Summary
- Not all action movies need a big budget, and some blockbuster franchises could learn a lot from smaller movies.
- $200 million budgets aren't necessary - smaller projects like Godzilla Minus One & Oldboy deliver big results.
- Some great action movies have had big stars and plenty of impressive stunts for well under $50 million.
Blockbuster movie budgets have ballooned in recent years, but there are still plenty of great action movies that prove a bigger budget isn't always better. Two of the main factors that can drive up how much a movie costs are CGI and big-name actors. Action movies don't necessarily need either of these to deliver thrills, and practical effects are often more impactful anyway.
Big action franchises like Fast and Furious and James Bond regularly make movies which cost well over $100 million or even $200 million. Even David Leitch's new action-comedy The Fall Guy has a huge budget, despite it not belonging to any franchise. As Hollywood budgets continue to grow, it can be refreshing to see an action movie with a much smaller budget that gets creative with its limited resources.
10 Low-Budget Movies That Struck Gold At The Box Office
Not every successful movie that’s made a large return at the box office has a big Hollywood budget; some low-budget movies have made huge profits.
10 Upgrade (2018)
Budget: $3 million
Upgrade
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Director
- Leigh Whannell
- Release Date
- June 1, 2018
- Cast
- Betty Gabriel , Logan Marshall-Green , Harrison Gilbertson
Sci-fi movies tend to cost a lot more than most other genres to produce, but Upgrade finds a way to work around the usual need for splashy CGI. Although it was released in 2018, Upgrade's story about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence has become even more relevant over the years. Because the biggest sci-fi element is concealed within Grey's spinal cord, Upgrade can use CGI sparingly.
Some action movies with budgets ten times larger have failed to deliver such compelling fight scenes, and this is testament to Upgrade's self-assured style.
Upgrade uses its sci-fi concept to enhance the fight scenes, as STEM takes over Grey's body on multiple occasions. The cyberpunk world is drawn in vivid detail, and the soundtrack helps contribute to the futuristic feeling of Upgrade. All of these tricks make the movie feel much more expensive than it really is. Some action movies with budgets ten times larger have failed to deliver such compelling fight scenes, and this is testament to Upgrade's self-assured style.
9 The Raid (2011)
Budget: $1.1 million
The Raid
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
- Director
- Gareth Evans
- Release Date
- March 23, 2012
- Cast
- Iko Uwais , Joe Taslim , Yayan Ruhian , Pierre Gruno , Ray Sahetapy
The Raid was produced on a shoestring budget, but it helped reshape the future of the martial arts genre. The story follows a S.W.A.T. team who have to fight their way out of a tower block controlled by a ferocious drug lord and his army of mercenaries. This story is merely the set-up for some hair-raising action, as the plot isn't what's most appealing about The Raid.
The Raid stars Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Joe Taslim, and these performers are the main reason why the movie can provide such intoxicating thrills without splashing the cash.
The Raid stars Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Joe Taslim, and these performers are the main reason why the movie can provide such intoxicating thrills without splashing the cash. They are all supremely talented martial artists, and director Gareth Evans gives them the perfect platform to showcase their skills. The Raid mixes gritty realism with exaggerated action. Some of the police tactics are spot-on, but the fights are larger-than-life.