On August 19, 2026, according to Maoyan data, the box office of the movie “牛來” (Niu Lai) exceeded 27 million yuan (RMB). The film, which gained unexpected popularity due to its rough production, received a commentary from renowned filmmaker Zhang Xiaomin.
On August 19, Zhang Xiaomin, who has moved to Canada, posted on the overseas social platform X, saying, “This is a wildly popular ‘anti-intellectual’ film in China.”
Zhang Xiaomin expressed her thoughts upon receiving the entire film, feeling embarrassed to even call such a rough production a movie. She re-subtitled the film and made some simple modifications, stating, “Otherwise, it would be unbearable to watch.”
As she watched and made changes, she ended up finishing it without realizing, “To be honest, as a member of the film industry, I was shocked by the poorly done 3D modeling, extremely poor script, and rough production that was like a PowerPoint. It made me wonder – what on earth is this? Is it specifically made for four-year-old children?”
However, after watching till the end, Zhang Xiaomin not only didn’t dislike it, but even felt a bit relieved, “I’ve had my fill of all those meticulously crafted good films from around the world. It’s actually this kind of straightforward, somewhat comical roughness that resonates with me as an insider in the industry, sparking memories of my childhood and children’s childhood.”
“The logic is simple, because mothers and us as mothers – we always tell children a very simple truth: wherever you fall down, get up from there, as long as you keep moving forward, you win. This film tells exactly that.”
“This film doesn’t put on airs, it simply repeats the words said by mothers around the world throughout history. That’s what makes this film so touching.”
However, Zhang Xiaomin expressed surprise that “牛來” was able to obtain the “Film Public Screening Permit” and entered national theaters.
First, how did it get the Dragon Label (referring to the “Film Public Screening Permit”)?
“When we were young and submitted films for review, if a shot was slightly out of focus, or the sound had some flaws, we were ordered to take it back for rework. Because filmmaking is never a one-person job, even a small defect required the entire cast and crew of hundreds to regroup and work overnight. At that time, we were so humble in front of the film censorship authorities. How did ‘牛來’ with such quality pass the review?”
Second, how did it boldly enter the national theatrical release?
“From the fundamental technical and industry standards, it simply didn’t qualify for theatrical release. Yet, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and the distribution department let it play in theaters so effortlessly?”
Public reports indicate that the film obtained the national film bureau’s Public Screening Permit in 2024 and officially premiered on August 5, 2026.
Moreover, Hong Kong veteran film critic Feng Yiqian believes that for an amateur animation, “牛來” is not a bad film, let alone a cult film. Its sudden popularity, in essence, is just an aberrant phenomenon born out of internet culture in a distorted society.