10 Low Budget Movies That OWNED the Box Office This Decade
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VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
You don't always need billions to make a blockbuster! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for films released from 2020 and beyond that reached significant box office milestones on a budget of no more than $30 million. Our countdown includes movies “Sound of Freedom”, “M3GAN”, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for films released from 2020 and beyond that reached significant box office milestones on a budget of no more than $30 million. We’re excluding “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” because, while the film itself didn’t cost much, it stemmed from the biggest concert tour ever. So, not exactly a “low-budget” production. Which low-budget film did you find the most priceless? Let us know in the comments!
2014’s “Godzilla” had a budget of $160 million. “Godzilla vs. Kong” cost as much as $200 million. “Godzilla Minus One” was produced on a much smaller scale, but watching the film, you’d never estimate the budget to be in the $15 million ballpark. Director Takashi Yamazaki claims that it was even less than what’s been reported. We imagine that the filmmakers saved some money by focusing more on the human characters, who are so compelling that the audience isn’t constantly left asking, “Where’s Godzilla already?” When Godzilla does show up, “Minus One” delivers effects and action so striking that you’d swear the budget was three times larger. This balance has made “Minus One” an international hit, stomping over several Hollywood films upon reaching North America.
Horror movies habitually have smaller budgets, which is one of the reasons that the genre has proven so reliable at the box office. Even by horror standards, “Talk to Me” came in with a surprisingly low price tag of $4.5 million. Directors Danny and Michael Philippou notably started as YouTubers, producing effects-heavy videos with limited resources. This prepared them to make “Talk to Me,” which possesses a hand-crafted feel in more ways than one. The committed performances make the practical effects and makeup all the more authentic. Propelled by positive word of mouth, this Aussie hit has become A24’s highest-grossing horror movie to date. With a $92 million intake, it’s also the distributor’s second-biggest film ever. As for the first…
Funny, thrilling, emotional, and endlessly inventive, “Everything Everywhere” is everything a moviegoer could want. Yet, one can see how a film that packs in so much might be a hard sell for audiences and awards groups. The Daniels’ genre-bending experience defied every odd, however. Not only did it win seven Oscars, Best Picture included, but it broke box office records for A24. Costing between $14.3 million and $25 million, “Everything Everywhere” went on to become the first A24 film to cross the $100 million mark. All the more astounding, COVID was still top of mind when the film hit theaters with audiences generally restricting themselves to big-budget fare. In a sea of IP-driven tentpoles, though, “Everything Everywhere” encompassed a universal hunger for original voices.
Speaking of the pandemic, “The Invisible Man” was one of the last significant hits before theaters (and the rest of the world) shut down. The film would only play in domestic theaters for three weeks with COVID impeding its run. Still, a $144.5 million worldwide gross is nothing to scoff at, especially considering that it cost just $7 million to make. After Universal threw so much money at the ill-fated Dark Universe, “The Invisible Man” showed that oftentimes, less is more. With a villain that we can’t see, the film submerges the audience into a constant state of dread. Even when little is happening, we’re left on edge with Elisabeth Moss. This makes it all the more shocking when something does happen!
Ten minutes into “The Black Phone,” you might assume that you’re watching a Stephen King adaptation. You’d be wrong… it was based on a short story by his son, Joe Hill. Even so, the source material wasn’t a household name and the film’s most high-profile star, Ethan Hawke, spends most of the run time behind a mask. “The Black Phone” opened modestly in the midst of summer, but enthusiastic reviews kept it in the domestic Top 10 for eight straight weeks. Grossing $161.4 million overall, the film would make almost ten times its investment of $16-18 million. In the process, it’d launch a franchise with a sequel announced in 2023. The film also made stars of young up-and-comers like Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
It’s been a lucrative couple of years for the McGraw family. Madeleine’s sister Violet McGraw starred in “M3GAN” as a little girl who gains a hazardous playmate. “M3GAN” is another film that lives by the “less is more” approach. While M3GAN herself beams with personality, her facial expressions are limited. This only adds to the creep factor as M3GAN stares down her victims with a pair of dead eyes. Even before arriving in theaters, M3GAN was already becoming something of a viral sensation, guaranteeing that the film would at least recoup its $12 million investment. The film didn’t stop there, making $181 million by the end of its run. Universal didn’t hesitate to greenlight “M3GAN 2.0,” introducing an instant horror icon.
Paramount originally planned to distribute this $17 million horror film as a streaming exclusive. Due to encouraging test screenings, though, the studio wisely decided to give “Smile” a shot at the big screen. The film performed above expectations, opening at number one and only dropping 18% during its second weekend. Finishing with $217.4 million globally, “Smile” stands out as the decade’s highest-grossing R-rated horror movie thus far. In addition to strong reviews, the film’s success can be attributed to a well-calculated marketing campaign. The advertising budget was more than two times its production costs. The results would leave investors smiling all the way to the bank and audiences screaming all the way to the end credits.
“Sound of Freedom” is a success story that industry experts will be analyzing for years to come. As big-budget tentpoles like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” underperformed, this indie came out of nowhere, setting off the sleeper hit sirens. How did a $14.5 million film gross over $250 million? Some say that audiences connected with its Christian themes and the subject at the story’s core, child trafficking. Others cited the film’s unique “pay-it-forward” campaign, which motivated viewers to buy an extra ticket. So, even if a screening was sold out, the auditorium wasn’t necessarily packed. Whatever Angel Studios did, it worked. The question is if it’ll work again or if “Sound of Freedom” will go down as a box office anomaly.
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” has been a staple of video games and Let’s Play videos for nearly a decade. While it’s accumulated one of the most loyal followings in gaming, would fans show up to see Freddy and friends on the silver screen? The fact that the film made almost $300 million should answer your question. Maintaining the indie spirit of the games, the movie only cost $20 million to produce. Of course, you can’t put a price on the animatronic wizardry of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. It might not have been the decade’s most critically acclaimed horror flick, but there’s no denying that “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was a smash with the kids, becoming Blumhouse’s biggest hit to date.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Made Eight Times Its $10 Million Budget, But You Couldn’t Pay Us to Try These Stunts
By the end of the decade, Japanese animation may finally be deemed a mainstream phenomenon in the U.S. Based on the manga and anime series, the “Demon Slayer” movie made over $21 million during its debut week in the States. The film rounded out its North American run with almost $50 million, but that’s merely a fraction of what “Demon Slayer” grossed overseas. Making a little more than half a billion dollars, “Demon Slayer” would go down as the highest-grossing film of 2020, providing a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for theaters. It also dethroned “Spirited Away” as Japan’s highest-grossing film ever. Most impressive of all, the film did all of the above on a budget of $15.7 million.
#10: “Godzilla Minus One” (2023)
2014’s “Godzilla” had a budget of $160 million. “Godzilla vs. Kong” cost as much as $200 million. “Godzilla Minus One” was produced on a much smaller scale, but watching the film, you’d never estimate the budget to be in the $15 million ballpark. Director Takashi Yamazaki claims that it was even less than what’s been reported. We imagine that the filmmakers saved some money by focusing more on the human characters, who are so compelling that the audience isn’t constantly left asking, “Where’s Godzilla already?” When Godzilla does show up, “Minus One” delivers effects and action so striking that you’d swear the budget was three times larger. This balance has made “Minus One” an international hit, stomping over several Hollywood films upon reaching North America.
#9: “Talk to Me” (2022)
Horror movies habitually have smaller budgets, which is one of the reasons that the genre has proven so reliable at the box office. Even by horror standards, “Talk to Me” came in with a surprisingly low price tag of $4.5 million. Directors Danny and Michael Philippou notably started as YouTubers, producing effects-heavy videos with limited resources. This prepared them to make “Talk to Me,” which possesses a hand-crafted feel in more ways than one. The committed performances make the practical effects and makeup all the more authentic. Propelled by positive word of mouth, this Aussie hit has become A24’s highest-grossing horror movie to date. With a $92 million intake, it’s also the distributor’s second-biggest film ever. As for the first…
#8: “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022)
Funny, thrilling, emotional, and endlessly inventive, “Everything Everywhere” is everything a moviegoer could want. Yet, one can see how a film that packs in so much might be a hard sell for audiences and awards groups. The Daniels’ genre-bending experience defied every odd, however. Not only did it win seven Oscars, Best Picture included, but it broke box office records for A24. Costing between $14.3 million and $25 million, “Everything Everywhere” went on to become the first A24 film to cross the $100 million mark. All the more astounding, COVID was still top of mind when the film hit theaters with audiences generally restricting themselves to big-budget fare. In a sea of IP-driven tentpoles, though, “Everything Everywhere” encompassed a universal hunger for original voices.
#7: “The Invisible Man” (2020)
Speaking of the pandemic, “The Invisible Man” was one of the last significant hits before theaters (and the rest of the world) shut down. The film would only play in domestic theaters for three weeks with COVID impeding its run. Still, a $144.5 million worldwide gross is nothing to scoff at, especially considering that it cost just $7 million to make. After Universal threw so much money at the ill-fated Dark Universe, “The Invisible Man” showed that oftentimes, less is more. With a villain that we can’t see, the film submerges the audience into a constant state of dread. Even when little is happening, we’re left on edge with Elisabeth Moss. This makes it all the more shocking when something does happen!
#6: “The Black Phone” (2021)
Ten minutes into “The Black Phone,” you might assume that you’re watching a Stephen King adaptation. You’d be wrong… it was based on a short story by his son, Joe Hill. Even so, the source material wasn’t a household name and the film’s most high-profile star, Ethan Hawke, spends most of the run time behind a mask. “The Black Phone” opened modestly in the midst of summer, but enthusiastic reviews kept it in the domestic Top 10 for eight straight weeks. Grossing $161.4 million overall, the film would make almost ten times its investment of $16-18 million. In the process, it’d launch a franchise with a sequel announced in 2023. The film also made stars of young up-and-comers like Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
#5: “M3GAN” (2023)
It’s been a lucrative couple of years for the McGraw family. Madeleine’s sister Violet McGraw starred in “M3GAN” as a little girl who gains a hazardous playmate. “M3GAN” is another film that lives by the “less is more” approach. While M3GAN herself beams with personality, her facial expressions are limited. This only adds to the creep factor as M3GAN stares down her victims with a pair of dead eyes. Even before arriving in theaters, M3GAN was already becoming something of a viral sensation, guaranteeing that the film would at least recoup its $12 million investment. The film didn’t stop there, making $181 million by the end of its run. Universal didn’t hesitate to greenlight “M3GAN 2.0,” introducing an instant horror icon.
#4: “Smile” (2022)
Paramount originally planned to distribute this $17 million horror film as a streaming exclusive. Due to encouraging test screenings, though, the studio wisely decided to give “Smile” a shot at the big screen. The film performed above expectations, opening at number one and only dropping 18% during its second weekend. Finishing with $217.4 million globally, “Smile” stands out as the decade’s highest-grossing R-rated horror movie thus far. In addition to strong reviews, the film’s success can be attributed to a well-calculated marketing campaign. The advertising budget was more than two times its production costs. The results would leave investors smiling all the way to the bank and audiences screaming all the way to the end credits.
#3: “Sound of Freedom” (2023)
“Sound of Freedom” is a success story that industry experts will be analyzing for years to come. As big-budget tentpoles like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” underperformed, this indie came out of nowhere, setting off the sleeper hit sirens. How did a $14.5 million film gross over $250 million? Some say that audiences connected with its Christian themes and the subject at the story’s core, child trafficking. Others cited the film’s unique “pay-it-forward” campaign, which motivated viewers to buy an extra ticket. So, even if a screening was sold out, the auditorium wasn’t necessarily packed. Whatever Angel Studios did, it worked. The question is if it’ll work again or if “Sound of Freedom” will go down as a box office anomaly.
#2: “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2023)
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” has been a staple of video games and Let’s Play videos for nearly a decade. While it’s accumulated one of the most loyal followings in gaming, would fans show up to see Freddy and friends on the silver screen? The fact that the film made almost $300 million should answer your question. Maintaining the indie spirit of the games, the movie only cost $20 million to produce. Of course, you can’t put a price on the animatronic wizardry of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. It might not have been the decade’s most critically acclaimed horror flick, but there’s no denying that “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was a smash with the kids, becoming Blumhouse’s biggest hit to date.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The Whale” (2022)
Making Almost $55 million Against $3 million, Brendan Fraser Reestablished His Star Power“Evil Dead Rise” (2023)
Spending Less Than $20 Million, Lee Cronin Made the Highest-Grossing “Evil Dead” Film Yet“Jackass Forever” (2022)
Made Eight Times Its $10 Million Budget, But You Couldn’t Pay Us to Try These Stunts
“Drive My Car” (2021)
A $1.3 Million Investment Paid Off with $15.4 million & Oscar Gold“Terrifier 2” (2022)
For a $250,000 Production, a $15.7 Million Gross Is Like James Cameron Money#1: “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train” (2020)
By the end of the decade, Japanese animation may finally be deemed a mainstream phenomenon in the U.S. Based on the manga and anime series, the “Demon Slayer” movie made over $21 million during its debut week in the States. The film rounded out its North American run with almost $50 million, but that’s merely a fraction of what “Demon Slayer” grossed overseas. Making a little more than half a billion dollars, “Demon Slayer” would go down as the highest-grossing film of 2020, providing a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for theaters. It also dethroned “Spirited Away” as Japan’s highest-grossing film ever. Most impressive of all, the film did all of the above on a budget of $15.7 million.
