Movie fans can always tell when a movie has a huge budget, but sometimes, low-budget movies are so well-done we would never imagine they cost so much less than their peers. That's exactly the case for these movies below.
The success of a movie is not necessarily connected to how much it cost. Although money can always help add production value, it's a good idea and a talented cast and crew that can really make a difference in the final result of a cinematic piece. The estimates of budgets for these movies and others can be found on the website The Numbers. Though exact values may be slightly different, this gives a rough idea. Regardless, these films did an excellent job with the resources they had.
Updated on November 8, 2021, by Jake Koran: Low-budget movies require filmmakers to have a thorough understanding of the process of making movies. While a massive budget is extremely helpful, the best low-budget films demonstrate that the most important thing in filmmaking is passion and determination. While "low-budget" can include movies made for a few million dollars, this is not always the case, with some being made for much less. Budding filmmakers can take inspiration from the fact that some low-budget movies can compete with major studio projects in terms of quality.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Budget: $8 Million
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 dramedy road movie that became one of the biggest sales in history when Fox Searchlight Pictures purchased its rights after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The movie cost $8 million to make, and it became a huge box office success, earning $101 million. It was nominated and won several awards, including the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. The movie was very well-accepted by critics and the public, and it was even deemed "Movie of the Year" by the AFI Awards.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Budget: $600,000
The Blair Witch Project is terrifying to the audience but a pleasant delight to the filmmakers who created it. The 1999 independent horror movie was cheap to shoot, and it made a ton of money. The movie grossed $248.6 million worldwide after costing around $600,000 to make. Though there's some controversy regarding the final budget, which varies from 200 to 750 thousand depending on the source, it's undeniable that the profit was remarkable.
The supernatural hit had a clever idea and explored a bold marketing strategy that left the audience aghast. It became a pop culture sensation and launched a media franchise with more movies, books, and games. The Blair Witch Project is also one of the most famous and creative uses of the found footage genre, solidifying its place in the history of horror movies.
Super Size Me (2004) - Budget: $65,000
In 2004, independent documentarist Morgan Spurlock decided to take on a controversial experiment and film it. The result became the movie Super Size Me, in which Spurlock spends a whole month only feeding on McDonald's food to see the effects the high-calorie mega-chain meals would have on him, both physically and psychologically.
The movie cost $65,000 to make, and it earned $22.2 million at the box office. At the time, the documentary generated a big impact, and it raised a lot of questions about the veracity of Spurlock's calorie intake. The movie intended to raise awareness of the growth of obesity in the United States, and it made McDonald's discontinue Super Size meals in its menu. The overall critic and public reception were good, and the movie is considered a big success.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Budget: $1.2 Million
Quentin Tarantino's feature film debut is still one of his most highly regarded, and it was made for a relatively low budget, though the exact figure is uncertain. It follows the members of a group of robbers before and after a job has gone wrong.
It was not hugely successful in the box office, but after Tarantino's growth in popularity following his next films, Reservoir Dogs gained a loyal fanbase. With excellently written dialogue and some brutally violent scenes that Tarantino is known for, there are plenty of things from Reservoir Dogs that still hold up today.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) - Budget: $400,000
Monty Python And The Holy Grail is a 1975 British parody of King Arthur's quest to find the Holy Grail. It is constantly featured in best comedy lists in the US and around the world, but the movie's reputation actually improved with time. The reviews were mixed at the time of its release, though the audience found the movie hilarious and contributed to its $5 million box office haul.
The movie cost around $400,000 pitched in by multiple investors, and it won America's heart after the comedy group's first feature And Now For Something Completely Different, failed to do so. Many people consider this movie a cult classic, and if you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.
Primer (2004) - Budget: $7,000
A staple of independent cinema, Primer was directed by, written by, produced by, and starring Shane Carruth, who also performed various other roles on his passion project. About two friends who accidentally discover time travel, this film does not hold the audience's hand, explaining the process in technical language that makes it seem like two experts are actually speaking to each other.
Carruth made another low-budget classic in the form of Upstream Color in 2013, but Primer is more well known and is an example of the fact that massive budgets are not always necessary for brilliant projects to come to life.
Eraserhead (1977) - Budget: $10,000-$100,000
David Lynch's feature debut, Eraserhead is a 1977 experimental horror masterpiece that established Lynch's style that continued in future films. The movie became a commercial success, grossing over $7 million at the box offices, after only 25 people attended its premiere at the Filmex Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Following the shy opening, the movie had a year-long midnight run in San Franciso, 2-year run in New York, and stayed in theaters for 3 years straight in Los Angeles, between 1978 and 1981. Upon its release, the movie encountered a mix of positive and negative reviews, but in 2004, it was deemed culturally significant enough to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. Estimates for the budget of Eraserhead vary, with The Numbers putting the figure at $100,000 and IMDb estimating the number at $10,000. In any case, the film was a huge success that is still beloved among cinema fans to this day.
Lost In Translation (2003) - Budget: $4 Million
Sofia Coppola's romantic dramedy Lost in Translation was released in 2003, it made $118.7 million, while its production cost was $4 million. This beautiful movie is considered a critical and commercial success.
Critics praised Sofia Coppola and the stars Scarlet Johansson and Bill Murray, and the movie went on to win several awards, including one Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, three Golden Globes, and three British Academy Awards. It took Sofia Coppola 27 days to shoot this profitable cinematic wonder.
City Of God (2002) - Budget: $3.3 Million
Based loosely on true events and a novel of the same name, City of God is about a man who wants to become a photographer while some people he grew up with delve into the world of organized crime in Cidade de Deus in Rio de Janeiro.
The film has become a classic since its release, with extensive praise being given to the cast and especially Alexandre Rodrigues, who plays the older version of the lead character. The film earned a massive amount at the box office compared to its budget, making it a great financial success as well.
Mad Max (1979) - Budget: $200,000
The first movie in the Australian Mad Max franchise was released in 1979, and it polarized critics across the globe. Severely criticized by many, including the author Stephen King, the post-apocalyptical quickly found its way into the public's grace, making over 100 million US dollars worldwide, after costing roughly $200,000 to make.
The action-thriller was Australian director George Miller's debut, and he followed up to direct three sequels, including the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road. For a long time, the movie held the Guinness Record for the most profitable movie.
Whiplash (2014) - Budget: $3.3 Million
Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash is about a student at a music conservatory and his jazz instructor, whose teaching methods are incredibly intense.
Though its budget is not nonexistent, Whiplash required less money to produce largely because much of the movie relies on the incredible performances of the cast, who carry the film and have been lauded for their talents since this film's release. The movie is a tense, engrossing story about some of the costs of artistic greatness, and it also has some amazing music for fans of jazz.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - Budget: $1.2 Million
The budget of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975 may not reflect the amount of money it equates to today, but regardless, it was still a fairly low budget for a film. Though the musical initially underperformed at the box office, it gained a massive following in the years after its release.
It is so popular that it has led to a vast number of live renditions being done by loyal fans every year around the end of October. The phenomenon does not show any signs of slowing down soon, and it is because of the iconic performances from the 1975 movie.
Get Out (2017) - Budget: $5 Million
The horror movie Get Out is comedian Jordan Peele's directorial debut, and it is certainly among the best directorial debuts of the 2010s. The movie is critically acclaimed, and its approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 98%.
Released in 2017, and starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, and Bradley Whitford, the movie was nominated for several awards and gave Peele his first Academy Award, for Best Original Screenplay. The movie had a $5 million production budget, and $124.8 million was its net profit.
Rocky (1976) - Budget: $1 Million
Rocky is a sports drama classic that touches the audience's heart like no other. Released in 1976, written and starring Sylvester Stallone, the movie follows the journey of a kind-hearted, working-class boxer working as a debt collector.
The movie was a sleeper hit; its success started slow but soon paced up to make $225 million, after costing a little over $1 million to make. Rocky was critically acclaimed and held the post as the highest-grossing movie of 1976 and second-highest of 1977, after Star Wars. This classic received 10 Academy Awards nominations and ended up receiving three, including Best Picture.
Moonlight (2016) - Budget: $4 Million
Moonlight is the 2017 Academy Award winner for Best Picture. Featuring an entirely Black cast, this LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama was based on the unpublished semi-autobiographical book by Tarell Calvin McCraney.
The movie is groundbreaking in its approach to toxic masculinity and sexuality, and it was critically and commercially acclaimed. Moonlight's production budget was only $4 million, and it grossed more than $65 million worldwide.