10 Worst Micro-Budget Movies Of The 2010s, Ranked | ScreenRant
Following the massive success of the micro-budget phenomenon Paranormal Activity and its sequels at the end of the aughts, the 2010s ushered in a slew of like-minded genre movies made on a shoestring budget. While definitions tend to vary, micro-budget movies are usually ones produced for under $50,000, although some of the most iconic ones have been made for as little as a few thousand dollars. According to Filmwebschool, micro-budgets range anywhere from $30,000 to-50,000. For this list, we've adjusted it to $25-50K.
With the Hollywood landscape shifting toward mega-blockbuster superhero movies in the 2010s, several indie filmmakers were forced to tell their smaller stories by whatever means possible, often resorting to micr0-budgets and limited resources to do so.
10 Dutch Kills (2015) - $25K
Also known as The Last Job, Dutch Kills is a micro-budget crime thriller made for $25,000 by director Joseph Mazzella. Shot in New York, the film traces an ex-con named forced to complete one final mission in order to keep his sister from harm.
R.L. Man plays Val, a recently-released criminal looking to walk the straight and narrow. But when his sister's outstanding gambling debt draws the ire of a local gangster, Val must round up his old criminal cohorts and exact one last daring heist to pay off the debts. Predictability, poor scripting, and bad acting mar the overall product.
9 Down And Dangerous (2013) - $50K
Made for $50,000 by writer/director Zak Forsman, Down and Dangerous was panned by critics for being a cliche-laden action thriller with stilted dialogue and a muddled plot. The entire budget was raised on Kickstarter.
The story traces Paul Boxer (John T. Woods), a wily smuggler and nonviolent pacifist who always outsmarts the authorities. But when Paul's men start getting picked off, one by one, Paul must rethink his approach and mount a risky revenge campaign. Judd Nelson also stars in the film.
8 Emily (2017) - $27K
In one of the few non-genre micro-budget outings to make the list, Ryan Graves' 2017 drama Emily explores the strength of a marital bond after a husband loses his religion.
Following a key event, Nathan (Michael Draper) has a severe midlife test of faith. As he sleeps with his wife Emily (Rachael Perrell Fosket) one last time before leaving her divorce papers and expressing his loss of faith, Emily struggles to keep her marriage intact while confronting her partner's most intimate secrets. Despite the solid acting, the movie was panned for its amateurism across the board.
7 Ten (2015) - $25K
Also known as Ten: Murder Island, Ten is a micro-budget slasher flick in which a gaggle of unwitting teenagers travels to a remote island for a night of hard partying. Upon arrival, the kids soon learn that they're being stalked by a sinister psycho-slasher.
Made for $25,000 by director Chris Robert, the killer-culprit turns out to be the vengeful spirit of a suicidal bully-victim back to avenge her abusive classmates. With clues ripped from the deceased girl's diary, the remaining survivors attempt to identify their assailant before it's too late.
6 Megan Is Missing (2011) - $35K
Based in part on a real-life case that took place in Oregon in 2002, Megan is Missing was shot in one week in 2006 but not released until 2011. Written and directed by Michael Goi, the film traces two young teenage girls who were abducted by a murderous sexual predator.
The film follows besties Megan (Rachel Quinn) and Amy (Amber Perkins), two young teens who answer an online message from an older boy named Josh. When Megan agrees to meet Josh, she is never seen again, prompting Amy to conduct a sweeping search for her friend before time is up.
5 Exeter (2015) - $25K
Despite helming such big-budget horror remakes as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th, German-born director Marcus Nispel went the micro-budget route with the poorly-received horror flick Exeter in 2015.
The plot entails an unwise spate of teenagers who decide to throw an all-night rager in an infamous insane asylum. Upon tinkering with the occultic history of the hospital, one of the teens becomes possessed, prompting the others to find help. An amateur seance leads to further possession and murderous mayhem.
4 All Superheroes Must Die (2011) - $20K
With a subpar 4.0/10 IMDB rating, Jason Trost's microbudget wannabe Marvel movie All Superheroes Must Die failed to resonate among fans and critics alike.
Starring Trost, Lucas Till, Lee Valmassy, and Sophie Merkley, the film tracks a quartet of superheroes who are kidnapped by their number one foe, Rickshaw ( James Remar), and challenged to a series of daring kidnap-rescue missions. The film was roundly drubbed for every aspect except Remar's performance.
3 Her Cry: La Llorona Investigation (2013) - $35K
Boasting a lowly 3.6/10 IMDB score is Her Cry: The Llorona Investigation, an abysmal micro-budget found-footage horror yarn from marketing agent turned director Damir Catic in his movie debut.
Produced for $35,000, the film follows the crew of "Paranormal Legends," a reality-TV show that investigates supernatural activity. When the crew is assigned to shoot at the last-known location La Llorona was spotted, they mysteriously disappear, leaving behind 17 hours of recorded video footage.
2 Raymond Did It (2011) $40K
Travis Legge's chintzy horror flick Raymond Did It currently holds a 3.2/10 IMDB rating. The movie follows a mentally-impaired boy named Raymond who is framed for his brother's death by a group of bullies.
Six years after being blamed for his brother Bryce's murder, Raymond escapes the mental-ward he's sent to. Upon his escape, Raymond sets out to exact bloody revenge on those who wronged him in the past and killed his brother. There isn't much to redeem the movie's extremely poor production.
1 Run, Hide, Die (2012) - $50K
Despite having a larger micr0-budget than most on this list, Run, Hide, Die is the absolute worst of its kind produced between 2010 and 2019. The lame, limp, and derivative horror movie currently boasts a 3.0/10 IMDB rating.
Much like the aforementioned Ten, the movie traces five women who attend a secluded cabin five years after one of their husbands was mysteriously killed. As the women party the night away, they become targeted by a sinister presence out to dish cold-blooded revengemovie