In the era of overspending in Hollywood, where it’s become completely normal to greenlight a $200M budget on a movie, there have been calls to tame down costs, and go back to making more mid-budget cinema.
Will we ever see this occur? I believe, eventually, yes, there will be a shapeshift in that direction. Just look at Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” which was made for only $6M — it proved that great films can get made for low costs.
How about micro-budgeted indies? The ones made for under $1M. I know, I’m pushing it, but these are the real indies. Imagine making something so compelling and technically impressive with just a six-figure budget. It’s happened. Not a lot. But it has. Mostly by first-time directors trying to prove themselves.
It’s important to shine a light on ultra low-budget cinema and highlight all the incredible movies that have been made for under $1M. Despite budgetary restrictions, there have been some wildly successful movies that have struck a chord with audiences and critics alike.
I’m sure I’m missing some here, and that’s where you come in to chime in with your own picks — I’ll gladly add them to the list.
“Eraserhead” (David Lynch) — $100k
“Stranger Than Paradise” (Jim Jarmusch) $100k
“Slacker” (Richard Linklater) — $23k
“Clerks” (Kevin Smith) — $27k
“El Mariachi” (Robert Rodriguez) — $7k
“Pi” (Darren Aronofsky) — $134k
“The Blair Witch Project” (Myrick/Sanchez) — $60k
“Primer” (Shane Carruth) — $7k
“Swingers” (Doug Liman) — $200k
“Brick” (Rian Johnson) — $450k
“Bronson” (Nicolas Winding Refn) — $280k
“Once” (John Carney) — $150k
“Paranormal Activity” (Oren Peli) — $150k
“Short Term 12” (Daniel Destin Cretton)— $400k
“Tangerine” (Sean Baker) — $400k