The movie industry is full of genres, styles, and actors we all love to see hitting our big screens. The variety in this industry is something to marvel at, and the movie-going experience has evolved in ways that go beyond our wildest dreams. However, as much as we appreciate the big-budget, high-action, visual effects, and grandiose sets, there is something very charming and irresistibly intimate about an indie film.

Indie films have been around for quite some time, and even today, you can catch some big-name actors attaching their names to these projects because of the stories that they resonate with and want to tell. From being deeply emotional and full of heart and character, indie movies have become unavoidable favorites for movie-lovers of all ages. Of course, money is not everything, but it does hold at least a small candle to how successful the movie was received in the public eye. Here is a list of some of the highest-grossing indie movies of all time (adjusted for inflation).

10 Dirty Dancing — $501.1M

Kiss scene in Dirty Dancing
Vestron Pictures

Dirty Dancing has comfort movie written all over it! Starring the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing follows a young girl on a summer vacation, during which she discovers herself and finds a whirlwind romance along the way. This movie is from 1987 and is now considered a must-watch for movie-lovers. With a swoon-worthy plot and a fabulous soundtrack, this movie, when adjusted for inflation, made an incredible $501.1 million at the worldwide box office.

Related: 7 Highest-Grossing Movies of the 2020s (So Far)

9 The Full Monty — $521.36M

TheFullMonty (1)
Redwave Films

We all love a good comedy. The Full Monty stars Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The movie follows a group of steelworkers when they decide to put their blood, sweat, and tears into putting together an amateur strip show to make some money. This hilarious comedy drama had a low budget of $3.5 million dollars in comparison to the $521.36 million it made at the box office.

8 Billy Jack — $544.05M

BillyJack (1)
National Student Film Corporation

Billy Jack is an old drama action film from 1971. The film's budget at the time was at $800,000 and has since grossed $544.05 million. With an extremely talented cast composed of Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Teresa Kelly, and Victor Izay, this independent film is definitely worth a watch in our books.

7 Shakespeare in Love — $545.89M

Shakespeare in Love
Miramax

Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Ben Affleck, AND Colin Firth? This star-studded cast definitely puts this indie film in the public eye. The period romance drama film Shakespeare in Love came out in 1998 and is a story of famous writer and playwright WIlliam Shakespeare as he finds a new muse for his work. This movie made an astonishing $545.89 million and is available to watch now on HBO Max.

6 My Big Fat Greek Wedding — $592.07M

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
IFC Films

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the highest-grossing romantic comedy so, of course, it has a place on this list. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 rom-com staple starring Nia Vardalos and John Corbett. When Toula Portokalos (Vardalos) decides to get her love life going, the hilarious circumstances and complications surrounding her family make up a recipe for disaster and love. My Big Fat Greek Wedding racked up an incredible $592.07 million at the worldwide box office, and with an initial $5 million as a starting budget when the movie was made, the returns are huge.

Related: 8 Highest-Grossing Movies of the 2010s

5 American Beauty — $644.93M

american beauty
Jinks/Cohen Company

Sam Mendes makes his directorial debut with the 1999 comedy-drama film American Beauty. This independent film follows a man who starts going through a midlife crisis and develops an unhealthy obsession with his daughter's best friend. This movie has gained notoriety in the film world since its release and has grossed around $644.93 million compared to its $15 million budget. If you are interested in watching American Beauty, it is streaming on Netflix and on Amazon Prime.

4 Se7en — $690.95M

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in Se7en
New Line Cinema

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, two very iconic names in Hollywood, starred in the 1995 crime mystery film Se7en that made almost $691 million. Se7en follows two New York City detectives, played by Pitt and Freeman, as they go on the hunt for a serial killer whose kills are reflective of the seven deadly sins. If you are a fan of the crime thriller genre of movies, this one has to be on your radar if you haven't seen it already, and it is currently available on Netflix.

3 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — $736.78M

The white shirt wearing inmates at the asylum in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
United Artists / Warner Bros.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest came out in 1975 and even after 47 years, people are still talking about how good it is. This is a drama comedy movie that follows Randle Patrick McMurphy, played by the iconic Jack Nicholson, a criminal who ends up in a mental institution. Well, although he once thought it would be easier than prison, he is proven wrong. This movie made $736.78 million at the worldwide box office so, if you want to watch it, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is on HBO Max.

2 The Graduate — $784.36M

The Graduate with Mrs. Robinson in bed
United Artists

In 1967, Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft gave us The Graduate. The Graduate is a rom-com drama movie following Benjamin Braddock, a new college graduate, who finds himself stuck in his own personal love triangle between the Robinson mother-daughter duo. This movie was based on a novel by Charles Webb and this classic has garnered $784.36 million and sits on the second place slot on this list.

1 The Passion of the Christ — $917.94M

The Passion of the Christ mel gibson
Newmarket Films

This movie pretty much towers over the rest of the movies on this list in terms of how much money it made. The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 religious drama that depicts Jesus of Nazareth's last 12 hours and his crucifixion. This brutal and incredibly heavy film stars Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, and Rosalinda Celentano. The Passion of the Christ had an initial $25 million budget and came out to make a massive $917.94 million, sitting on the throne as the highest-grossing independent movie of all time.