The 15 Biggest Low-Budget Horror Hits of All Time

Shot in a week, funded by friends, released on a shoestring, and still bigger than the studio films around them. Which tiny budget bought the biggest scare?

1. 1
   The Blair Witch Project

   1999 found-footage phenomenon shot for tens of thousands of dollars that grossed nearly $250 million.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Night of the Living Dead

   George A. Romero's 1968 zombie classic shot on a shoestring in Pennsylvania.
   579pts
3. 3
   Paranormal Activity

   2007 haunted-house film made for about $15,000 that launched a whole franchise.
   550pts
4. 4
   Unfriended

   2014 screen-life horror made for about $1 million that told its story entirely on a laptop.
   491pts
5. 5
   Obsession

   Curry Barker's 2026 horror, made for under $1 million, that passed $400 million worldwide.
   440pts
6. 6
   Talk to Me

   The Philippou brothers' 2023 debut, made for about $4.5 million, that grossed over $90 million.
   440pts
7. 7
   Saw

   James Wan's 2004 trap thriller shot in 18 days that became a billion-dollar franchise.
   440pts
8. 8
   The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

   Tobe Hooper's raw 1974 shocker made on a tiny budget in the Texas heat.
   381pts
9. 9
   Skinamarink

   2022 experimental nightmare made for about $15,000 that went viral after leaking online.
   381pts
10. 10
    Terrifier 2

    2022 splatter sequel funded partly by crowdfunding that became a surprise theatrical hit.
    381pts
11. 11
    The Evil Dead

    Sam Raimi's 1981 cabin-in-the-woods debut funded by friends and local investors.
    314pts
12. 12
    Halloween

    John Carpenter's 1978 slasher, made for around $300,000, that defined the genre.
    237pts
13. 13
    Iron Lung

    Markiplier's self-financed 2026 film, made for about $3 million, that grossed over $51 million.
    237pts
14. 14
    Insidious

    2010 haunting made for about $1.5 million that turned into a long-running series.
    147pts
15. 15
    Get Out

    Jordan Peele's 2017 social thriller made for $4.5 million that won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
    0pts

Comments 1