Budget: $6.5M
James Wan is the mastermind director behind several of the terrifying horror movies. He started off his journey in Hollywood when he directed cult classic “Saw” back in 2004. Then, he wowed audiences a few years later with his stellar behind-camera performance in “Insidious,” followed by both of “The Conjuring” films.
But in 2014, he struck again when he produced the incredibly creepy prequel to “The Conjuring” — Annabelle, a movie about a possessed doll directed by John Leonetti. The film grossed nearly $260 million, which is even more impressive than it sounds when you factor in its $6.5 million budget. It was such a hit that it spawned the release of a prequel in 2017 and a sequel in 2019.
Blue Valentine
Budget: $1M
"Blue Valentine" tells the dramatic tale of a young couple from the inception of their rocky, 5-year relationship to the tense ending of their marriage. Ryan Gosling plays the male lead across Michelle Williams as “Cindy,” the female lead. The entire thing was shot for right around $1 million and brought back over $16 million in return.
Gosling and Williams had a hand behind the scenes as executive producers on the film, which was nominated for several awards. Michele was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and Gosling was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Nightcrawler
Budget: $8.5M
"Nightcrawler" is a dramatic thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal as an overly aggressive journalist who inserts himself into seedy situations and crime scenes to get good video footage for local news stations. The film was both written and directed by industry newbie Dan Gilroy, who wound up making a huge name for himself with his debut, which was produced for only $8.5 million and earned back over $50 million when it hit theatres.
Open Road Films used some stealth marketing techniques and transmedia projects to promote the movie, including making up social media profiles in the name of the antihero of the production, Louis Bloom. The movie did so well that it was hailed by a number of critics as one of the best of all time and won the Oscar for Best Screenplay.
Eraserhead
Budget: $10,000
This David Lynch’s was a feature film, and in true Lynchian fashion, it was, of course, an experimental style horror film. This tiny budgeted movie initially took some time to gain attention, but by the time it did, it had become an unstoppable cult hit. In 2004, the United States Library of Congress entered it into the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
That sure is a measly amount of money for such an influential film. The film is a fixture in film schools and collections of budding film enthusiasts to this day.
Clerks
Budget: $31,665
The low-budget classic by maverick filmmaker became the symbol of every teenage slacker during the 90s'. This simple black and white film portrayed the daily lives of store clerks Dante Hicks and Randal Graves. The initial budget was only $27,575 and only went up to a measly $31,665.
By the opening weekend, it had already made more than that. In the U.S. alone, it made a total of $3 million, a surprise fortune for an indie filmmaker and comic book nerd. From that moment on, Smith became more than just a hipster filmmaker. He's now a pretty successful director. A big leap from the convenience store clerk he once was.