An animated movie from China about a cow stuck in an elaborate dream has made its way from Chinese social media to North America, and everyone wants to know what it's all about.

The movie is called Niu Lai, and similarly to films like The Room, it's being touted as so low-budget and poorly made that you have to watch it.

But what is it about Niu Lai that makes it so interesting, and why has it become such a big meme on social media? Here's what you need to know.

@joyrun80 #china #film #fyp #niulai ♬ original sound – polarPuffin

What Is 'Niu Lai?'

Niu Lai is a low-budget, Chinese animated movie from director in Yumeng and produced by Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media.

The production company used to be an interior design firm. The film is about a cowardly cow who ends up navigating a dreamscape that teaches him to be brave.

The movie is most notable for its poor animation and its lack of marketing, which includes being shipped to theaters without an official poster, meaning theater employees had to draw their own posters to advertise the film.

Niu Lai was a flop when it first hit Chinese theaters, making very little money in its first week. Now, however, the tides are turning.

How Is 'Niu Lai' Discussed Online, And Why Is It Going Viral?

As word of Niu Lai's poor overall quality spread on Chinese social media, it inspired people to go and see the movie out of curiosity. They wanted to see if the film was really that bad.

This push has now rebranded the film as a "so bad it's good" viewing experience, similar to the ironic fandom that exploded around 2022's Morbius film.

Now, Niu Lai has made over 28 million Yuan, which translates to over $3 million USD. The film has inspired edits and memes on social media, and its status as a film worth watching simply for the spectacle has now spread to North American social media.

Clips of the film are now going viral on sites like TikTok, and an English-subbed version of the movie is even spreading online, allowing as many people as possible to get in on the fun.

@wekaypoh With tickets priced at just S$8, Niu Lai has generated a whopping 5,700% return on investment, far exceeding Ne Zha’s 817% #niulai #牛来 #china #animation #wekaypoh ♬ original sound – weKaypoh

What Are Some More 'Niu Lai' Reactions?

@mingkinz Chinese guys said that the director did not use AI for this cartoon …. 🤘🤘🤘#牛来 #niulai #bull #movie #cartoon ♬ 原創音樂 – 用户2958085231044

@leo_mystoganno.1 Trả lời @leo_mystoganno.1 ♬ âm thanh gốc – Leo Mystogan🦸‍♂️

@mingkinz 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭Those cows really are so pitiful #niulai #牛来 #cartoon #movie #crash ♬ 原創音樂 – 用户2958085231044

@chinaminutes Niu Lai will return in Avengers: Doomsday. 🥹🥹 Before anyone gets too excited…..it’s just a meme. The clip is a parody created by Chinese netizen Kindsou on Douyin, who decided to give Niu Lai its very own Marvel-style post-credits scene. Niu Lai (《牛来》) started as a small passion project made over five years by Xin Yumeng and his mother, who handled almost everything themselves. Initially seen by almost no one, its bizarre homemade 3D animation eventually caught the internet’s attention, turning the low-budget film into an unexpected viral sensation. Now, Niu Lai has basically become a meme format of its own, spawning endless stickers, inspiring Chinese brands to recreate its distinctive animation style in their ads, and prompting netizens to make their own versions starring themselves and even their pets. And now, the meme is clearly spreading beyond Chinese social media too. At this point, when can we expect Niu Lai 2 to finally come out? 😭 #postcredit #marvel #avengers #niulai #chinesemovie ♬ original sound – China Minutes

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For the full history of Niu Lai, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.