12 low-budget horror films that made a big impact like Evil Dead II

Horror movies have long been the go-to entertainers for those who love an adrenaline boost. With eerie visuals and chilling background scores, horror movies have made a special place for themselves in the minds of viewers, from Kubricks' The Shining to the Evil Dead franchise. It is common for horror movies to use special effects which often requires a high budget. But who said budget is all you need to make a great impact? Low budget horror films can still make for an unforgettable experience. Evil Dead II made a lasting impact even with a nominal budget.

Directed by Sam Raimi, this movie recounts the story of Ash Williams who journeys to a cabin in the woods. For anybody who is an Evil Dead fan, 'cabin in the woods' works as a setting for most of the re-imaginings since the first Evil Dead movie. Did we miss the legendary horror-inducer book Necronomicon? Well, this movie does it a little differently. Ash does not read out the book himself, he plays a recording of a professor who recites from this 'Book of the Dead'.

What ensues afterwards, is total chaos with a generous dash of time travel and comedy. If you loved watching the incantation-heavy, gory world of Evil Dead II that challenged the canons of high budget films, here are 12 more low budget films to watch next:

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12 low-budget horror films that made a big impact like Evil Dead II

1.The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, The Blair Witch Project is a movie that earns the first mention. Like Evil Dead II, this movie had a low budget as well. But the movie made up for the defecit with its creative handling of the horror trope. It was one of the first movies from the genre that introduced the found footage style storytelling into maintstream scene.

The story at its core is simple, yet visceral and laced with mystery. It all starts when three student filmmakers take the brave leap ahead and investigate the legend of Maryland woods but things start to spiral out of their hands and chaos ensues.

You get a raw take on old legends like witchcraft, visually discomforting camerawork and improvisational acting that makes for a complete experience., blurring the line between fiction and reality for audiences. With a significantly low budget of around $60,000 the movie successfully earned a gross number of nearly $250 million globally.

You can watch this movie on Amazon Prime Video or rent it on YouTube and Apple TV.

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2.Paranormal Activity (2007)

This is a name that almost all horror fans have come across. Directed by Oren Peli, this movie was the first in a long line of Paranormal Activity sequels to follow. This movie was shot not in an ornate studio but in Oren Peli's own home using simple, consumer-grade equipment. Believe it or not, the budget was somewhere around $15000.

A couple is haunted by a demonic force, in their own home. At first they try to ignore it but eventually they end up capturing increasingly disturbing events on camera. The minimalism works to its advantage—with the play of light and shadow. The found footage style accentuates the element of horror. In this film, it is what you don't see that gets to you more than what you see in frame.

If you wish to watch this mastepiece, you can stream this on Paramount+ and or rent from Google Play and Apple TV.

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3.Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This 1968 film marked the cinematic debut of George A. Romero. Night of the Living Dead was made on a shoestring budget of about $114,000 but even so, it did not shy away from challenging established horror tropes. It offered stark black-and-white visuals along with unhinged social critique.

Unlike the previous movies of this list, this movie deals with ghouls. It all starts in a Pennsylvania farmhouse as few strangers get trapped and flesh-eating ghouls close in. What unfolds next is absolute chaos.

You can find this movie on Tubi and Pluto TV, available in public domain.

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4.Halloween (1978)

Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween tells the chilling story of Michael Myers as he tries to free himself from a mental institution. As he returns to his hometown, he terrorizes and wreaks havoc on babysitters. This movie was also made in a budget of $300,000 but it offers you all that is needed to make a bone-chilling horror: long takes, ambient music (composed by Carpenter himself), and the idea that evil can follow you anywhere.

The film was one of the first to have kickstarted the slasher subgenre. It’s not your typical cat and mouse chase thriller, it is a slow burn that rewards your attention.

It is currently available on Shudder and AMC+.

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5.The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

This movie is exactly what the name suggests: a chainsaw rampage and absoluetly mind boggling chaos. This was produced on a budget of around $140,000. This movie revolves around a group of friends who encounter a cannibalistic family in rural Texas.

The film offers you a documentary-like depiction of an already harrowing tale.The character it gave us was Leatherface who has become a horror icon. The film hits you where it hurts with atmospheric chaos and no promise of happy escape.

You can stream it on Peacock and Shudder.

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6.Pi (1998)

Pi is a psychological thriller that offers you stark black-and-white scenes and a long lasting experience made in a budget of just $60,000. This movie does not concern ghouls or blood drinking vampires. It is the tale of a mathematician who believes there's a hidden numerical pattern in the universe and as he tries to dig deep, reality becomes unsettling.

Fans of Lovecraftian dread or tech paranoia should watch this movie. It marked Aronofsky's debut.

You can stream Pi on Tubi or rent it via Apple TV or Amazon.

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7.Cube (1997)

This Canadian cult classic, directed by Vincenzo Natali, offers you sci-fi horror. Cube had a budget of $350,000 but it offers an unforgettable cinematic experience nonetheless. The film is set inside a small maze-like cube where strangers lose any memory of how they got into these cubes.

The cubes are not free of danger. They are laced with fatal deadly traps. The group must solve puzzles to survive and escape. This movie again, is not just blood gushing, slashy horror, it grips you with intense psychological tension.

You can stream Cube on Amazon Prime Video and Pluto TV.

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8.The Witch (2015)

Directed by Robert Eggers,The Witch makes for one of those experiences that does not let you sleep at night. It is a bone chilling folk horror film that takes its time making you uncomfortable.

This movie pioneered the launch of the “elevated horror” wave. Made on a modest budget of around $4 million, it follows a Puritan family from 1630s New England. The atmosphere is full of paranoia, isolation, and supernatural fear. Under Eggers’ meticulous historical detail and cinematic excellence, the film leaves you thoroughly unsettled. Anya Taylor-Joy made her breakout debut here.

If you loved Evil Dead II, you can watch this slow decsent into madness on Max (formerly HBO Max) and can also be rented on Amazon and Apple TV.

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9. It Follows (2014)

This movie haunts us with its chilling story: a shape shifting entity terrorizes a teen girl. Directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows gave a modern take on horror by combining a retro aesthetic with a modern context. This movie was also made on a low budget of $1.3 million.

You get dreamlike visuals, chilling scores, and slow-building horror that left a lasting impression. Instead of jump scares, this horror builds up on you. As if the doom is always walking toward you.

You can stream It Follows on Netflix or rent it on YouTube and Apple TV.

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10.The Babadook (2014)

Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, an Australian indie horror film, like Evil Dead II was produced on a budget of $2 million. It centers around a mother son duo who are haunted by a seemingly normal children's book character Mister Babadook. This movie will give you more than just horror scenes. It is a poignant exploration of grief, mental illness, and motherhood.

The movie is available on AMC+, Shudder, and for rent on Amazon Prime Video.

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11. Host (2020)

This movie is set during one of the most unsettling times known to human history: the period of COVID 19. Host is an unforgettable experience that unfolds when the human race is put under extreme constraints. An evil spirit interrupts the lives of six friends and what ensues after is absolute carnage. Rob Savage had a budget of less than $100,000. But even so, this 56-minute found-footage horror instills long lasting fear in you.

Host is available to stream on Shudder.

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12. Creep (2014)

Patrick Brice offers you a masterclass in minimalist horror with this 2014 horror film, Creep. This movie had a budget of almost $1 million with a barebones crew. The cast is also visibly minimal with only two actors.

It all starts when a videographer gets hired to document a reclusive man’s life, which starts normally at the start but slowly spirals into unsettling territory. The psychological build up will give you nightmares.

Creep is available to stream on Netflix.

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Also read: Why do American Psycho uses mirrors in key scenes? Theory explained