Indie films cover a range of topics and genres. They challenge their audience with new viewpoints, humor, and cinematic techniques.
The only thing they have in common is their lack of funding from major film studios. An indie film is any film made without a studio or big production company. Because of this, their budget might be in the few thousand to a few million.
We break down our most famous and underrated ones by looking at budget, awards, and box office success.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The first film on our list is by horror director George A. Romero. Night of the Living Dead was one of the first successful low-budget horror films. The story follows seven people trapped in a farmhouse during a zombie apocalypse. Romero co-founded his own film company with friends after he saw a gap in the B-movie market.
The original budget was only $6,000, but Romero managed to secure funding from private investors to bring it up to $144,000. The film was groundbreaking for the 1960s because it combined horror gore with social issues. In particular, the film cast a black actor (Duane Jones) in its lead role.
Easy Rider (1969)
Dennis Hopper’s debut feature film was a surprise success. Easy Rider is a road movie that follows two bikers from LA to New Orleans. The film explored themes such as drugs and sex that were rarely on screen in the late 60s. It also launched the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.
The original budget for Easy Rider was $400,000. However, additional funding was sourced later for music rights. As a result, the film made $60 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful films on our list.
Eraserhead (1977)
David Lynch’s debut feature film Eraserhead is in the horror genre. Lynch wrote, directed, edited, and created the music score. In brief, the film tells the story of a man looking after his child in a strange world. Lynch said his fear of fatherhood and his experience living in a troubled neighborhood inspired the film.
This film is one of the most underrated indie movies. Surprisingly it had a very low budget of only $10,000, and it took over five years to make. The film made over $7 million at the box office. It is now part of the library of congress’s list of important films of American culture.
Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)
Steven Soderbergh wrote and directed Sex, Lies and Videotape when he was only 26 years old. It tells the story of a man who videotapes a woman discussing her fantasies on camera. It is a drama film that only took only eight days to write. Soderbergh found funding from a straight-to-video home movie company and did not expect box office success.
It was shot on a budget of $1.2 million and grossed over $36 million worldwide. The film premiered at Canne and won a Palme d’Or. Like Easy Rider, it proved that a low-budget indie film could compete with big Hollywood studio movies.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Quentin Tarantino’s debut film, Reservoir Dogs, is next on our list. It’s a crime film with a star cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Madsen. The story follows a group of thieves who rob a jewelry store. Significantly, the film is known for its heavy dialogue and a 1970s soundtrack.
Empire magazine named it one of ‘the best indie movies of all time’. The film had an overall budget of $1.5 million and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, it didn’t do so well at the box office. But when Tarrantino’s next film, Pulp Fiction (1994), won awards, it became a cult hit.
Run Lola Run (1998)
Run Lola Run is a German action thriller by writer and director Tom Tykwer. The story follows Lola, who needs to obtain 100,000 Dutch marks in twenty minutes to save the life of her boyfriend, Manni. The film was a surprise hit that proved that non-English films could compete at the box office.
It uses a mix of colorful graphics, film, and digital video. Its overall budget was $1.7 million, and it made $22.9 million during its opening year. It’s also one of the most underrated movies and is definitely worth watching.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Next is a found footage horror film directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. In short, The Blair Witch Project follows three filmmaking students on a hiking trip to make a video. During the film’s marketing, fake missing person posters caused the film to go viral.
The Blair Witch Project had a budget of only $60,000. Still, it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received great reviews. It grossed nearly $250 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films of all time.
Memento (2000)
As mentioned, indie films of all time come in different genres and budgets. Christopher Nolan’s Mystery Thriller Memento stars Guy Pearce as a man suffering from short term memory loss. The film uses reverse storytelling, jump cuts and color film effects to tell the story.
In contrast to other films on the list, it has a higher budget of $9 million. The funding came from an independent deal with a theatre company. However, regardless of the larger budget, Momento earned $40 million at the box office. The film’s unlikely success propelled Nolan’s career, who went on to make studio films.
Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash is a drama directed by Damien Chazelle and starring J.K. Simmons. The story follows an ambitious music student and his abusive teacher.
Chazelle originally made a short version of the film, but after its success, he convinced an independent company to produce it for £3.3 million. The film had a shooting schedule of only 17 days and made $49 million at the box office.
The Florida Project (2017)
The Florida Project is a coming of age drama film. The story follows a six year old girl living with her mother at a motel. The film touches upon social issues that promoted debate upon its release. It is director Sean Baker’s 5th low-budget feature film and his most successful.
Made with a budget of $2 million, the film received $11.2 million at the box office. Baker shot the film on 35mm and with a bare minimum crew. It also won numerous awards at the Canne Film Festival, BAFTA, and Oscars.
Wrapping Up
In short, indie films take risks and stand out from their competition. They allow filmmakers to have creative freedom because they don’t have a Hollywood studio behind them. However, this also means that they have a much lower budget. We hope this list has inspired you to make your own short films.
