You don’t always need a Marvel-sized budget to make a box office hit; sometimes, all it takes is a good idea, a little bit of grit, and enough duct tape to hold the set together. Some of the most iconic movies ever weren’t swimming in cash during production. In fact, many of them were basically made with couch change and a prayer. Here are movies that crushed it at the box office despite being made on a shoestring budget.
#1: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction was made with just $8 million, which may sound like a lot, but is pretty low for a movie this big and star-studded. But man, did it blow up. The film was unlike anything people had seen before; sharp, witty dialogue, a story that jumps around in time, and characters you just can’t forget. It basically rewrote the rulebook for what being “cool” meant in the ’90s movies.
And it wasn’t just a hit with critics; it pulled in a massive $213 million at the box office. That kind of success made it legendary. Beyond the cash, it shaped pop culture in tons of ways, think fashion, iconic lines, and that Tarantino style everyone tries to copy. It really put Tarantino on the map as one of Hollywood’s biggest, boldest directors.