 5.6 million yuan (US$830,450). So what exactly made this unlikely flop worth watching? #niulai #china #chinanews Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia