10 Low Budget Films That Reached Number One At The Box Office
2. Paranormal Activity (2007)
The gold standard of a runaway success in micro budget filmmaking. Paranormal Activity provided audiences with a fresh take on the possession sub genre of supernatural horror, and did so with a now familiar found-footage stylisation.
Initially debuted at Screamfest Horror Film Festival in 2007, Paranormal Activity didn’t see a cinematic release until 2009. Upon release, it grossed only $77,873 during its opening weekend, which in itself was a huge take against its tiny $15,000 budget.
Its reputation as fresh, exhilarating horror quickly gained traction. After three weeks of release it climbed to the pinnacle of box office success, standing at the number one domestic spot for seven days running. This breakout success then led to numerous sequels that tried, and mostly failed, to recapture the magic of the original.