Recently-released Chinese film Niu Lai has scripted history in the most unlikely way possible. The low-budget 86-minute-long film, made by a self-taught filmmaker and his mother, was was produced on a tiny budget of roughly $47 to $200 (about ¥1,000 to ¥1,600) but has now surpassed $3 million at the box office, giving blockbusters like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day a run for its money. The animated film has now breached Obsession to become the most-profitable movie ever.

While critics and even initial audiences panned Niu Lai after its release on August 5, viewers' curiosity to know how bad the film is, became the reason for its box office success. Initial viewers described its visuals as being "disaster-level," and even "worse than AI". The film earned just ¥7,000 ($1,038) during its first 10 days, but then the footfalls grew massively, thanks to its discovery on the internet worldwide. Clips from the poorly-animated movie began circulating widely, sparking a memefest on social media.

Earlier Curry Barker's horror hit Obsession, earned the coveted title after grossing over $488 million worldwide, after being made under just $1 million. Niu Lai has now breached that by earning a staggering 15,500 times its budget.

Niu Lai, which translates to The Cow is Coming, follows a timid newborn calf of the same name. Safe in the shelter of his mother and herd, his life changes when he follows a skylark into a surreal, long dream sequence. During this abstract journey, he encounters a spirit snake and a leopard, and confronts deep themes of life, death, love, and courage.

Directed by Xin Yumeng from a screenplay by Sun Lifang, Niu Lai stars Yumeng and Lifang themselves in the lead roles. Xin Yumeng is a 34-year-old landscape architect who embarked on the project alongside his mother, Sun Lifang, who works for a state-owned company. Neither had formal training or prior experience in the field, so they taught themselves everything they needed, including animation, screenwriting and voice acting. Sun Lifang also wrote the theme song, which has since gained popularity among audiences.