Science fiction is quite the demanding genre when it comes to film. Sci-fi movies often have elaborate special effects and large-scale productions to convincingly explore futuristic worlds or imaginative, futuristic ideas. As a result, many popular science-fiction movies also cost a lot of money, meaning that financing an ambitious sci-fi movie is often risky for a producer.
However, a film in the sci-fi genre doesn't mean it has to have a high budget to execute its premise well. Some excellent sci-fi films have been made with less than 1 million USD and are all very good. Each demonstrates how to pull off an ambitious premise with little to no money and may well be inspiring to any budding filmmakers who want to make a sci-fi film but are worried about budgets.
'The Vast of Night' (2019) — $700,000
The Vast of Night is a relatively recent science-fiction movie that takes place in the 1950s. It's heavy on mystery, with a premise that follows two young people—who each know their way around 1950s radio technology—who comes across a strange audio frequency they begin to suspect may be alien.
It captures the era well and, in a way, serves as a homage to the sorts of extraterrestrial-themed sci-fi movies that were popular in the actual decade The Vast of Night is set during. Despite the fairly simple premise and scope, the film certainly doesn't scream low budget, making it one of the best recent examples of slick, professional-looking sci-fi done on a budget.
'Primer' (2004) — $7000
Shane Carruth has made two ambitious, well-received science-fiction movies on incredibly small budgets. In 2013, he released the strange, dreamlike Upstream Color with a budget of $50,000. Still, his debut was made for even less, with 2004's Primer estimated to have a budget of just $7000.
The film follows several scientists who create a machine they believe could be used as a time travel device and follows the fallout and consequences of such a discovery. It's notorious for being one of the most complex and overwhelming time travel movies of all time, showing that you certainly don't need a high budget to provide a good mental workout for your viewers' brains.
'Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes' — Budget not specified
It's hard to find a reliable source that gives a figure on what Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes' budget was, but it's safe to assume it was made for very little. This funny, trippy, and endlessly creative Japanese movie follows a group of friends who discover—and then play around with—a monitor that shows themselves precisely two minutes into the future.
It's a real mind-bender of a film, but an enjoyable one at that. It takes place in real-time and in a very confined location (a café and a couple of apartments in the same building above it) while also being filmed to look as though it's one continuous shot. It's super ambitious and ultimately well-executed, and does so much with its small setting and limited filming technology (much of it was shot on an iPhone!).
'Coherence' (2013) - $50,000
Coherence's plot involves a group of friends at a dinner party whose lives (and minds) are shattered by a mysterious set of circumstances that may be linked to a comet that's passing overhead. To say anymore - or explain what area of science-fiction it falls into - would be saying too much.
The important thing is that Coherence does wonders with seemingly few resources or money at its disposal. It took place in one house and was filmed throughout several nights and with a limited script, leading to plenty of improvisation. It all works quite well, and as long as you accept that it's not going to be a particularly flashy or high-concept sci-fi film, fans of the genre should come away from it satisfied.
'The Call of Cthulhu' (2005) — $50,000
The Call of Cthulhu adopts the style of an old black and white silent movie from the 1920s and deals with the infamous, otherworldly creature referred to in its title. In the process, it becomes one of the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptations, making for a suitably creepy sci-fi horror film about the ancient monster whose terror "cannot be described."
With such an obscure, indescribable monster at its center, it's a wonder The Call of Cthulhu works at all, let alone while passing as an old silent film and being made for just $50,000. It's imaginative and creative enough that its short length of 47 minutes and rough edges are easy to forgive.
'Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds' (1989) — $340,000
Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas is probably best known for films like The Crow and I, Robot, with Spirits of the Air, and Gremlins of the Clouds being his underrated debut. It has a strange post-apocalyptic setting and a simple plot about three strange individuals trying to survive in the desert.
Though the story and acting are a little all over the place, it's okay when the film is as visually striking and unique as it is. It's a singular experience and looks like nothing else—before or since—and shows that Australia has more to offer than just Mad Max when it comes to post-apocalyptic fiction.
'Threads' (1984) — $460,000
To call Threads a brutal film would be a major understatement. It's a harrowing and intensely realistic look at what might happen to society in the wake of a nuclear war, depicting horrific scenes of life as we know it being destroyed, followed by the awful, post-apocalyptic conditions the survivors of such a conflict would have to live in.
How it was made on a TV movie budget for less than $1 million is anyone's guess. It doesn't feel like it's nearly 40 years old, with the special effects and technical qualities still holding up as realistic looking. Dystopian, nightmarish science fiction doesn't get much grimmer or more terrifying than this. It's a great low-budget sci-fi film (of sorts) but undoubtedly isn't for the faint of heart.
'Tetsuo: The Iron Man' (1989) - $17,000
The best word to describe Tetsuo: The Iron Man would probably be "relentless." Runner-up words might include "loud," "strange," or even "nightmarish." Costing just $17,000, Tetsuo seems to rise above budgetary constraints to deliver a non-stop assault on the senses with its grim body-horror story about a man who finds his body turning to metal.
Words can't properly summarize just how impactful the film is, with viewers needing to see it for themselves (and hear the booming soundtrack and metallic sound effects) to get a good idea. Of course, it's certainly not for everyone, but for better or worse, it's not the kind of movie viewers will likely forget soon after watching.
'Circle' (2015) — $250,000
The setup to Circle is simple. Fifty strangers find themselves locked in a room. Every two minutes, one person drops dead. The film becomes about deciding who lives, as the trapped people/prisoners discover they can mentally "vote" for who is executed next.
It all takes place in one room and features a cast of mostly amateur actors. It is a rough and sometimes haphazard film, but it's also strangely compelling and undeniably unique. For viewers willing to overlook some shortcomings, it's a satisfying low-budget sci-fi flick.
'Cube' (1997) — $278,000
Cube has a similar premise to the Saw series, with a group of strangers placed into dangerous situations and required to solve deadly puzzles to survive. Of course, Cube predates Saw and puts a science-fiction spin on the narrative, furthering the sense of mystery and uneasy tension.
The original Cube is a very well-made sci-fi/mystery/thriller. And it's not hard to see why it was made for less than $300,000: the design of the prison and its cube rooms allowed for limited sets to be used, and the cast is relatively small, too. Still makes for a great watch, though.