8 Great Films Made On A Shoestring Budget
The best low-budget movies! From horror icon Paranormal Activity to Sci-Fi hidden gem Coherence.
Over the years, the average cost of making a film has inflated massively. As of this writing, the typical cost to make big budget movie sits around $100 million, which includes the production, post-production, and marketing. Some films cost far more, with Avengers: Endgame and the more recent Star Wars installments costing upwards of $200 million to produce.
Of course, more often than not, the money going into a project works out well for the studios, with many blockbuster movies these days making large profits from the box office.
As the following films will show, however, big budgets are not always needed to create a great film or franchise, or kick off a director's career. All of these films were made in the same vain as Kevin Smith's Clerks, a whip-smart indie-comedy set in a convenience store that Smith paid for himself by maxing out a dozen credit cards and selling his comic book collection.
Whether a thrilling action-adventure that couldn't afford reshoots, a clever comedy about the mundane everyday, or an internationally renowned slice-of-life drama, here are 8 films that, like Clerks, were made on a shoestring budget, but ended up being absolutely brilliant.
8. Slacker
Costing only $23,000 to make, Richard Linklater's indie dramedy Slacker (1990) caused an eruption of indie filmmaking in the 90s. Its simplistic structure, plotless, character-driven narrative and philosophical themes made it a big hit upon its release, and saw Linklater come into his own as a filmmaker.
Following an odd assortment of strange, endearing, relatable and hilarious characters, Slacker thrives off its whip-smart dialogue and character interactions. There are no expensive sets, no big-name actors and no major narrative hook. But it is nonetheless an enchanting journey, full of life, philosophical musings and thoughtful and funny monologues.
It earned $1,200,000 at the box office, giving Linklater a chance to try his hand at making a slightly bigger indie flick a couple of years later. He ended up making Dazed and Confused (1993), cementing himself as one of the leading figures in modern indie filmmaking. Slacker has since gone on to amass a cult following, and still stands as one of the director's best movies.