A big budget isn't always a guarantee that a film is going to be great. Likewise, a small budget is by no means any indication that a film is going to feel cheap or poorly done. In fact, some of cinema's most unique and impactful pieces of art have been done with very little money.

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Directors like David Lynch or Martin Scorsese have been able to take a shoestring budget and craft something truly special with it, showing that passion and dedication are all it takes to make a good movie.

Rebel Without a Crew — El Mariachi (1992)

the feet of El Mariachi walking down the highway with a turtle by his side

This is the feature film directing debut of the famous Robert Rodriguez, who would go on to be known for films such as Sin City and Spy Kids. It's about a traveling musician who's mistaken for an assassin, which forces him to try and hide from the very dangerous people looking for him.

Having cost only a measly $7,000 USD, El Mariachi is the lowest-budgeted film ever to make a million dollars at the box office. Rodriguez even wrote a book about his experience with the movie, titled Rebel Without a Crew, which has become a must-read for those wanting to make films.

A Revolution for the Horror Genre — The Blair Witch Project (1999)

A man standing in a corner in The Blair Witch Project
Image Via Artisan Entertainment

In the 1990s, the horror genre was becoming a stale terrain. That was until The Blair Witch Project, about three film students who become lost in the woods while investigating the legend of the Blair Witch, came to leave a long-lasting impact in the art of filmmaking.

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Apart from bringing the found footage subgenre of horror to the mainstream, the movie (which was made with $60,000 dollars) surprised audiences with its innovative promotional campaigns and inspired young filmmakers to go out and make movies with whatever they had in hand.

Looking for America — Easy Rider (1969)

Men riding motorbikes down a South US highway from Easy Rider

Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider, starring himself, Peter Fonda, and Jack Nicholson, is often recognized as one of the most important films in Hollywood history. It's about two hippie bikers on a trip to sell drugs who clash with animosity and violence.

The movie was revolutionary at the time, and it remains relevant even after all these years. It was the first indie film to actually make good money—$60 million dollars, to be exact, having cost only $400,000 to make. It's a provocative study of freedom, American motorcycling, and counter-culture.

The Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror — The Evil Dead (1981)

A Deadite from The Evil Dead, peeking from the floor with blood in its mouth
Image via New Line Cinema

The directing debut of legendary director Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead became an instant cult classic upon release, spawning two equally well-received sequels, a TV show, and a remake. It's a gory and campy horror extravaganza about five friends staying at a cabin in the woods, who unknowingly unleash a batch of bloodthirsty demons.

The movie was (and still is) praised for creatively using its low budget of $350,000 USD to audaciously shock audiences with its grisly nature, while also being irresistibly entertaining thanks to how passionately it was made.

The Wild Side of Australian Cinema — Mad Max (1979)

Mel Gibson standing in front of car in Mad Max
Image via Roadshow Film

Australian filmmaker George Miller burst into the scene with Mad Max, an over-the-top action adventure movie about a vengeful policeman (played by Mel Gibson) in a post-apocalyptic world who must stop a gang of violent motorcyclists.

To this day, Mad Max remains a genre landmark that only cost $350,000 to make, which makes it a minimalist movie full of badassery and excitement, especially knowing how much must have been at stake during the big action scenes. To prove its impact, the movie received two sequels (the first one lauded as one of the best in the history of action movies) and an Academy Award-winning reboot starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

Being a Father Is Weird in David Lynch's World — Eraserhead (1977)

Henry and his deformed mutant baby from Eraserhead

Recognized as one of the best and most influential surrealist filmmakers, David Lynch made his debut with Eraserhead, an absolutely head-scratching experience about a young man trying to survive an industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the eerie screams of his newborn mutant child.

Throughout the years, Lynch has refused to elaborate on the film's meaning, and that's the best thing he could possibly do. With a mere $10,000, the director made a genuinely unsettling horror film which different audience members may have completely different interpretations of.

Making Up For Your Sins — Mean Streets (1973)

Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and David Proval in Mean Streets
Image Via Warner Bros

Martin Scorsese's third fictional feature film was the one that showed the true potential of this legendary figure, and where many of his career's biggest thematic concerns first saw the light of day. Starring Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, it's the story of a small-time crook aspiring to make it big within the local mob.

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It's a gritty, raw, and personal crime film which all fans of the genre and of Scorsese absolutely must watch. It was made on a budget of $500,000 USD, which was more than enough to cement it as one of the best outings in the director's filmography.

On Second Thought, Let's Not Go to Camelot — Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

A group of knights in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Image via EMI Films

The first film of the Monty Python crew is one of the goofiest, funniest, and most entertaining comedies ever produced, and it was done with only $400,000 dollars. It includes a series of sketches following King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the Holy Grail.

After nearly five decades, the movie remains a pop culture phenomenon. Monty Python's signature absurdist style allowed them to creatively use their small budget to create a self-aware and insanely fun film.

The Masterpiece of the Master of Suspense — Psycho (1960)

A close-up of a dead woman's face on the bathroom floor
Image via Paramount Pictures

Alfred Hitchcock, said to be the master of suspense, made his best work in the form of Psycho, a horror thriller about a woman on the run (Janet Leigh) who has to hide in the mysterious Bates Motel, run by a man (Anthony Perkins) seemingly manipulated by his mother.

At the time, Psycho revolutionized story structure, as well as the thriller and horror genres. Although it has lost some of its shock factor, it remains a riveting story that's wonderfully directed and sharply written, made with a budget of $806,947 dollars.

The Burdensome Weight of the Soul — Andrei Rublev (1966)

Andrei and a mysterious man from Andrei Rublev

Any one of Andrei Tarkovsky's films could be counted among the greatest low-budget films ever made, but it has to be Andrei Rublev that takes the cake. This 3-and-a-half-hour historical epic, divided into nine chapters, is loosely based on the life of 15th-century Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev.

Throughout this expansive drama of massive scope, Tarkovsky explores a myriad of themes such as art, religion, humanity, and the soul. It's an utterly perfect film that requires patience and rewards it with a delightfully rich narrative. Seeing how vast and beautiful the movie is, it's astonishing that it only cost approximately $205,358 dollars to make.

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