25 low-budget films that made great collections

Low-budget films very rarely make a splash in the world of cinema, because initially they are not as exciting as their high-budget counterparts. However, the history of modern cinema knows several films that completely break the standard scheme, and their box office receipts are several times higher than production costs. So let's take a look at these cinematic "shifters".

Budget: $3.5 million

Box office: $257.8 million

Released in 1997, Male Striptease is an English comedy drama starring Robert Carlyle. The plot revolves around six unemployed Britons who decide to dance a striptease to earn money. The film became famous all over the world and was even nominated for an Oscar in the Best Film category.

Budget: $3 million

Box office: $89 million

Doomsday Night is a science fiction thriller released in 2013. The director and screenwriter of this film was James Demonaco. Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. The film has more than recouped its modest budget.

Budget: $1.35 million

Box office: $28.3 million

This 1998 English crime comedy is the work of Guy Ritchie. It tells the story of a young card sharper who lost hundreds of thousands of euros to the leader of the criminal world, and he had to pay by robbing a small gang. This film brought Guy Ritchie world fame and was nominated for the prestigious BAFTA Film Award in the category "Best Film of the Year".

Budget: $1.2 million

Box office: $24.7 million

Released in 1989, Steven Soderbergh's American drama, a fine example of independent cinema, reveals issues of sexuality and relationships. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989 and was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.

Budget: $1.2 million

Box office: $103 million

The creepy horror film "Saw" was a great success with the audience, and its box office receipts exceeded one hundred million. At that time, it was one of the most profitable horror films since the release of "Scream" in 1996.

Budget: 1 million dollars

Box office: $225 million

The cult film "Rocky" was directed by John Evildsen, and the script for it was written by Sylvester Stallone himself. The film was released in 1976, it tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a boxer who made his way from dirt to princes. The film also got out of the mud into the princes quite unexpectedly, collected 225 million at the global box office, was able to receive 10 Oscar nominations and won three of them.

Budget: $400,000

Box office: $46.1 million

This 2004 comedy was directed by Jared and Jerusha Hess. The plot revolves around the school outcast Napoleon Dynamite with his absurd life situations. He sometimes lives with a lama, then tries to become a wrestler. Despite the rather strange plot, "Napoleon Dynamite" received a warm welcome and positive criticism from Rolling Stone magazine and other publications.

Budget: $400,000

Box office: $100 million

Director George Miller shot Mad Max in 1979. The script for the film was written by Byron Kennedy and George Miller. Starring Mel Gibson. Once this film even entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-grossing film.

Budget: $325,000

Box office: $70 million

"Halloween" — an independent horror film based on a screenplay by Debra Hill, directed by John Carpenter. It was released in 1978 and became the inspiration for many subsequent horror films. It's hard to believe that this movie had such a small budget. Interesting fact: The famous Mike Myers mask was made from a Captain Kirk mask, bought for just $1.98.

Budget: $160,000

Box office: $20.7 million

The Irish film musical "Once upon a Time" was written and directed by John Carney. It was filmed in Dublin. The film was released in 2007, and the main roles were played by musicians Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard, who composed and performed all the songs of the film themselves. The film was a success with both the audience and critics, and was even nominated for a Grammy.

Budget: $114,000

Box office: $42 million

An American independent horror film that premiered on October 1, 1968. Directed by George A. Romero. Starring Dwayne Jones, Carl Hardman and Judith O'Dea. The film grossed $12 million in the US and $30 million worldwide.

Budget: $20,000

Box office: $7 million

This surreal horror film was directed by David Lynch based on his own script and was released in 1977. Filmed on black and white film. It was Lynch's first feature film after a series of short films. The plot revolves around Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), who is forced to take care of his sick child in an industrial town. The film was a success due to its surreality, sexual innuendos and unusual sound effects.

Budget: $87,000

Box office: $3.1 million

An American horror film released in 1972. The screenplay was written and directed by Wes Craven. In 2009, a remake was made, although it did not have the same box office success as the original.

Budget: $68,000

Box office: $3.22 million

Is a 1998 American surreal psychological thriller film written and directed by Daren Aronofsky. It was his directorial debut. The main character is Maximilian "Mac" Cohen, a number theorist who thinks that everything in this world can be understood with the help of numbers.

Budget: $65,000

Box office: $29.5 million

This is a 2004 documentary film directed by Morgan Spurlock, who also acted as an actor. The film shows a strange transformation of the main character, who decides to eat only at McDonald's for 30 days. This has incredible consequences on his emotional, psychological and physical condition.

Budget: about $750,000

Box office: $248.6 million

This 1999 American horror film was written and directed by Daniel Myrick. Three student directors Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael S. Williams got lost while walking in the mountains of Maryland in 1994. The film was a success with audiences and grossed $248 million, making it one of the most successful independent films of all time.

Budget: $230,000

Box office: $2.3 million

"Bronson" is an English biographical psychological drama directed by Nicholas Winding Refn. The film tells the story of the famous prisoner Michael Gordon Peterson (Tom Hardy), who took the name Charles Bronson on the advice of his boxing promoter.

Budget: $23,800

Box office: $10.2 million

A comedy drama by Edward Burns, who directed, produced and wrote the film. The life story of three brothers from New York, who have made a lot of discoveries for themselves in the field of religion, love, sex, marriage and family.

Budget: $27,572

Box office: $3.1 million

This is a 1994 American black-and-white comedy starring Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran. In this film, the characters of Jay and Silent Bob meet for the first time. "Clerks" was filmed in a grocery store for just $27,575— director Kevin Smith was working in this store at the time. As a result, the film was a box office success.

Budget: $25,000

Box office: $2.85 million

This Canadian-American comedy was filmed in 1997 by Neil LaBute based on his own script. According to the plot, two male colleagues, who are generally tired of the whims of women, decide to play an evil joke on a deaf female colleague.

Budget: $130,000

Box office: $54.7 million

This 2003 psychological thriller is based on the true story of an American couple Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were accidentally forgotten at sea during a diving excursion. As a result of the agonizing wait, the spouses die one by one, becoming victims of the elements and sharks.

Budget: $23,000

Box office: $1.23 million

The Freeloader is an American independent comedy drama directed by Richard Linklater. The film seems plotless, full of strange characters who appear on the screen for only a few minutes, discussing topics such as social classes, terrorism, unemployment, political marginality and even government control of the media.

Budget: $15,000

Box office: $193.3 million

Directed by Oren Peli. A supernatural horror film about a young couple Katie and Micah, who are haunted by a ghost. The film was first shown on October 14, 2007 at the Screamfest Film Festival. Later it was acquired by Paramount Pictures, changed and released only in the USA on September 25, 2009, and the full release took place on October 16 of the same year.

Budget: $12,000

Box office: $7 million

John Waters became the director, producer and screenwriter of this film. It was released in 1972. The film made a splash due to its "perversity". Starring Devine, Mink Table, David Locari, Edith Massey and Mary Vivien Pierce.

Budget: $7000

Box office: $2 million

This 1992 American action movie was the first part of the famous Mexican trilogy by Robert Rodriguez. "The Musician" was written in Spanish, and it was filmed in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, is the hometown of Carlos Gallardo.