20 Hit Horror Movies NOBODY Saw Coming

Even accepting that [REC] released in 2007 right at the peak of the found-footage boom, who expected this low-budget Spanish genre effort without name filmmakers or actors to become a breakout hit?

But driven by strong reviews and positive word-of-mouth among horror fans, [REC] went on to gross $32.5 million against a budget of just $2 million.

This ensured that in addition to instantly entering the annals of all-timer found footage flicks, [REC] spawned a wider franchise, consisting of three sequels and an American remake - which, despite being in the English language, outgrossed the original by less than $10 million.

To give even more perspective of how unexpected [REC]'s success was, the three sequels' combined box office is only $1 million more than the original film's total haul.

Considering the first [REC]'s enduring popularity, though, don't be too shocked if it ends up getting either a legacy sequel or second remake sooner rather than later.