2. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
You can use the same argument for pretty much any budget horror that hit big (Paranormal Activity, REC), but not only was Blair Witch the first, its also the best quality. The film made it big because it was so small. You can argue that having little money to work with, thereby forcing Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to create the horror through suggestion, made it a hit. Or you could be more cynical and suggest people went in knowing it had a (relative by movie terms) small budget and thus watched it with a more forgiving eye. Whatever the case may be, it was incredibly profitable. Since then, and after a seven year hiatus following their smash-hit, both directors settled down to make tacky, direct-to-DVD horror, with such intriguing gems as Lovely Molly and ParaAbnormal. Most directors start off in horror, only to move onto grander projects. These two did the exact opposite, taking a step back from their chiller to schlocky rubbish, making Blair Witch not just look like a fluke, but some sort of supernatural accident. But not all hope is lost, for Sánchez at least; next year sees the release of his solo Blair Witch 3. Forgive me for the lack of excitement.