10 Awesome Movies That Cost Nothing To Make

6. Pi (1998)

Budget: $60,927

On the face of it, a film about exploring the philosophy of mathematical number theory doesn’t sound particularly enticing.

However, Darren Aronofsky’s first feature film is an intensely psychological thriller about a man obsessed with finding order in the world through mathematics. The main character, Max, tries to rationalise the imperfect nature of humanity through his theories, all the while battling paranoia and hallucinations. As you would expect, it’s a very dark film that uses numbers to philosophise nature, the universe, and man’s relation to it.

Obsession being a common theme in Aronofsky’s work, featuring predominantly in his later films, such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010), Pi lays down the foundations of his signature style in this micro-budget debut. Aronofsky funded the film with donations from his friends and family. Luckily, he was able to pay them all back when he sold the distribution rights for a cool $1,000,000.