Micro-Budget Movies That Paid Off Big
by urbanemovies | created - 17 Feb 2016 | updated - 6 days ago | PublicMicro-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
Discuss the topic here.
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1. El Mariachi (1992)
R | 81 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A traveling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a gang bent on killing him.
Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Jaime de Hoyos, Peter Marquardt
Votes: 71,281 | Gross: $2.04M
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Budget: $7,000
Box Office: $2,040,920
Profit %: 29,056%
2. Paranormal Activity (2007)
R | 86 min | Horror, Mystery
After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
Director: Oren Peli | Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong
Votes: 256,156 | Gross: $107.92M
Director: Oren Peli
Budget: $15,000 (post-acquisition budget of $450,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $193,355,800
Profit %: 1,288,938%
3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
R | 81 min | Horror, Mystery
Three film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.
Directors: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez | Stars: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard, Bob Griffin
Votes: 285,446 | Gross: $140.54M
Director: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Budget:$22,500
Box Office: 248,639,099
Profit %: 1,104,962%
4. Clerks (1994)
R | 92 min | Comedy
A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer
Votes: 232,318 | Gross: $3.15M
Director: Kevin Smith
Budget: $27,000 (post-acquisition budget of $230,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $3,151,130
Profit %: 11,571%
5. Pather Panchali (1955)
Not Rated | 125 min | Drama
Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.
Director: Satyajit Ray | Stars: Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Subir Banerjee, Chunibala Devi
Votes: 38,528 | Gross: $0.54M
Writer-Director Satyajit Ray
Budget: <$30,000
Box Office: $536,364 * US box office only
Profit %: 1,688%
* spawned similarly budgeted Apu trilogy mates: Aparajito and World of Apu
6. Eraserhead (1977)
Not Rated | 89 min | Fantasy, Horror
Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 127,428 | Gross: $7.00M
Director: David Lynch
Budget: $10,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 69,900%
7. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Thriller
A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.
Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman
Votes: 139,081 | Gross: $0.09M
Director: George A Romero
Budget: $114,000
Box Office: $42,000,000
Profit %: 36,742%
8. Deep Throat (1972)
X | 61 min | Adult, Comedy
A woman with an unusual birth defect comes to a doctor who has an unorthodox solution to make the best of her situation.
Director: Gerard Damiano | Stars: Linda Lovelace, Harry Reems, Helen Wood, Ronnie Shark
Votes: 7,035 | Gross: $45.00M
Producer: Tony Peraino
Budget: $22,500
Box Office: $100-600 million estimate
Profit %: 444,344% - 2,666,567% estimate
9. Following (1998)
R | 69 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan
Votes: 101,719 | Gross: $0.05M
Writer-Director Christopher Nolan
Budget: $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
10. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,268 | Gross: $11.53M
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Budget: $65,000
Box Office: $20,641,054
Profit %: 31,655%
11. Roger & Me (1989)
R | 91 min | Documentary
After General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Roger B. Smith, Rhonda Britton, Fred Ross
Votes: 27,512 | Gross: $6.71M
Writer-Director: Michael Moore
Budget: $160,000
Box Office: $7,706,386
Profit %: 4816
12. Swingers (1996)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama
A wannabe actor has a hard time moving on from a break-up, but he is lucky to have supportive friends.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston
Votes: 88,121 | Gross: $4.51M
Writer-Actor: Jon Farveau
Budget: $200,000
Box Office: $4,550,020
Profit %: 2,175%
* launched multiple careers
13. The Brothers McMullen (1995)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three Irish Catholic brothers from Long Island struggle to deal with love, marriage, and infidelity.
Director: Edward Burns | Stars: Jack Mulcahy, Michael McGlone, Edward Burns, Shari Albert
Votes: 8,187 | Gross: $10.25M
Writer-Director Ed Burns
Budget: $23,800*
Box Office: $10,426,506* US box office only
Profit %: 43,709%
14. Pink Flamingos (1972)
NC-17 | 93 min | Comedy, Crime
Notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure Divine goes up against a sleazy married couple who make a passionate attempt to humiliate her and seize her tabloid-given title as "The Filthiest Person Alive".
Director: John Waters | Stars: Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole
Votes: 27,896 | Gross: $0.18M
Writer-Director: John Waters
Budget: $12,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 58,233%
15. In the Company of Men (1997)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Two business executives--one an avowed misogynist, the other recently emotionally wounded by his love interest--set out to exact revenge on the female gender by seeking out the most innocent, uncorrupted girl they can find and ruining her life.
Director: Neil LaBute | Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy, Stacy Edwards, Michael Martin
Votes: 14,284 | Gross: $2.86M
Writer-Director Neil Labute
Budget: $25,000
Box Office: $4,882,577
Profit %: 19,430%
16. Brother (1997)
99 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ex-soldier with a personal honor code enters the family crime business in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Director: Aleksey Balabanov | Stars: Sergey Bodrov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Svetlana Pismichenko, Mariya Zhukova
Votes: 24,522
Writer-Director: Aleksei Balabanov
Budget: $10,000
Box Office: *Top movie in Russia 1997, same year video release generated lion share of profit
17. Open Water (2003)
R | 79 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
Based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.
Director: Chris Kentis | Stars: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Michael E. Williamson
Votes: 56,447 | Gross: $30.61M
Director: Chris Kentis
Budget: $130,000 (post-acquisition budget of $500,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $54,667,954
Profit %: 10,834%
18. Once (I) (2007)
R | 86 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick
Votes: 121,265 | Gross: $9.44M
Director: John Carney
Budget: $150,000
Box Office: $20,710,513
Profit %: 13,707
19. The Endless Summer (1966)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Sport
The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.
Director: Bruce Brown | Stars: Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears, Bruce Brown
Votes: 6,215
Writer-Director-Producer: Bruce Brown
Budget: $50,000
Box Office: $20,000,000
Profit %: 39,100%
20. The Last House on the Left (1972)
R | 84 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
Two teenage girls heading to a rock concert for one's birthday try to score marijuana in the city, where they are kidnapped and brutalized by a gang of psychopathic convicts.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham, David Hess, Fred J. Lincoln
Votes: 40,273 | Gross: $3.10M
Writer-Director: Wes Craven
Budget: $87,000
Box Office: $3,100,000
Profit %: 3163%
* launched Wes Craven's career
21. Bronson (2008)
R | 92 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young man who was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending three decades in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter-ego, Charles Bronson.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews, Katy Barker
Votes: 140,860 | Gross: $0.10M
Writer-Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Budget: $230,000
Box Office: $2,260,712
Profit %: 883%
* Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn breakthroughs
22. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,739 | Gross: $3.23M
Writer-Directors: Henry Joost, Andrew Sculman
Budget: $30,000
Box Office: $3,479,614
Profit %: 11,499%
23. Another Earth (2011)
PG-13 | 92 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
Director: Mike Cahill | Stars: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, DJ Flava
Votes: 100,004 | Gross: $1.32M
Writer-Director-Actress Mike Cahill and Brit Marling
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $1,776,935
Profit %: 1,677%
24. The Gallows (2015)
R | 81 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
20 years after a horrific accident during a small town school play, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy - but soon discover that some things are better left alone.
Directors: Travis Cluff, Chris Lofing | Stars: Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Cassidy Gifford
Votes: 21,573 | Gross: $22.76M
Writer-Directors: Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $42,964,410
Profit %: 42,864%
25. The Castle (1997)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama
A working-class family from Melbourne, Australia fights city hall after being told they must vacate their beloved family home to allow for infrastructural expansion.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe
Votes: 17,491 | Gross: $0.86M
Director: Rob Stitch
Budget: $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%
26. Slacker (1990)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
A day in the life of Austin, Texas as the camera roams from place to place and provides a brief look at the overeducated, the social misfits, the outcasts and the oddballs.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Richard Linklater, Rudy Basquez, Jean Caffeine, Jan Hockey
Votes: 23,464 | Gross: $1.23M
Director: Richard Linklater
Budget: $23,000
Box Office: $1,228,108
Profit %: 5,240%
27. Pi (1998)
R | 84 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature.
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Sean Gullette, Mark Margolis, Ben Shenkman, Pamela Hart
Votes: 186,407 | Gross: $3.22M
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Budget: $60,000
Box Office: $3,221,152
Profit %: 5,269%
28. Primer (2004)
PG-13 | 77 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.
Director: Shane Carruth | Stars: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya
Votes: 114,133 | Gross: $0.42M
Director: Shane Carruth
Budget: $7,000
Box office: $545,436
Profit %: 7,692%
29. Blood Feast (1963)
Not Rated | 67 min | Horror
An Egyptian caterer kills various women in suburban Miami to use their body parts to revive a dormant Egyptian goddess while an inept police detective tries to track him down.
Director: Herschell Gordon Lewis | Stars: William Kerwin, Mal Arnold, Connie Mason, Lyn Bolton
Votes: 7,334 | Gross: $4.00M
Directors: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Budget: $24,500
Box Office: $4,000,000
Profit %: 16,227%
30. The Groove Tube (1974)
R | 75 min | Comedy
A collection of skits that make fun of 1970s television, featuring early appearances by Chevy Chase and Richard Belzer.
Director: Ken Shapiro | Stars: Ken Shapiro, Richard Belzer, Chevy Chase, Buzzy Linhart
Votes: 2,340 | Gross: $20.45M
Writer-Director: Ken Shapiro
Budget: $200,000
Box Office: $20,447,000 US Box Office only
Profit %: 10,124%
31. The Big Doll House (1971)
R | 95 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Beautiful female prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison until five of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with reluctant help from two male fruit vendors.
Director: Jack Hill | Stars: Roberta Collins, Pam Grier, Judith Brown, Brooke Mills
Votes: 3,092 | Gross: $10.00M
Actors: Pam Grier Sid Haig
Budget: $125,000
Box Office: $10,000,000
Profit %: 7,900%
32. Dolemite (1975)
R | 90 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
After he is released from jail, a pimp takes on the criminals and corrupt police officers who framed him in the first place.
Director: D'Urville Martin | Stars: Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville Martin, Jerry Jones, Lady Reed
Votes: 6,850 | Gross: $0.24M
Actors: Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville Martin
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $12,000,000
Profit %: 11,900%
*added 24 November 2019
33. Facing the Giants (2006)
PG | 111 min | Drama, Sport
A losing coach and his underdog football team face their giants of fear and failure on and off the field, with surprising results.
Director: Alex Kendrick | Stars: Alex Kendrick, Shannen Fields, Jason McLeod, Tracy Goode
Votes: 18,054 | Gross: $10.18M
Writers-Director-Producer-Actor: Alex Kendrick and Steven Kendrick
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $10,200,000
Profit %: 10,100%
*added 25 January 2022
34. One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.
Director: Shin'ichirô Ueda | Stars: Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Harumi Shuhama, Kazuaki Nagaya
Votes: 29,712
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
35. Tarnation (2003)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8 film, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more - culled from nineteen years of his life.
Director: Jonathan Caouette | Stars: Jonathan Caouette, Renee Leblanc, Adolph Davis, Rosemary Davis
Votes: 6,710 | Gross: $0.59M
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
36. She's Gotta Have It (1986)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Romance
Story of a woman and her three lovers.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Votes: 16,302 | Gross: $7.14M
Budget:
Box Office:
Profit %:
37. The Way of the Dragon (1972)
R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.
Director: Bruce Lee | Stars: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Nora Miao, Ping-Ou Wei
Votes: 41,026 | Gross: $4.06M
Budget:
Box Office:
Profit %:
38. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)
Not Rated | 84 min | Horror
After Christopher Robin abandons them for college, Pooh and Piglet embark on a bloody rampage as they search for a new source of food.
Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield | Stars: Nikolai Leon, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, Amber Doig-Thorne
Votes: 28,343
Budget: $50,000
Box office: $4,940,331
Profit %:
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