Summary

• Low-budget films can achieve impressive box office returns, sometimes earning over a hundred times their initial investment.
• Success is not limited to any specific genre, with low-budget films in horror, comedy, action, and even documentaries finding success.
• Clever marketing strategies, captivating storytelling, and strong performances can contribute to the success of low-budget films.

Some box office successes are greater than others, with several films that were made for less than $1 million earning their budgets back dozens of times over. It's impressive when a movie makes more than a billion dollars, but most of these projects have budgets of over $200 million to begin with. From Titanic to Avengers: Endgame, the highest-grossing movies of all time cost an awful lot to make in the first place.

While it's impressive for a film that costs $200 million to see a massive return on its initial budget, it's even more amazing when high box office earnings come from low-budget projects. While lower budgets are common in horror, the phenomenon of high-performing, low-investment movies extends across genres to comedy, action, and documentaries too. When films begin with these lower budgets and find their audience, the return is much more profitable.

10 Rocky (1976)

Budget: $960,000, Box Office: $117,235,147

Rocky was Sylvester Stallone's breakout film as both the lead and the writer behind the project. After a long and challenging period trying to find someone to back his ion project, Stallone was able to get the film made on a minor budget of just less than a million (via The Numbers). The investment paid off when the film made $117,235,147 at the box office — more than 100 times the initial investment. It's no wonder it launched Stallone's career as an action hero, spawning half a dozen sequels and a spinoff franchise with Creed.

9 Once (2007)

Budget: $150,000, Box Office: $20,936,722

Once is a film by a small Irish production company that focuses on a busker and an immigrant in Dublin City as they develop feelings for one another. A low-budget musical with a beautiful setting and lean cast, Once is ed by an incredible soundtrack that won an Academy Award for Best Original Song with the track "Falling Slowly." As a result of the stunning setting, enchanting music, and excellent performance from the leads, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, the film earned $20 million and change, almost 150 times its original $150,000 budget (via Box Office Mojo).

8 Paranormal Activity (2007)

Budget: $15,000, Box Office: $193,355,800

Paranormal Activity caused a stir with its viral marketing campaign that had audiences g up to demand the film play in their area. The popular found-footage movie cost just $15,000 to make, as it was shot in just one house with a minimal cast. Thanks to the team's marketing strategy, the film received an international release. The winning combination of a low budget, viral marketing, and an international release resulted in Paranormal Activity earning almost 13,000 times the film's original budget at the box office (via Box Office Mojo).

7 Clerks (1994)

Budget: $27,000, Box Office: $3,151,130

Clerks is a cult classic by Kevin Smith and the film that helped launch his career. The film follows the antics of small shop employees who the time in a job that they despise. Smith did a great job capturing the struggle of those in the service industry and imbued the film with comedy that helped the movie earn over $3 million (via Box Office Mojo). This was more than 100 times the $27,000 budget, which was impressive for a limited release and helped Smith develop a dedicated fan base of his own.

6 Halloween (1978)

Budget: $325,000, Box Office: $47,160,000

Horror legend John Carpenter wrote and directed Halloween early in his career, and the film helped to solidify his legacy. A simple slasher where the villain wears a terrifying mask and stalks his hometown, Halloween perfectly builds drama and tension, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats throughout. This is further evidenced by the film's ability to earn almost 150 times the $325,000 budget and inspire sequels, reboots, and plenty of other slasher stories that gained popularity following Halloween's success (via Box Office Mojo).

5 Catfish (2010)

Budget: $30,000, Box Office: $3,533,711

Catfish is a documentary following an investigation by Nev Schulman. It's directed by his brother Ariel and sees the pair trying to uncover the truth behind an online relationship Nev has been developing for months with a woman he has never met in person. The movie shone light on the growing prevalence of catfishing and spawned a successful series for MTV wherein Nev investigates other people's relationships in order to unmask potential catfishes. The movie cost $30,000 to make and earned over 100 times its budget at the box office, grossing $3,533,711 total (via IMDb).

4 Super Size Me (2004)

Budget: $65,000, Box Office: $20,645,757

Morgan Spurlock set out on a mission to determine how unhealthy the food served by McDonald's in the U.S. really is, especially for the people consuming it on a regular basis. The documentary attracted a lot of attention when it debuted, but there have since been questions about whether Spurlock's findings were accurate. Either way, when Super Size Me was released in 2004, it earned over $20 million at the box office. This was more than 300 times the film's $65,000 budget (via Box Office Mojo).

3 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Budget: $60,000, Box Office: $248,639,099

The Blair Witch Project popularized found-footage stories and was another movie that was ed by an extremely potent marketing campaign. In the run-up to the release of The Blair Witch Project, there were false newspaper articles, missing posters, and clips that suggested the events of the film were real. This resulted in international attention, as intrigue and mystery surrounded the film and its stars, who were listed as missing on IMDb during the first year the project was live (via The Telegraph). As a result, The Blair Witch Project made more than 4,000 times the $60,000 budget upon its release (via Box Office Mojo).

2 Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Budget: $400,000, Box Office: $46,138,887

The incredibly quotable Napoleon Dynamite, starring Jon Heder as the titular character, is a wacky high school romp where two friends set out on a mission to win the election for class president, all so the title doesn't end up in the hands of the popular and mean Summer Wheatly. The fun, lighthearted project manages to deliver a unique style of dry humor that is witty and keeps audiences talking. Taking more than 100 times the $400,000 budget, the humor worked in the film's favor. It grossed more than $46 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) and became an iconic addition to the comedy genre.

1 Eraserhead (1977)

Budget: $100,000, Box Office: $7,097,971

David Lynch is a writer and director who has gained attention and praise for his surrealist style. His 1977 film Eraserhead is an excellent example of this style, and every element of the film creates a sense of discomfort and uneasiness. The unusual exploration of anxiety, the human condition, and nightmares clearly found its audience, as it earned more than $7 million at the box office on a lean $100,000 budget (via The Numbers).

Source: The Numbers, Box Office Mojo, IMDb, The Telegraph