Why China’s WORST Animated Film Is Filling Up Cinemas

China’s latest box-office story isn’t a triumph of filmmaking. It’s a case study in how internet mockery can sell tickets when a movie has almost no advertising and lacks even an official poster. Niu Lai, or The Cow Arrives, has earned about $2.5 million in Chinese theaters as of last week. The money arrived after a miserable start. The film made only $995 during its first nine days after opening August 5. Then viewers began spreading clips and jokes across Weibo and Douyin. Theater workers and fans started drawing their own posters because the movie apparently did not have one. Some viewers joked that the homemade art looked better than the film. The film reportedly follows a calf and a skylark through a dream sequence meant to teach love, courage, perseverance and sacrifice. Online viewers say the story is hard to follow. They also describe square, pixelated characters with blank eyes and robotic movements. ABC News cited one viewer calling it “unbelievably terrible.” Global Times shared comments calling it “worse than AI-generated animation” and “disaster-level.” China Digital Times collected another reaction from the viewing experience: “I watched for an hour and laughed for an...