10 Best Movies Made On A Small Budget

Moviegoers typically recognize when a film has an enormous budget, but occasionally, budget-friendly movies tend to be made so brilliantly that we would have no idea they were far less expensive to produce.

A movie’s commercial success is not always linked to its budget. Low budgets movies can sometimes lead to more creative and cutting-edge concepts and, as a result, more fascinating movies. Having said that, we can’t deny that decent funds have the potential to increase the quality of a movie, which can change how a cinematic piece turns out.

The movies below strike the ideal balance between a tight budget as well as compelling content, all while generating enormous returns on their investments.

Slumdog Millionaire

The emotionally charged Slumdog Millionaire centers on Jamal Malik, an orphan kid living in the Mumbai slum areas who winds up on the most popular quiz show in the nation. He is on the verge of receiving 20 million rupees, but he is questioned because it appears as though he has figured out all the show’s questions.

Dev Patel has enjoyed a fast-paced career over the last few years, however Slumdog Millionaire turned out to be his first big success. This brilliantly crafted movie won eight out of the ten Academy Award nominations.

The movie’s storyline, musical score, direction, and performances all received high praise from critics. Despite the movie’s popularity in the United States, it was controversial in India because of how it portrayed Indian society, and how it used young actors without paying them. The movie had a $15 million budget yet brought in a sizable $377.9 million globally.

Star Wars: A New Hope

The masterpiece by George Lucas barely needs an introduction because it is said to be among the most successful movies ever made. The first Star Wars movie cost just $11 million to produce, made an unbelievable $775.4 million at the box office, and went on to become a multi-billion dollar series.

Star Wars: A New Hope was merely the beginning of the franchise series, as there have been numerous follow-ups and prequels, television shows, made-for-TV films, books, as well as merchandise since the original film.

Mad Max

The futuristic Australia-set action movie from 1979 tells an epic story of social breakdown, murder, as well as revenge. Despite being praised by critics and having a sizable fan base, the futuristic movie, starring Mel Gibson, was solely produced with $300,000.

The movie earned $378.9 million globally and $154.1 million domestically, which was once enough to break the world record for the most profitable movie in the Guinness Book of World Records. The movie has been linked with helping Australian New Wave movies gain international recognition. Additionally, Mad Max began a franchise along with three follow-up films.

Pulp Fiction

This crime flick centers on Jules and Vincent, two mob hitmen. The narrative structure of this film is non-linear, alongside its vivid characters, witty conversations, and intriguing but quite superficial plot, which are all widely recognized. The movie pays close attention to human interactions and the abrupt psychological loss of interest in people.

In the movie industry, Quentin Tarantino has grown to be one of the most well-known figures owing to his 90’s blockbusters. Tarantino received seven Oscar nominations, an Award from the Academy, an Oscar, as well as a Pal d’Or Award at Cannes for Pulp Fiction, which created a sizable cult following.

With an $8 million budget, the legendary movie outperformed expectations by earning $213.9 million globally. It’s not surprising the movie did well in theatres given its stellar cast, which also included John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman.

Get Out

Viewers have been put in a state of disbelief by this genre-defying film. Jordan Peele incorporated political and social commentary into a mythical story, and the result was, to put it mildly, exquisitely satirical as well as hard-hitting.

Before making his debut as a director with this terrifying movie, Jordan Peele had established himself as a well-known figure in the comedy world. Even though Get Out only cost $4.5 million to produce, it became a huge box office hit. In the end, it brought in $255.4 million globally.

Owing to brilliant marketing strategies, Get Out ended up earning $33.3 million in its opening weekend. Despite being released nearly a year before the nominations were announced, the film was so well-received that it received a total of four Oscar nominations.

American Psycho

The psychological suspense movie prompts equal proportions of dread and laughter. A visual psychological war can be seen throughout the movie which is an enjoyable one to witness.

The dark psychological horror was an overwhelming success with viewers. The movie generated controversy because some of the gory and sexually explicit sequences are challenging to watch. Having said that, even the most violent sequences are laced with a touch of concealed humor that viewers absolutely adore. The movie, which cost only $8 million to produce, made $34.3 million in total.

Split

Split was created by Shyamalan as a loose continuation of Unbreakable. (2000). The narrative centers on James McAvoy, a dissociative identity disorder patient who abducts three young women.

Split, a 2017 psychological horror movie, was produced by M. Night Shyamalan with a $9 million budget, which turned out to be an excellent choice. The movie earned a total of $278.5 million globally.

Furthermore, it received favorable reviews and was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Thriller Movie. With the release of this movie, Shyamalan crossed the $100 million country-wide box-office barrier for the fifth time.

Saw

The horror flick Saw had been and continues to be a huge hit. On a $1.2 million budgetary constraint, it ruled the box office, earning $103.9 million globally. Saw has established itself as among the most recognizable horror franchises in cinema, along with grossing big in theatres.

Highly acclaimed director James Wan made his directing debut with the first Saw, and he got off to a fast start, finishing the movie in just 18 days. Wan went on to be the brains behind the wildly successful The Conjuring movie series as well. The cumulative gross of all eight Saw movies comes just short of the sought-after $1 billion mark.

The King’s Speech

Critics praised this historical fiction starring Colin Firth for its accurate depiction of the reign of Queen Elizabeth’s dad, King George VI, who struggles with a serious stammer. The film won numerous accolades, such as Best Picture of the Year.

This movie served as evidence that you don’t need extravagant special effects or a sizable budget to produce a movie that wins awards. Sometimes all you require is a compelling storyline and top-notch acting. The film cost $15 million to produce and made $414.2 million worldwide.

The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project presented viewers with a distinct subgenre of horror films and established the style of numerous movies that came after. The independent movie follows a collection of student movie makers as they try to track down an urban myth.

Even though it only had a $60,000 budget, it managed to gross $246.8 million at the box office around the world, along with $140.5 million domestically. The fact that the movie was made in just eight days without a completed script makes this number all the more astounding.

So there we have it, our 10 picks for best movies made on a small budget. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!