“Low-budget” and “horror” go together like peanut butter and jelly. The two are practically synonymous, with low-budget filmmaking being a defining staple in the genre for as long as it has existed. Hell, Jason Blum created a multi-billion dollar production company off of Paranormal Activity, a film that cost a whopping $15,000 to produce. For whatever reason, the horror genre demands the least amount of money, but attracts the most passionate filmmakers and tons of thrill-seeking viewers.
Recent films like Skinamarink, Terrifier 2, and The Outwaters continue this trend of micro-budget films finding success in a landscape crowded by nine-figure Hollywood blockbusters. But a lot of times, low-budget horror films don’t get as much attention, sequestered to one of a dozen streaming services and buried beneath a glutton of content. So let’s shine a light on some low-budget horror movies that you’ve probably never heard of, but nonetheless demand your attention.
25 1BR (2018)
IBR focuses on Sarah, an aspiring costume designer who moves to Los Angeles in pursuit of her dreams. Broke and unable to afford anything halfway decent, she miraculously finds a nice, modestly-priced one-bedroom apartment in a quiet complex. But unbeknownst to her, the tenants are all members of a dangerous cult, and they want to indoctrinate her by any means necessary.
David Marmor’s directorial debut is tightly-directed and quite unnerving. While the film does stumble a bit towards the end, there’s enough here to make the journey. If you’re into movies about cults and have a rainy day to kill, you could do far worse than IBR.
24 Z (2019)
Not to be confused with Costa-Gavras’ seminal political thriller of the same name, Brandon Christensen’s Z puts a refreshingly horrific spin on a well-worn trope. The film follows a small family who becomes terrorized by their son’s evil imaginary friend.
While the story is well-trodden territory, Branden Christensen creates a suffocating atmosphere that features - in this author’s humble opinion - one of the most shocking and sudden jump scares in recent memory. It hits you like a slap in the face and a punch in the gut, and will leave you reeling for minutes after the fact as you ask yourself: “did that really just happen?” The film isn’t perfect, featuring some twists that strain credibility and a finale laden with poor CGI, but Christensen displays a real sense of chutzpah that’s worthy of admiration.
23 The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013)
Much like its title, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears is a beguiling but totally singular film that's hard to explain. The plot - if you could call it that - follows Dan, a businessman who has returned home from work to discover his wife has gone missing. He proceeds to carry out his own investigation, going from apartment to apartment in his building in search of answers. But Dan - much like the audience - only walks away with more questions.
More than any film on this list, Strange Color is an acquired taste. Directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have perfected a style all their own: “nu-giallo.” Heavily inspired by the colorful and ultra-stylized Italian giallo films of the 70s and 80s, Strange Color does not have much of a discernible narrative, but it is a visual feast and features extraordinary sound design. If you’re a fan of this genre of horror, this film needs to be on your watch list.
22 Antiviral (2012)
Antiviral is set in an alternate world where celebrity pathogens and viruses are sold to clients who wish to be closer to their favorite celebrities. The film follows Syd March, who is responsible for harvesting these viruses, which range from the common cold to Chlamydia. To make extra cash on the side, Syd injects himself with these viruses to smuggle out of the lab and sell on the black market. But things go south when he injects himself with a mysterious and deadly virus.
Director Brandon Cronenberg - son of the other famous Cronenberg - has been doing justice to the family name with his recent outings, Possessor and Infinity Pool. But Antiviral was his debut feature, and announced him as the rightful successor to his father's legacy. The twisted apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and if you’re a fan of body-horror and all things “Cronenbergian,” Antiviral will be right up your alley.
21 Like Me (2017)
Much like last year’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Like Me explores the impact of social media on the younger generation. Addison Timlin stars as Kiya, who becomes a small internet sensation after posting a video of her robbing a convenience store online. Her newfound notoriety encourages her to go on a bigger crime spree, and she desires to record every second of it. Along the way, she kidnaps a paint-huffing drifter (played by indie-horror icon Larry Fessenden) and involves him in her criminal escapades in a number of distressing ways.
What sets Like Me apart from other films that wade in the same waters is its unique, chaotic visual style. Director Rob Mockler really knows how to capture the fast-paced world of an internet-obsessed teenager (who also happens to be a psychopath), infusing the film with both grit and blaring neon colors. You wouldn’t be wrong to draw similar comparisons to Spring Breakers, but Like Me is a twisted beast all its own. It’ll gross you out, make you laugh, and get under your skin.
20 Hunter Hunter (2020)
At the center of Hunter Hunter is Joseph, Anne, and Renee, a small family of fur trappers who live a quiet life in the middle of the woods. But their peaceful way of life is upended with the reappearance of a rogue wolf that poses a significant danger to not only their livelihood, but also their lives. When Joseph goes to hunt the wolf, he leaves behind his wife and daughter to fend for themselves, unknowingly putting them in the crosshairs of another dangerous predator lurking in the woods.
Shawn Linden’s gruesome little horror gem Hunter Hunter flew under a lot of radars when it was originally released in 2020, but this indie shocker is more than worth your time. It features standout performances from its entire cast, but most notably Camille Sullivan as the matriarch of the family, and Nick Stahl as the mysterious guest who shows up on their doorstep. You may think you know where this movie is heading, but then it pulls the rug right out from under you, resulting in a brutal final act that will make even the toughest stomachs a little squeamish.
19 Hell House LLC (2015)
Hell House LLC is a found-footage “documentary” that follows a group of friends who are getting ready for the grand opening of their new haunted-house attraction, Hell House. But a mysterious malfunction on opening night results in the death of fifteen people. In typical found-footage fashion, the film tracks the lead-up to opening night, and unveils the true, horrific cause of the tragedy at the heart of the film.
Hell House LLC by no means reinvents the wheel, but it is a true-blue, old-fashioned haunted house movie with some very effective scares and a palpable atmosphere. In a genre flooded with terrible and amateurish movies, Hell House is an oasis of unadulterated terror.
18 The Evil Within (2017)
Inspired by the Son of Sam murders, in which David Berkowitz killed six people after being told to do so by his neighbor’s possessed dog, The Evil Within follows Dennis Peterson, a mentally unstable man who befriends his evil reflection in an antique mirror. Plagued by nightmares all his life, Dennis eventually becomes possessed by a demon known as the Cadaver, who orders him to go on a murderous rampage.
By all accounts, The Evil Within was a passion project for director Andrew Getty, who was also the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. Filming started in 2002, and continued on and off over the next fifteen years. Getty spent six million dollars of his own money creating unique camera rigs, intricate sets, elaborate practical effects, and obsessing over every minute detail of the film. Unfortunately, Andrew Getty never got to see his film fully realized; he died in 2015, with the color grading and editing still incomplete. Michael Luceri, the film’s editor and Getty’s longtime friend, finished the film and released it in his honor. The Evil Within is by no means an easy watch, but it’s also one of the most intriguing and visually-inventive horror films to come out in some time.
17 Dead & Buried (1981)
This under-seen 80s gem is set in a small coastal town of Potter’s Bluff, where something strange is going on: tourists are being brutally murdered by the townspeople for unknown reasons. But things get even weirder when these victims suddenly start coming back to life.
Much like the film’s title, Dead & Buried was…well, dead and buried when it was initially released. Considered a “video nasty” and banned in the U.K. for a few years, the film initially went unseen by many, but grew a small cult following when the ban was lifted. With a screenplay written by Ronald Shusset and Dan O’Bannon - the writer of Alien - the film is a lot smarter than its slasher premise lets on. And director Gary Sherman creates such a terrifically moody atmosphere that you can practically smell the ocean and feel the crisp, salty air. Fans of John Carpenter’s The Fog will certainly get a kick out of this.
16 Resolution (2012)
Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have been steadily making a name for themselves in the world of philosophical, lo-fi horror with films like The Endless and Something in the Dirt. While they’ve since moved on to bigger projects, they got their start with Resolution, a micro-budget two-hander that follows Michael, a soon-to-be-father who receives a disturbing email from his drug-addict friend, Chris. Fearing that he’s in the throes of a potentially-fatal binge, Michael travels to the small cabin in the woods where Chris has sequestered himself to help him kick his habit once and for all. But as is often the case with dilapidated cabins in the woods, things don’t go as planned.
The beauty of Resolution is its simplicity. With a miniscule $20,000 budget, Benson and Moorhead had to get really creative with their story. Spoilers will be avoided because - like most of these movies - going in blind will make for a more rewarding experience, but Resolution dips its toes into both the worlds of sci-fi and horror with incredible skill. It’s a heavily atmospheric film with some genuinely unsettling moments that won’t leave your mind for a long time.
15 Piercing (2018)
Based on Ryú Murakami’s novel of the same name, Nicolas Pesce’s Piercing follows seemingly-normal family man Reed (Christopher Abbott), who checks into an upscale hotel and hires a prostitute (Mia Wasikowska) with the intention of killing her. But as it turns out, she might just as deranged as he is.
Piercing is a tight two-hander: a chamber piece mostly set in a single hotel room that fluctuates between outright disturbing and absurdly funny. The film strikes a dreamy, borderline surreal atmosphere that really elevates the film into something truly weird and different. It’s depraved, but also a lot of fun.
14 The Void (2016)
Steven Kostanki and Jeremy Gillespie’s The Void is Lovecraftian Horror done on a miniscule budget. The film follows a small group of people who find themselves trapped in a hospital overrun by creepy cultists and otherworldly creatures. The film is a genuine throwback to the crazy creature-features of the 80s, and plays out like some horrific version of Assault on Precinct 13.
But the best thing about The Void is its practical effects. The directors turned to IndieGogo to crowdfund the creature effects, raising about $82,000 to bring these Lovecraftian horrors to life. And these monsters aren’t obscured or hidden in shadows like many other monster movies; they’re displayed in all their gruesome, slimy glory. This film was a labor of love for the directors, who described the production as a “soul-crushing nightmare.” But man did it pay off. This is old-school horror done right.
13 Caveat (2020)
Caveat is an Irish horror film written and directed by Damian Mc Carthy, which follows Isaac, a drifter suffering from memory loss who accepts a job looking after a troubled woman in an abandoned house on an isolated island. The job comes with some quirks: Isaac must wear a chained harness, which restricts his movement. Olga, the troubled woman, has a habit of going catatonic. Oh, and the house may be haunted by the spirits of Olga’s parents, who she may or may not have killed. And then there’s the creepy wind-up rabbit…
Mc Carthy is, above all, a master of creating an atmosphere heavy with dread and terror. While some of the plot points strain credibility (why would anyone accept this job?), the film nonetheless takes full advantage of its limited budget and single setting to create the type of throwback horror films we don’t see much of these days.
12 Society (1989)
Brian Yuzna’s sick and twisted Society is a hidden gem from the tail-end of the 80s that deserves your attention. The film follows Bill Whitney, an ordinary teen from a rich family that discovers his parents are part of a deviant cult for the social elite. To reveal much more would ruin the film’s utterly shocking and outright grotesque delights.
Society features some gnarly practical effects; imagine, if you will, Eyes Wide Shut directed by Stuart Gordon, and you’ll have a good idea of what awaits any adventurous moviegoer willing to take this twisted trip. It takes a little while for the film to find its grove, but when it does, there is quite literally nothing like it. Wholly original and unique, but certainly not for the faint of heart.
11 Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
Director Panos Cosmatos has recently become a horror icon thanks to his most recent barn-burner, Mandy. But the stylish director broke out in a big way with 2010’s atmospheric and heavily-stylized Beyond the Black Rainbow. The film follows Elana, a woman with telekinetic powers being held prisoner at the Arboria Institute, a new-age commune / state-of-the-art research facility run by the evil Dr. Nyle. As she tries to escape the clutches of the monstrous psychiatrist holding her hostage, the true extent of her powers are revealed.
Anyone familiar with Panos Cosmatos’ work knows what to expect here. Black Rainbow is a surreal and trippy experience, drenched in neon colors and backed by a synth-heavy score that recalls low-budget sci-fi flicks from the 70s and 80s. The film’s pace can be borderline glacial at some spots, but this is an aural and sensory experience quite unlike anything else out there. If you can tap into the film’s singular wavelength, you’ll find a lot to love.
10 LUZ (2018)
Luz, the German supernatural horror movie from Tilman Singer, follows Luz is a young cabdriver on the run from a demonic entity that has been chasing her since childhood. She stumbles into a police station late one night seeking help, but unfortunately the demon is already there. What ensues is a trippy game of cat-and-mouse between Luz and the demon that has been wanting to possess her for years.
Though this premise may sound simple on the surface, the film is anything but. Director Tilman Singer takes a largely experimental approach to the film, toying with chronology and frequently blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Although some viewers may find the film confusing and frustratingly ambiguous, Luz is a rewarding experience for those willing to trust the director. It may demand a rewatch of two to really grasp what is happening, but at a mere 70 minutes, it’s not exactly a huge task. For those looking for something unorthodox and - for lack of a better word, “artsy” - you can’t go wrong with Luz.
9 Come to Daddy (2019)
Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy may have the best title on this list. This New Zealand horror-comedy stars Elijah Wood as Norval Greenwood (what a name), a thirty-something DJ who receives an unexpected letter from his estranged father requesting to see him for the first time in years. Norval is quick to take him up on the offer, eager to make amends and start anew with his father. But upon arriving at his old man’s home, he begins to feel something is…off. To delve further into the plot would spoil the fun surprises in store.
Elijah Wood and his fantastic bowl-cut are impeccable, and the film unravels its many twists and turns with outrageous glee. Ant Timpson and writer Toby Harvard have crafted a delightfully unhinged movie that’s more than worth a look.
8 CAM (2020)
Cam is a psychological horror film from first-time director Daniel Goldhaber. The Blumhouse-produced pic is set in the seedy world of webcam pornography and follows Alice, an ambitious camgirl whose life slowly unravels after discovering her account has been hijacked by her Doppelgänger.
What sets Cam apart is its honesty; the film is co-written by Isa Mazzei, a former cam girl who drew from her experiences as a camgirl to create a realistic portrayal of this under-seen world. And Madeline Brewer, who plays dual roles in the movie, gives it her absolute all. It’s a very effective little thriller that is more than worth your attention.
7 A Dark Song (2016)
More somber than it is outright scary, A Dark Song is a religious horror movie that follows Sophia, a grieving mother who hires a bitter occultist to perform a months-long ritual from the Book of Abramelin, which - if completed successfully - will give her the ability to speak to her dead son.
A Dark Song is mostly a chamber piece, with these two troubled characters trapped inside an isolated farmhouse as they perform the grueling rite. While the film packs enough scares to be considered horror, director Liam Gavin wisely focuses primarily on the two lead characters, who are both battling their own personal demons (one more literally than the other). For those who are looking for more thematic and emotional resonance in their horror movies, A Dark Song is tough to beat.
6 Cheap Thrills (2013)
How far would you go for money? That’s the question at the heart of E.L. Katz’s horror-comedy Cheap Thrills. After losing his job and getting evicted from his home, Craig inadvertently meets Colin and Violet at a dive bar. The rich couple are out celebrating Violet’s birthday, and after learning about Craig’s dire financial situation, they propose a game: do what we ask, and we’ll pay you handsomely for it. It’s essentially a twisted game of truth or dare, and as the dares get more depraved, the payout gets bigger. You’ll laugh and you’ll wince, but more than anything, you’ll have a good time.