With movie budgets increasing, how much money is spent on making a movie these days is impressive. Studios will shell out hundreds of millions of dollars in hopes of the next big summer blockbuster or Christmas hit. If they fail, however, that loss can make one question how a studio handles its cash.
But what about the directors willing to put their money on the line? The only thing harder than getting a studio to give you a budget is to cover the costs yourself. Sometimes, however, that devotion to investing in your project can pay off greatly. These are the films where the directors put their money where their mouth was, opening their wallets to make their movies.
2024
Runtime
2 hours 18 minutes
Megalopolisdepicts a futuristic society destined to repeat the fall of Rome. The idealistic artist Cesar (Adam Driver) and his greedy opponent, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), are fighting a battle over whether or not the utopia of Megalopolis will be built. They will test their city of New Rome to see if humanity is worth saving with the new technology of this alternative history that reflects the past.
Despite being recognized as a top director with his wine label, Francis Ford Coppola had problems bringing his vision to life. Fed up with studios refusing to grant him a budget, Coppola spent $120 million of his own money (mostly from his wine business) to finance the film. Despite the critical polarization, his movie would finally debut in theaters with a robust ensemble cast that included Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunte, and Dustin Hoffman.
Unfortunately,Megalopolisis currently unavailable for streaming, renting, or purchasing online. It was previously available for digital purchase, but has since been pulled from distributors.
2016
1 hour 57 minutes
Three young girls are kidnapped by a mysterious man played by James McAvoy. This disturbed figure possesses multiple personalities that range from kind to cruel in how he handles the captured girls. The containment becomes all the more creepy when the man’s darkest personality, The Beast, displays inhuman qualities.
Splitfollowed a trend that director M. Night Shyamalan established previously with his smaller horror film,The Visit. Shot for a mere $9 million, the film features an unforgettable performance by McAvoy and was a towering box office success, raking in $278 million. It’s a triumph almost as surprising as the twist ending of this being a covert sequel to Shyamalan’sUnbreakableand a setup for the trilogy closer,Glass.
HBO Max
Splitdepicts the horror of a man with multiple personalities trapping three girls in his lair.
1980
2 hours 4 minutes
After the events of the first Star Wars film,The Empire Strikes Backcontinues the adventures of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), learning more about the Jedi ways from the wise Yoda (Frank Oz). But when his friends Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) are captured by Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Luke will have to save them. But he’s not ready for the dark secrets he will learn about himself and his family.
While the first Star Wars film was a huge success, its bloated budget caused Fox to worry and George Lucas to cut scenes. To ease studio tensions, Lucas dumped $30 million of his own money intoEmpire, using the profits of the first film to fuel the next entry. It was worth the investment, not just because the movie ended up being another hit, but also because it gave Lucas full creative control to make the film he wanted.
Disney+
The Empire Strikes Backis the second film in the Star Wars trilogy where Luke must learn the ways of the Force, save his friends, and confront Darth Vader.
1977
1 hour 20 minutes
At the same time that George Lucas was working out deals onStar Wars: A New Hope, another director on the Fox lot spent his money on his movie.Wizardswas Ralph Bakish’s first original animated fantasy film, set in a post-apocalyptic world of robot assassins and magical dictators. A band of misfits might be the only force that can stop a regime of Nazi-inspired monsters from ruling what remains of the Earth, posed more as fantastical satire than Bakshi’s usualadult animations.
Wizardsexceeded budget, and Bakshi could not convince Fox to pay for the big battle sequences he wanted. This led Bakshi to open up his wallet to finance the battles, but without much money, he had to be clever. Thus, Bakshi plucked stock footage and fight scenes from other films and used a rotoscoping technique to bring violence into his fantasy film. While it doesn’t look as detailed as his rotoscoping work onThe Lord of the Rings, it did deliver on the realism that Bakshi desired with his allegorical tale.
Amazon Prime Video
Wizardsis an animated fantasy that involves a band of heroes stopping an evil wizard inspired by Nazi movies.
1990
1 hour 37 minutes
Director Richard Linklater made a scrappy debut with his hang-out filmSlacker. Set in Austin, Texas, the film follows a collective of Gen-Xers over a single day. As they amble about, the misfits speak about everything, ranging from soda to politics, revealing an impressive perspective of how the next generation looks at the world.
As his first feature-length film, Linklater was unlikely to convince a studio to spend money establishing his casual style of creating believable characters and dialogue. To finance his project, he used his credit cards and the loaned money of family and friends to make his film, while calling in local film folks to help with the production. It paid off asSlackerwas hailed by critics and secured Linklater’s future as one of the top directors.
Slackerfollows various young people in 1990s Austin as they ponder aspects of society.
3 hours 1 minute
Kevin Costner envisioned making an epic Western saga, starting withHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1. Set in the mid-1800s, the Old West becomes a battleground for families trying to survive and cowboys on the run from the law. Costner plays Hayes Ellison, one such cowboy who becomes involved with a prostitute, kills a gunman, and saves a boy as the West becomes a chaotic landscape of violence, cruelty, and sex.
As with many big-budget films on this list,Horizonwas a dream project that was locked in development hell for decades. Costner finally pulled the trigger in the 2020s when he plunked down $38 million to direct and produce the Western he wanted. Whether Costner will ever deliver the four films he wants for this story remains to be seen, but he managed to at least bring his first chapter to the big screen, adding to the rich legacy ofWestern movies.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1tells the story of the Old West as a cowboy struggles against conspiring forces in 1800s America.
1994
1 hour 42 minutes
Dante is called into work at the Quick Stop convenience store on his day off. While his work neighbor, the video store clerk Randall, is present to talk to him, the day ends up being wilder than he expected. Highlights of this wild workday include a twisty love triangle, a funeral gone awry, a corpse in the bathroom, and a hockey game on the roof.
Clerkswas Kevin Smith’s directorial debut, and it was a labor of love amid a low budget. Smith paid for the film by selling his comic book collection, borrowing money from his parents, and maxing out many credit cards. The rewards were high, however, as Smith’s robust dialogue and well-timed humor made Miramax pay $230,000 for distribution rights, ensuring Smith has a directing career ahead of him.
Clerksdepicts one wild day on the job at a convenience store that leads to awkward conversations and events.
1987
1 hour 21 minutes
Inspired by being cast inCooley High, Robert Townsend wanted to direct a satirical film that tackled the stereotypes African Americans had to endure in film. The result wasHollywood Shuffle, the story of the struggling actor Bobby Taylor (Townsend), who recognizes the absurdity of trying to get roles as a black man. His quest leads to many comical asides of envisioning black people as action heroes and movie critics.
For a film that was critical of Hollywood and how it treats black people, Townsend knew he’d have to pay for the film himself. He used his savings and drained several credit cards before amassing the money he needed to make the film, keeping a tight schedule for the camera he’d have to rent. The budget, estimated to be $100,000 (which is rather impressive for a self-financed film by a first-time director), paid off with a $5 million box office, and Townsend was established as a director with a future in film and television.
Tubi
Hollywood Shuffleis a satirical jab at how Hollywood casts African Americans in movies.
1 hour 31 minutes
Set in the gorgeous hills of New Zealand,Bad Tastefeatures a misfit crew known as the G-Men investigating the mysterious developments of a small town. When the team arrives, they discover a village that has been invaded by human-eating aliens. Only a few men can stop the hungry, big-butted aliens from making humans the new intergalactic fast food.
Director Peter Jackson madeBad Tastea weekend project that he shot over four years with his friends. Without a firm deadline or budget, Jackson could make his sci-fi horror film as giddy and gross as he wanted. His snappy direction, wry humor, and bloody visual effects led to New Zealand investing in the project and launching Jackson’s career, which would lead him towards theLord of the Ringstrilogy.
Bad Tasteis available through Prime Video with an add-on subscription toIndieFlix.
Bad Tasteis a comedic sci-fi horror romp by Peter Jackson, involving aliens trying to turn humans into the next fast food item for their menus.
1967
1 hour 55 minutes
Jacques Tati had been perfecting his comedic character, Mister Hulot (played by Tati), with his filmsMonsieur Hulot’s HolidayandMon Oncle. For the character’s third film,Playtime, Hulot becomes lost in a modern, weird, and absurd take on Paris. Scurrying through asinine cubicle farms and a restaurant falling apart, Hulot’s adventures are dazzling for the eyes. There is so much going on in every scene, making this city seem so alive.
Tati’s vision of a hyper-consumerist, weirdly gray Paris required a massive set so grand in construction that it became known as Tativille. The budget ran over, and Tati took out big loans and overdrafts to finish what he started. WhilePlaytimewouldn’t be a commercial success, its masterful sets and physical gags have made it one of Tati’s more acclaimed works, regarded by the British Film Institute as one of the best films ever made.
The Criterion Channel
Playtimedepicts a comedic exaggeration of Paris while following the silent antics of Mister Hulot.
Whether you love or hate these films, there’s an undeniable satisfaction in the devotion of the directors. Without the safety of the studio’s covering costs, these directors have risen to the occasion of becoming expert gamblers with their art. They took risks with loans instead of taking checks from studios, making these films feel more like labors of love instead of meeting the specs of commercial filmmaking.
