10 Low Budget Films That Reached Number One At The Box Office
6. Saw (2004)
The birth of a genre. The lovely origins of that niche delicacy known quaintly as torture porn. Acclaimed horror producer James Wan directed this indie darling set predominantly in a single room for much of its run time, introducing the world to the playfully sadistic antics of the infamous jigsaw killer.
Originally pitched as a short film, this feature product was produced for a mere $1,200,000. A minor price tag for a production that saw a booming opening weekend which netted a gross of $18,276,468.
Saw enjoyed October 31st and November 1st 2004 atop the domestic box office charts. This would soon become familiar ground as the Saw franchise maintained annual releases for seven films, ultimately becoming the highest grossing horror film franchise to date.