Uh, can I get a refund after watching the movie? Recently, the latest box office figures for the domestic animated film "Niu Lai" were revealed. This animated work, which obtained a public screening license and entered theaters, accumulated a total box office of only 7,169 yuan over nine days, with a total of just 236 attendees. The highest single-day attendance was merely a dozen people, setting a new low for all theatrical animated films released in 2026.
Before its release, the film had virtually no promotional activities. The few viewers attracted by the sole ink-wash style poster bought tickets only to be greatly disappointed. The main feature presented rough 3D visuals, with stiff and jerky character animations throughout, and dialogue that felt awkward and disjointed. Many viewers left the theater saying they wanted to cry.
Directed by Xin Yumeng and written by Sun Lifang, "Niu Lai" is produced by Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film & Television Media Co., Ltd. It is marketed as a 2D ink-wash style animated film. The original story framework follows a young grassland cow named "Niu Lai" who enters a dream world with a skylark, using a series of adventures to convey a heartwarming theme of growth and responsibility.
Unlike the vast majority of theatrical films that follow standard distribution paths, "Niu Lai" adopted an extreme release model with zero promotion and zero预热 (pre-heating).
Before its online release, no trailers were published, and no creators participated in roadshow promotions. Across all public online channels, only one ink-wash style poster could be found, with almost no other pre-release promotional materials visible. It was a typical case of an unannounced "stealth release."
The film's narrative completeness fails to meet the basic standards for a normal viewing experience, making its collapse in reputation upon release inevitable. However, completely contrary to everyone's expectations, it accidentally went viral online due to its "so bad it's good" novelty attribute, with many netizens treating it as an absurd piece of contemporary performance art.
The public comment section for the film has seen a rare polarization. On one side, numerous netizens have left ironic five-star reviews filled with memes; on the other, there are rational critiques seriously criticizing the film's production quality. This low-budget animated feature, with its modest total cost, has unexpectedly garnered online attention far exceeding its box office performance.