16 Small Budget Movies That Showed Size Doesn’t Matter

Making a good movie is all about the artistry of the craft, not how much money you have to throw at the production. Granted, more money helps, but having a clear vision and the creativity to bring it to life is often something you can’t pay for. Talent is as underrated as it is rare.

For that reason, we’ve gathered just some of the most impressive small budget movies, showing that they can reach the same heights of a summer blockbuster. They may not have the big names and bigger effects, instead having the originality to sell us on an interesting tale.

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Obsession

Curry Barker directed this supernatural horror film on an estimated micro-budget of $600,000 to $750,000. It became a runaway box office smash hit, earning hundreds of millions worldwide, as well as endless discussions of what the movie means.

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Everything Everywhere All At Once

This mind-bending sci-fi hit took the world by storm. It was produced on a budget between 14 million and 25 million and eventually grossed over 140 million worldwide, proving originality still sells.

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The Blair Witch Project

Three actors running around the woods with a camera changed cinema forever. Shot on an initial budget of roughly 35,000 to 60,000, this found-footage horror hit grossed over 248 million worldwide.

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Paranormal Activity

Oren Peli shot the original supernatural thriller in his own house for approximately 15,000. That incredibly small investment paid off massively when the terrifying film grossed well over 193 million globally.

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Napoleon Dynamite

Jared Hess made this famously quirky comedy on a modest 400,000 budget. Audiences everywhere fell in love with the awkward characters, helping the indie favorite gross over 46 million worldwide.

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Little Miss Sunshine

Produced for just 8 million, this heartwarming 2006 indie comedy resonated with families everywhere. The road trip movie easily earned over 100 million worldwide and proudly won 2 Academy Awards.

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, the romantic comedy was made for only 5 million. It became an unstoppable word of mouth hit, ultimately grossing a staggering 368.7 million across the globe.

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Get Out

Jordan Peele proved he was a master of suspense with his 2017 directorial debut. Made for just 4.5 million, the brilliant thriller grossed over 252 million worldwide and sparked endless conversations.

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The Full Monty

This hilarious British comedy was produced for roughly 3.5 million. The story of unemployed steelworkers forming a dance group resonated widely, leading to a massive 257 million worldwide gross.

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Juno

Produced on a budget of 6.5 million to 7.5 million, this quirky indie dramedy became an absolute sensation. The teenage pregnancy story managed to gross a highly impressive 232.3 million worldwide.

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Clerks

Kevin Smith famously financed the black and white indie comedy for approximately 27,000 using credit cards. That enormous financial risk paid off wonderfully when it grossed over 3 million in theaters.

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Saw

James Wan directed this 2004 horror breakthrough on a budget of roughly 1.2 million. The tense escape room premise hooked viewers instantly, grossing over 103 million worldwide and sparking countless sequels.

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Split

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed the 2016 psychological thriller on a tight 9 million budget. Thanks to an incredibly tense atmosphere, it ended up grossing 278.5 million worldwide.

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The Purge

The 2013 dystopian thriller was produced for just 3 million, relying on a deeply unsettling concept instead of big action. It grossed over 91 million worldwide, easily launching a highly successful franchise.

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Mad Max

Filmed on a tiny Australian budget of about 400,000, George Miller released his raw 1979 action film to global shock. The desert wasteland adventure ultimately grossed roughly 100 million worldwide.

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El Mariachi

Robert Rodriguez shot his 1992 action debut for 7,225. The film ended up earning over 2 million at the box office and even set a Guinness World Record for its remarkably low production cost.

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