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.
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00:00 I just want to have a chat.
00:02 I promise this is a safe place.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for films released from 2020
00:11 and beyond that reached significant box office milestones on a budget of no more than $30
00:16 million.
00:17 We're excluding Taylor Swift The Heiress Tour because, while the film itself didn't
00:22 cost much, it stemmed from the biggest concert tour ever.
00:26 So not exactly a low-budget production.
00:29 You want the job or not?
00:32 How's the pay?
00:33 Not great.
00:35 Number 10.
00:37 Godzilla -1 2014's Godzilla had a budget of $160 million.
00:56 Godzilla vs. Kong cost as much as $200 million.
01:00 Godzilla -1 was produced on a much smaller scale, but watching the film, you'd never
01:06 estimate the budget to be in the $15 million ballpark.
01:10 Director Takashi Yamazaki claims that it was even less than what's been reported.
01:14 We imagine that the filmmakers saved some money by focusing more on the human characters
01:19 who are so compelling that the audience isn't constantly left asking, "Where's Godzilla
01:24 already?"
01:25 When Godzilla does show up, -1 delivers effects and action so striking that you'd swear
01:31 the budget was three times larger.
01:40 This balance has made -1 an international hit, stopping over several Hollywood films
01:45 upon reaching North America.
01:51 Number 9.
01:52 Talk To Me Horror movies habitually have smaller budgets,
02:06 which is one of the reasons that the genre has proven so reliable at the box office.
02:11 Even by horror standards, Talk To Me came in with a surprisingly low price tag of $4.5
02:17 million.
02:19 Filmmakers Danny and Michael Filippo notably started as YouTubers, producing effects-heavy
02:24 videos with limited resources.
02:26 This prepared them to make Talk To Me, which possesses a handcrafted feel in more ways
02:31 than one.
02:49 The committed performances make the practical effects and makeup all the more authentic.
02:54 Propelled by positive word of mouth, this Aussie hit has become A24's highest-grossing
02:59 horror movie to date.
03:01 With a $92 million dollar intake, it's also the distributor's second biggest film ever.
03:17 Number 8.
03:20 Everything Everywhere All At Once Funny, thrilling, emotional and endlessly
03:31 inventive, Everything Everywhere is everything a moviegoer could want.
03:36 Yet one who can see how a film that packs in so much might be a hard sell for audiences
03:41 and awards groups.
03:42 The Daniels genre-bending experience defied every odd, however.
03:47 Not only did it win seven Oscars, Best Picture included, but it broke box office records
03:52 for A24.
03:58 Costing between $14.3 million and $25 million, Everything Everywhere went on to become the
04:04 first A24 film to cross the $100 million dollar mark.
04:08 All the more astounding, COVID was still top of mind when the film hit theaters, with audiences
04:13 generally restricting themselves to big budget fare.
04:16 In a sea of IP-driven tentpoles, though, Everything Everywhere encompassed a universal hunger
04:22 for original voices.
04:33 Number 7.
04:34 The Invisible Man Speaking of the pandemic, The Invisible Man
04:45 was one of the last significant hits before theaters, and the rest of the world, shut
04:50 down.
04:51 The film would only play in domestic theaters for three weeks, with COVID impeding its run.
04:56 Still, $144.5 million worldwide gross is nothing to scoff at, especially considering
05:03 that it cost just $7 million to make.
05:12 After Universal threw so much money at the ill-fated Dark Universe, The Invisible Man
05:17 showed that oftentimes, less is more.
05:20 With a villain that we can't see, the film submerges the audience into a constant state
05:25 of dread.
05:26 Even when little is happening, we're left on edge with Elizabeth Moss.
05:30 This makes it all the more shocking when something does happen.
05:39 Number 6.
05:40 The Black Phone Ten minutes into The Black Phone, you might
05:49 assume that you're watching a Stephen King adaptation.
05:52 You'd be wrong.
05:53 It was based on a short story by his son, Joe Hill.
05:56 Even so, the source material wasn't a household name, and the film's most high-profile star,
06:02 Ethan Hawke, spends most of the runtime behind a mask.
06:15 The Black Phone opened modestly in the midst of summer, but enthusiastic reviews kept it
06:20 in the domestic top ten for eight straight weeks.
06:23 Making $161.4 million overall, the film would make almost ten times its investment of $16-18
06:31 million.
06:32 In the process, it'd launch a franchise with a sequel announced in 2023.
06:37 The film also made stars of young up-and-comers like Mason Thames and Madeline McGraw.
06:48 Number 5.
06:49 Megan It's been a lucrative couple of years for
06:58 the McGraw family.
06:59 Madeline's sister, Violet McGraw, starred in Megan as a little girl who gains a hazard
07:04 as playmates.
07:05 Megan is another film that lives by the "less is more" approach.
07:09 While Megan herself beams with personality, her facial expressions are limited.
07:14 This only adds to the creep factor as Megan stares down her victims with a pair of dead
07:18 eyes.
07:26 Even before arriving in theaters, Megan was already becoming something of a viral sensation,
07:31 guaranteeing that the film would at least recoup its $12 million investment.
07:35 The film didn't stop there, making $181 million by the end of its run.
07:41 Universal didn't hesitate to greenlight Megan 2.0, introducing an instant horror icon.
07:54 Number 4.
07:55 Smile.
07:56 Paramount originally planned to distribute this $17 million horror film as a streaming
08:11 exclusive.
08:12 Due to encouraging test screenings, though, the studio wisely decided to give Smile a
08:16 shot at the big screen.
08:18 The film performed above expectations, opening at number one and only dropping 18% during
08:24 its second weekend.
08:25 Finishing with $217.4 million globally, Smile stands out as the decade's highest-grossing
08:31 R-rated horror movie thus far.
08:42 In addition to strong reviews, the film's success could be attributed to a well-calculated
08:46 marketing campaign.
08:48 The advertiser's budget was more than two times its production costs.
08:52 The results would leave investors smiling all the way to the bank and audiences screaming
08:57 all the way to the end credits.
09:09 Number 3.
09:11 Sound of Freedom.
09:18 Sound of Freedom is a success story that industry experts will be analyzing for years to come.
09:24 As big-budget tentpoles like Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny underperformed, this
09:29 indie came out of nowhere, setting off the sleeper hit Sirens.
09:33 How did a $14.5 million film gross over $250 million?
09:39 Some say that audiences connected with its Christian themes and the subject at the story's
09:43 core, human trafficking.
09:52 Investors cited the film's unique pay-it-forward campaign, which motivated viewers to buy an
09:57 extra ticket.
09:58 So even if a screening was sold out, the auditorium wasn't necessarily packed.
10:03 Whatever Angel Studios did, it worked.
10:06 The question is if it will work again or if Sound of Freedom will go down as a box office
10:11 anomaly.
10:20 Number 2.
10:21 Five Nights at Freddy's.
10:33 Five Nights at Freddy's has been a staple of video games and "let's play" videos
10:37 for nearly a decade.
10:39 While it's accumulated one of the most loyal followings in gaming, would fans show up to
10:43 see Freddy and his friends on the silver screen?
10:46 The fact that the film made almost $300 million should answer your question.
10:57 Maintaining the indie spirit of the games, the movie only cost $20 million to produce.
11:02 Of course, you can't put a price on the animatronic wizardry of Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
11:07 It might not be the decade's most critically acclaimed horror flick, but there's no denying
11:11 that Five Nights at Freddy's was a smash with the kids, becoming Blumhouse's biggest
11:16 hit to date.
11:28 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:32 The Whale.
11:33 Making almost $55 million against a $3 million budget, Brendan Fraser re-established his
11:38 star power.
11:53 Evil Dead Rise.
11:55 Making less than $20 million, Lee Cronin made the highest grossing Evil Dead film yet.
12:14 Jackass Forever.
12:36 Drive My Car.
12:37 A $1.3 million investment paid off with $15.4 million and Oscar gold.
12:55 Terrorfire 2.
12:57 For a $250,000 production, a $15.7 million gross is like James Cameron money.
13:15 Number 1.
13:31 Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie Mugen Train.
13:44 By the end of the decade, Japanese animation may finally be deemed a mainstream phenomenon
13:49 in the US.
13:50 Based on the manga and anime series, The Demon Slayer movie made over $21 million during
13:55 its debut week in the States.
13:57 The film rounded out its North American run with almost $50 million.
14:01 But that's merely a fraction of what Demon Slayer grossed overseas.
14:17 Making a little more than half a billion dollars, Demon Slayer would go down as the highest
14:21 grossing film of 2020, providing a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for theaters.
14:28 It also dethroned Spirited Away as Japan's highest grossing film ever.
14:32 Most impressive of all, the film did all of the above on a budget of $15.7 million.
14:48 Which low-budget film did you find the most priceless?
14:50 Let us know in the comments.
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15:14 (upbeat music)