El Mariachi (1992)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Budget: $7,000
Box Office: $2,040,920
Profit %: 29,056%
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Micro-Budget Movies That Paid Off Big
Micro-budgeted movies are made with a production budget of less than $400,000 US Dollars. These shoestring budgeted movies are often made by aspiring writers, directors and actors. Some are early projects by big budget blockbuster directors and actors before they became stars. Regardless, these micro budget films struck a chord with the moviegoers, showcased incredible talent and became huge box office smashes or found post-box office success as rental, video sales or streaming hits.
Which wildly successful micro budgeted movie* made for initially less than $250,000 is your favorite? * based on initial completed film budgets and uses just one type of movie income stream (box office) for comparison.
Vote in the companion poll: Low Budget Movies That Paid Off Big
Make Your Choice
-
-
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Director: Oren PeliBudget: $15,000 (post-acquisition budget of $450,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $193,355,800
Profit %: 1,288,938%
-
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Director: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo SánchezBudget:$22,500
Box Office: 248,639,099
Profit %: 1,104,962%
-
Clerks (1994)
Director: Kevin SmithBudget: $27,000 (post-acquisition budget of $230,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $3,151,130
Profit %: 11,571%
-
Pather Panchali (1955)
Writer-Director Satyajit RayBudget: <$30,000
Box Office: $536,364 * US box office only
Profit %: 1,688%
* spawned similarly budgeted Apu trilogy mates: Aparajito and World of Apu
-
Eraserhead (1977)
Director: David LynchBudget: $10,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 69,900%
-
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Director: George A RomeroBudget: $114,000
Box Office: $42,000,000
Profit %: 36,742%
-
Deep Throat (1972)
Producer: Tony PerainoBudget: $22,500
Box Office: $100-600 million estimate
Profit %: 444,344% - 2,666,567% estimate
-
Following (1998)
Writer-Director Christopher NolanBudget: $4,000 (post-acquisition budget of $8,000 after studio ordered conversion from 16mm)
Box Office: $48,482 *US Box Office only
Profit %: 1,112%
* launched Christopher Nolan's career, box office $1.8 billion
-
Super Size Me (2004)
Director: Morgan SpurlockBudget: $65,000
Box Office: $20,641,054
Profit %: 31,655%
-
Roger & Me (1989)
Writer-Director: Michael MooreBudget: $160,000
Box Office: $7,706,386
Profit %: 4816
-
Swingers (1996)
Writer-Actor: Jon FarveauBudget: $200,000
Box Office: $4,550,020
Profit %: 2,175%
* launched multiple careers
-
The Brothers McMullen (1995)
Writer-Director Ed BurnsBudget: $23,800*
Box Office: $10,426,506* US box office only
Profit %: 43,709%
-
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Writer-Director: John WatersBudget: $12,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 58,233%
-
In the Company of Men (1997)
Writer-Director Neil LabuteBudget: $25,000
Box Office: $4,882,577
Profit %: 19,430%
-
Brother (1997)
Writer-Director: Aleksei BalabanovBudget: $10,000
Box Office: *Top movie in Russia 1997, same year video release generated lion share of profit
-
Open Water (2003)
Director: Chris KentisBudget: $130,000 (post-acquisition budget of $500,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $54,667,954
Profit %: 10,834%
-
Once (2007)
Director: John CarneyBudget: $150,000
Box Office: $20,710,513
Profit %: 13,707
-
The Endless Summer (1966)
Writer-Director-Producer: Bruce BrownBudget: $50,000
Box Office: $20,000,000
Profit %: 39,100%
-
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Writer-Director: Wes CravenBudget: $87,000
Box Office: $3,100,000
Profit %: 3163%
* launched Wes Craven's career
-
Bronson (2008)
Writer-Director: Nicolas Winding RefnBudget: $230,000
Box Office: $2,260,712
Profit %: 883%
* Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn breakthroughs
-
Catfish (2010)
Writer-Directors: Henry Joost, Andrew SculmanBudget: $30,000
Box Office: $3,479,614
Profit %: 11,499%
-
Another Earth (2011)
Writer-Director-Actress Mike Cahill and Brit MarlingBudget: $100,000
Box Office: $1,776,935
Profit %: 1,677%
-
The Gallows (2015)
Writer-Directors: Travis Cluff and Chris LofingBudget: $100,000
Box Office: $42,964,410
Profit %: 42,864%
-
The Castle (1997)
Director: Rob StitchBudget: $20,000 (post-acquisition budget of $750,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $10,326,428 * Australia box office only
Profit %: 51,532%
-
Slacker (1990)
Director: Richard LinklaterBudget: $23,000
Box Office: $1,228,108
Profit %: 5,240%
-
Pi (1998)
Director: Darren AronofskyBudget: $60,000
Box Office: $3,221,152
Profit %: 5,269%
-
Primer (2004)
Director: Shane CarruthBudget: $7,000
Box office: $545,436
Profit %: 7,692%
-
Blood Feast (1963)
Directors: Herschell Gordon LewisBudget: $24,500
Box Office: $4,000,000
Profit %: 16,227%
-
The Groove Tube (1974)
Writer-Director: Ken ShapiroBudget: $200,000
Box Office: $20,447,000 US Box Office only
Profit %: 10,124%
-
The Big Doll House (1971)
Actors: Pam Grier Sid HaigBudget: $125,000
Box Office: $10,000,000
Profit %: 7,900%
-
Dolemite (1975)
Actors: Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville MartinBudget: $100,000
Box Office: $12,000,000
Profit %: 11,900%
*added 24 November 2019
-
Facing the Giants (2006)
Writers-Director-Producer-Actor: Alex Kendrick and Steven KendrickBudget: $100,000
Box Office: $10,200,000
Profit %: 10,100%
*added 25 January 2022
-
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Don't Stop the Camera! (original Japanese title)Writers-Director-Editor: Shin'ichirō Ueda
Budget: ¥3 million ($25,000) Box Office: ¥3.12 billion (Japan) and $31.2 million (worldwide)
Profit %: 127,900%
*added 01 February 2023
-
Tarnation (2003)
Another Micro-Budget Movie Not Listed (pictured example Tarnation)Writers-Director-Producer-Cinematographer-Film Editor-Actor: Jonathan Caouette
Budget: $218.32
Box Office: $1,200,000
Profit %: 21,832,549,551%
*added 01 February 2023
