When it comes to movies that were not optimistic about the publisher at first, but then became a classic at the box office, the best example is probably "Joker" starring Jacqueline Phoenix! However, in addition, there are many European and American works in film history that are also like this, such as "Split", "Escape from Desperate Town", "Burst Drummer", etc., although they do not necessarily have huge budgets, but they have created a very successful reputation among fans!
1. "Burst Drummer"
The Burst Drummer
Budget: $3.3 million Box office: $49 million
"The Drummer" is directed by Damien Chazere, with Miles Teller, J. Miller and the Others. Starring K. Simmons. The film tells the story of Andrew, an ambitious drummer, who studied thoroughly under the devil's mentor Frye, suffered physically and mentally, and changed his temperament.
The film won 1 Golden Globe and 3 Oscars, and most critics praised the superb acting skills of the two lead actors. In fact, however, when raising funds for filming, no producer believed that audiences would be interested in a script in which a 19-year-old jazz drummer had a complicated relationship with his mentor.
In order to solve the budget problem, director Damien decided to make 15 pages of the script into an 18-minute short film and show it at the 29th Japanese Dance Film Festival (many new Hollywood directors regard it as the best springboard for directing mainstream commercial blockbusters), and the film received a lot of praise, attracting $3.3 million in investment, and finally the script was made into a complete film and made the big screen.
Damien, who is also the director and screenwriter, said that the script of the film was inspired by his middle school years, in a "fiercely competitive" jazz orchestra, when the orchestra instructor was quite harsh on him, and even slapped his drum with his fist, and scolded: "You play too fast at once, you play too slowly, you just can't keep up with my rhythm!" Damien said it was the most common phrase he heard throughout his high school career.
Although more than a decade before graduating from high school, Damien still can't forget that nightmare, which inspired him to write "Burst Drummer", and the "fearful" teacher in the film, Terence Fletcher, is modeled on his middle school mentor.
2. "Escape from Desperate Town"
Escape from Desperate Town
Budget: $4.5 million Box office: $255 million
Breaking Bad was definitely one of the most stunning films of the year, directed by Jordan Peel and starring Daniel Kalua and Alison Williams. The film won the 90th Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actor and other awards.
The key to the film's low-budget success was Jordan Peel's blend of humor, satire and horror, as well as daring to challenge the sensitive racial issues of the United States at the time, with countless "black and white Easter eggs" hidden throughout the film.
From the beginning of the police inspection, the heroine's family's mysterious language, the strange behavior of the servants, the costumes of the actors, the cotton in the seats, and various props everywhere have their meaning, each link contains the inequality and various dilemmas faced by black people in the United States, and the story is quite intriguing.
3. Slumdog Millionaire
The Poor Millionaire
Budget: $15 million Box office: $377 million
Slumdog Millionaire is directed by Danny Boyle, director of "Guess the Train" and "Steve Jobs," and starring Indian-British actor Dave Patel.
Adapted from the novel "Q&A" by Indian writer Vikas Swarup, the story tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the slums of Mumbai, who participates in the game quiz show "Millionaire", performs a smooth process beyond expectations, is suspected of cheating by the host when answering the final question, and finally under the torture of the police, he recalls and says that each question is related to his life experience.
After its release, the film was widely praised by all walks of life in terms of plot, soundtrack and director, and won 8 of the 10 Oscar nominations, including best film, best director and best adapted screenplay, etc., and was regarded as one of the most successful films in 2008.
4. "My Grand Greek Wedding"
My Grand Greek Wedding
Budget: $5 million Box office: $36.87 million
My Grand Greek Wedding was directed by Joel Zvik and starred Nia Vadalas. Telling the story of a Greek-American heroine who breaks through the difficulties and marries his non-Greek sweetheart, the theme of the film not only depicts the cultural differences between the two places, but also implicitly mentions the reconciliation between the peoples. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2002 and is the highest-grossing romantic comedy in history.
5. "Smart: Ghost Shadow Recordings"
Smart: Ghost Shadow Recordings
Budget: $15,000 Box Office: $193 million
Yes, you read that right! How did "Smart: Ghost Movie" spend only $15,000 in ultra-low cost, but created nearly $200 million at the box office?
The film was shot in a handheld DV by director Oren Perry, in documentary mode, without a script, all the lines were created by the actors on the spot, the filming time took only a week, and even the post-editing was done on a normal computer. Initially only broadcast in a few theaters in the United States, it has been well received, increasing to more than 620, and the profit obtained is 7100 times the cost.
What's so appealing about it? Although the audience knows that the content is fake, the pseudo-documentary approach presents a sense of realism without distance, making people feel as if they can experience the supernatural activities in the scene, and express the most immediate fear. The director said that the film was inspired by his personal experience living in South America with his girlfriend, during which she often heard strange noises in the house and recalled her childhood experience of encountering ghosts. The film has also been followed by a number of sequels, namely the "Ghost in the Picture" series.