How a ‘rough’ and ‘crude’ Chinese cartoon ox went from box office zero to hero

Widely panned on its release, Niu Lai has become the summer’s most surprising smash hit despite competition from The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

A raw, handcrafted Chinese animation has become an unlikely box-office sensation despite being widely panned by critics and social media users. Niu Lai, or The Arrival of the Ox, has been criticised for its “rough” and “broken” style and a plot that many viewers found hard to follow. But the film has generated some of