Initially derided by audiences for its poor quality, Niu Lai – a home-made, micro-budget animated feature film – has become a cultural sensation in China, one that is being belatedly championed for its wholesome messaging and lo-fi aesthetics.Since premiering in cinemas on August 5, the unlikely commercial hit has taken more than 45 million yuan (US$6.7 million) at the box office and inspired a stream of memes online – as well as a wide range of unlicensed merchandise – in a grass-roots phenomenon that nobody could have predicted.Written and directed by first-time animator Xin Yumeng and his 60-year-old mother, Sun Lifang, Niu Lai tells the story of the eponymous young ox calf, who cannot walk. After befriending a skylark, the timid calf slips into a dream, where he stands up on his hind legs and embarks on a formative journey.In the dream, Niu Lai encounters a snake, a brave leopard protector and a pack of ferocious wolves. As he and his mother travel with their herd across a hostile wilderness, the calf learns to fend for himself, discovering the importance of family and friendship before waking from his dream and taking his first courageous steps into a larger, enlightened world.01:50Chinese film Niu Lai is so bad it became a box office smashXin, who is based in Dalian in China’s Liaoning province, created Niu Lai over five years using second-hand computer equipment bought online to animate a story penned by his mother. The pair provided the voices for all the characters and even composed and performed the film’s theme song.