Let it never be said that you need a massive budget to tell your story. Throughout the history of cinema, there have been a plethora of films that required less than $1 million to engage and thrill an audience on an emotional or intellectual level. From gritty horror films that revolutionized the genre to slice-of-life comedies that perfectly capture the monotony of unspectacular living, these filmmakers have stretched every dollar they had in order to move and entertain audiences across the globe for decades. Not only that, but they have inspired others to save their pennies, so they can pick up a camera and make their own movies.
We’re living at a time when filmmaking is more democratized than ever. It has become a cliché, but virtually anyone with a smartphone (which is most of us) can hone their craft and even make a name for themselves. Director Sean Baker did that very thing with his debut film Tangerine, shooting with an iPhone, and it has led to what is shaping up to be a fascinating career, as outlined by Deadline. All the films on this list were made with the same ethos: a good story transcends financial constraints.
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6 Halloween
Compass International Pictures
In 1978, young and hungry filmmakers John Carpenter and Deborah Hill unintentionally changed the horror landscape with their $300,000 suspense film Halloween. This story about an escaped murderer in a mask stalking babysitters in his hometown of Haddonfield on Halloween night starred a then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis and is as neat and streamlined as storytelling gets, relying more on atmosphere and the charisma of its performers than special effects, and it’s all the better for it. The movie was so successful that it launched an avalanche of imitators and a sprawling franchise that is, per CNN, still going today.
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5 12 Angry Men
United Artists
The further back you go in film history, the more likely it is that you’ll encounter more and more movies made for less than $1 million — but they won’t all be as enthralling as 12 Angry Men from 1957. Revolving around a court case where a kid is on trial for murder, 12 jurors are locked in a cramped deliberation room on a sweltering day with all their tempers and anxieties about to boil over. With a script tackling racism, personal biases, and clearly-defined characters, 12 Angry Men proves that all you need is a story worth telling and great actors (including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Klugman) to make a true classic.
4 Napoleon Dynamite
Fox Searchlight Pictures
It might be hard to imagine today, but Napoleon Dynamite was a phenomenon upon release. The movie was everywhere and everyone was quoting it. Why? Because it wa a quirky little love letter to what can be achieved by stepping outside your comfort zone just enough to make the mundane spectacular. There isn’t much of a plot to speak of and that’s just fine. The movie is a mosaic of off-beat moments connected by the thinnest of premises. It’s a fascinating look at our own world through a slightly askew funhouse mirror that celebrates all of our most unremarkable traits as human beings. Plus, it is utterly hysterical.
3 The Evil Dead
New Line Cinema
Most film buffs probably prefer the sequel, but this earnest attempt at a genuinely frightening film is a scrappy little masterpiece. The Evil Dead was director Sam Raimi’s first film, and it shows. The seams are obvious in nearly every frame and plenty of moments (one in particular involving sexual assault) haven’t aged well, but this flick about Ash and his buddies battling some of the gnarliest demons you’ve ever seen in your life is an exceptional example of will and creativity overcoming a lack of funds. It should be taught in classes to demonstrate that fantastical storytelling is possible even if you don’t have Marvel money. Besides, who knows: it could lead to aspiring filmmakers one day getting that Marvel money. It worked for Raimi.
2 Clerks
Miramax Films
Kevin Smith’s introduction to the world was a black and white meditation on the malaise of directionless males in their early-20s experience when stuck in dead-end jobs that pay the bills (barely) but offer little in the way of job satisfaction. It’s a day-in-the-life story about a put-upon clerk forced to work on his day off while juggling two romantic partners he can’t commit to and dealing with a barrage of mindless customers. It’s the worst day of his life while also being just another workday. Smith nails the mindset of retail workers at that time in their life so well that if it weren’t for the stylized dialogue and wilder situations, Clerks could almost play like a documentary.
1 The Blair Witch Project
Haxan Films
Speaking of playing like a documentary: perhaps the simplest entry on this list, The Blair Witch Project is a pioneering film for the found footage genre and indie filmmaking alike. Three film students head into the woods to document the urban legend called the Blair Witch and are never heard from again. Subtle and enormously effective, it’s a shame more movies like it aren’t being made all the time. Not found footage movies — there’s no shortage of those — but authentic, passionate works of art made by young, creative people giving everything for their craft. There were sequels and an external mythology fans could dive into using the late-90s internet, but while all of that contributes to the legacy of the film, the real reason we’re still talking about it over 20 years later is the sheer determination to make something astounding and original.
