10 Low Budget Films That Reached Number One At The Box Office

A short film crafted in an exceptionally unusual time, Unsubscribe was filmed entirely over video chat service Zoom during the Covid-19 lockdown. Serving up a simple premise following five YouTubers who find themselves haunted by an internet troll, this indie project was a response to an apparent loophole in the box office system.

Crafted for a single dollar, yes just $1, creators Christian Nilsson and Eric Tabach looked to exploit the fact that no major releases were happening, with all but a few cinemas being closed. The pair rented out a screen and bought out every seat themselves, resulting in the $25,488 gross going straight back to them.

This led to the impossible. For one day, June 10th 2020, Unsubscribe was legitimately the number one film at the domestic box office. A delightful tale of creative ingenuity and aspiration, which saw an unprecedented example of a film’s budget matching its box office ranking.