It’s hard to make a great movie, and arguably even harder to make a great horror movie. While money is an obvious advantage, independent studios have produced some absolute gems since low-budget gore films first took to the screens back in the 1960s, and with the recent slew of surprise hits such as It Follows, The Babadook and The Visit, low-budget horror appears to be on the rise again.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to go and revisit our top five horrors made with a budget of less than a million dollars. And believe me, it wasn’t easy.
5. Halloween (1978)
Despite what many people claim, John Carpenter’s Halloween isn’t the best slasher out there. It’s a great one, undeniably, but there’s a lot that can be said against it (the acting isn’t great and neither is the script) to the point where there’s even fair cause to call it ‘overrated’. But there’s a reason it’s considered to be so quintessential within cinema, and why it’s still revered even to this day amongst fans: flaws aside, it arguably changed the game of horror entirely.
The opening scene is perhaps the best example of this. Within the first couple of minutes we’re already treated to a brutal murder seen from the eyes of the killer himself – the killer quickly being revealed to be the six-year-old brother of the victim, the now iconic Michael Myers. Sick though it may be, it’s truly innovative filmmaking, and Carpenter continues to demonstrate this talent for the remaining 85 minutes that sees a grown Myers stalking and tormenting a young babysitter (Jamie Lee Curtis in her first role). This kind of horror hadn’t been seen much before on screen, and it wasn’t long before a legion of slasher films with many of the same tropes, including the controversial ‘final girl’ cliche, followed suit at an alarming rate until all that was left to do was make fun of it (enter Wes Craven). And while the budgets may have gotten bigger over the years, none could compare to the pure, simple scariness of the original pioneer.
4. The Evil Dead (1981)
Sam Raimi’s masterpiece proved you don’t need great acting, a great script or even a great story to make a great film. Following a group of college students in an isolated cabin in the woods who accidentally awaken a batch of evil spirits, The Evil Dead is a 90 minute trip into hell that turned a chainsaw-wielding Bruce Campbell from unknown unprofessional to cult icon. While many argue that the sequel is superior, the original retains just enough dark (and I mean dark) humour and shocking but inspiring visuals to make its case; the fact Raimi and co. were also complete unprofessionals at the time indeed only serves in its favour.
Made on a budget of less than half a million dollars, filming was apparently a “comedy of errors” with disasters happening left and right and decisions being made virtually at the last minute. The film’s raw, imperfect aesthetic is what ultimately gives it its charm, however, and has since earned it an extensive cult following as well as multiple sequels and even a future TV series. It’s a perfect example of how an effective atmosphere and some memorable camera work can more than make up for a lack of spectacle and resources. For any aspiring filmmakers – especially those wishing to make horrors – this is an important watch.
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn’t a film: it’s an ordeal. Despite not even showing that much of the actual massacre, the film still took the term ‘exploitation cinema’ to a whole new level with its repulsive content that could probably stand as the ultimate test of a viewer’s strength (and gag reflex). Initially rumoured to be based on a true story, the film follows a group of young friends who, when their van breaks down on the way to visit a family grave, suddenly become hunted by a family of cannibals in the central deserts of Texas. With its grisly, realistic aesthetic and downright vile imagery, it’s a pretty unbearable watch – but a vital one for any horror fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3981DoINw
Despite critical reception being rather lukewarm upon its release (it was even banned in the UK due to its graphic content), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has since been justifiably regarded as one of the most horrifying experiences ever put on screen: over 40 years later and Leatherface still remains as one of the scariest villains in popular culture; Sally perhaps the most sympathetic of all the ‘final girls’; and the “dinner” scene without a doubt one of the most disgustingly twisted scenes in all of cinema. The fact all this was achieved on a budget of somewhere between $93,000 and $300,000 (its original budget being only $60,000) is what earns it this spot on our list.
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” That iconic line comes from Barbara’s brother Johnny, moments before the pair of them are attacked by a strange man. Soon, this one person turns into a lot of people, who then turn out not to be people, but undead corpses seeking the flesh of those still alive. Night of the Living Dead was arguably the film that popularised the zombie genre, and it’s probably the grimmest one you’ll ever see despite it’s budget only being a measly (in terms of filmmaking, at least) $114,000.
Upon its release, the film was torn to shreds (sorry) by critics for its extremely graphic violence (it was initially screened during the day with children in the audience) as well as its bleak tone – this was first released during Hollywood’s transition from classical to “new wave”, when at the time people were used to neat, happy endings where the hero wins. Night of the Living Dead offers none of that to its audience: it’s 90 minutes of pure, hopeless horror that offers little resolution and zero comfort. You won’t be going to bed jumping at every tiny noise after watching this; you’ll be going shocked and silent, and probably quite upset. It’s these exact reasons, however, that are more than likely to make it better than any big-budget horror you’ll ever see.
1. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Ask anyone what they thought of this surprise viral hit and it’s likely they’ll have a strong response, regardless of whether it’s a positive or negative one. Told from the point of view of three film students who venture out into the woods in order to document the mysterious ‘Blair Witch’ who supposedly haunts there, The Blair Witch Project is a regarded as being a milestone in film history due to its revolutionising of the since tiring ‘found-footage’ genre – a fair reason as to perhaps why many don’t look back on this one fondly.
What makes this film so terrifying (or not terrifying, depending on who you ask) is the fact that literally everything is left up to the viewer’s imagination. It’s pure psychological, with the witch never once making an appearance – but somehow that makes the whole ordeal even creepier. Despite being amateur filmmakers themselves at the time, directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez are masterful in their use of subtlety over jump scares, as well as evoking hyper-realistic performances from their cast and creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere that’s full of foreboding and prays on the audiences’ anxieties. No score is used; no special effects; no set designs; no fancy camera work – we experience it exactly as the characters do, exactly how we would were we in that situation in real life. It’s downright petrifying despite using about as many resources as a home movie, and that’s what makes this film number one in our list.
Words by Samantha King