A big budget isn’t always a guarantee that a film is going to be great. Likewise, a small budget is by no means any indication that a film is going to feel cheap or poorly done. In fact, some of cinema’s most unique and impactful pieces of art have been done with very little money.
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Directors likeDavid LynchorMartin Scorsesehave been able to take a shoestring budget and craft something truly special with it, showing that passion and dedication are all it takes to make a good movie.
Rebel Without a Crew —El Mariachi(1992)
This is the feature film directing debut of the famousRobert Rodriguez, who would go on to be known for films such asSin CityandSpy Kids. It’s about a traveling musician who’s mistaken for an assassin, which forces him to try and hide from the very dangerous people looking for him.
Having costonly a measly $7,000 USD,El Mariachiis the lowest-budgeted film ever to make a million dollars at the box office. Rodriguez even wrote a book about his experience with the movie, titledRebel Without a Crew, which has become a must-read for those wanting to make films.
A Revolution for the Horror Genre —The Blair Witch Project(1999)
In the 1990s,the horror genre was becoming a stale terrain. That was untilThe Blair Witch Project, about three film students who become lost in the woods while investigating the legend of the Blair Witch, came to leave a long-lasting impact in the art of filmmaking.
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Apart from bringing the found footage subgenre of horror to the mainstream, the movie (which wasmade with $60,000 dollars) surprised audiences with its innovative promotional campaigns and inspired young filmmakers to go out and make movies with whatever they had in hand.
Looking for America —Easy Rider(1969)
Dennis Hopper’sEasy Rider, starring himself,Peter Fonda, andJack Nicholson, is often recognized as one of the most important films in Hollywood history. It’s about two hippie bikers on a trip to sell drugs who clash with animosity and violence.
The movie was revolutionary at the time, and it remains relevant even after all these years. It was the first indie film to actually make good money—$60 million dollars, to be exact,having cost only $400,000to make. It’s a provocative study of freedom, American motorcycling, and counter-culture.
The directing debut of legendary directorSam Raimi,The Evil Deadbecamean instant cult classicupon release, spawning two equally well-received sequels, a TV show, and a remake. It’s a gory and campy horror extravaganza about five friends staying at a cabin in the woods, who unknowingly unleash a batch of bloodthirsty demons.
The movie was (and still is) praised for creatively usingits low budget of $350,000 USDto audaciously shock audiences with its grisly nature, while also being irresistibly entertaining thanks to how passionately it was made.
Australian filmmakerGeorge Millerburst into the scene withMad Max, an over-the-top action adventure movie about a vengeful policeman (played byMel Gibson) in a post-apocalyptic world who must stop a gang of violent motorcyclists.
To this day,Mad Maxremains a genre landmark that onlycost $350,000 to make, which makes it a minimalist movie full of badassery and excitement, especially knowing how much must have been at stake during the big action scenes. To prove its impact, the movie received two sequels (the first one lauded as one of the best in the history of action movies) and an Academy Award-winning reboot starringTom HardyandCharlize Theron.
Recognized as one of the best and most influential surrealist filmmakers, David Lynchmade his debut withEraserhead, an absolutely head-scratching experience about a young man trying to survive an industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the eerie screams of his newborn mutant child.
Throughout the years, Lynch has refused to elaborate on the film’s meaning, and that’s the best thing he could possibly do. Witha mere $10,000, the director made a genuinely unsettling horror film which different audience members may have completely different interpretations of.
Making Up For Your Sins —Mean Streets(1973)
Martin Scorsese’s third fictional feature film was the one that showed the true potential of this legendary figure, and where many of his career’s biggest thematic concerns first saw the light of day. StarringRobert De NiroandHarvey Keitel, it’s the story of a small-time crook aspiring to make it big within the local mob.
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It’s a gritty, raw, and personal crime film which all fans of the genre and of Scorsese absolutely must watch. It was made ona budget of $500,000 USD, which was more than enough to cement it as one of the best outings in the director’s filmography.
On Second Thought, Let’s Not Go to Camelot —Monty Python and the Holy Grail(1975)
The first film of theMonty Pythoncrew is one of the goofiest, funniest, and most entertaining comedies ever produced, and it was done withonly $400,000 dollars. It includes a series of sketches following King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the Holy Grail.
After nearly five decades, the movie remains a pop culture phenomenon.Monty Python’s signature absurdist styleallowed them to creatively use their small budget to create a self-aware and insanely fun film.
The Masterpiece of the Master of Suspense —Psycho(1960)
Alfred Hitchcock, said to be the master of suspense, made his best work in the form ofPsycho, a horror thriller about a woman on the run (Janet Leigh) who has to hide in the mysterious Bates Motel, run by a man (Anthony Perkins) seemingly manipulated by his mother.
At the time,Psychorevolutionized story structure, as well as the thriller and horror genres. Although it has lost some of its shock factor, it remains a riveting story that’s wonderfully directed and sharply written, made witha budget of $806,947 dollars.
The Burdensome Weight of the Soul —Andrei Rublev(1966)
Any one ofAndrei Tarkovsky’s films could be counted among the greatest low-budget films ever made, but it has to beAndrei Rublevthat takes the cake. This 3-and-a-half-hour historical epic, divided into nine chapters, is loosely based on the life of 15th-century Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev.
Throughout this expansive drama of massive scope, Tarkovsky explores a myriad of themes such as art, religion, humanity, and the soul. It’s an utterly perfect film that requires patience and rewards it with a delightfully rich narrative. Seeing how vast and beautiful the movie is, it’s astonishing that it only costapproximately $205,358 dollars to make.
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