Science fiction movies are expected to have a high budget with all the special effects and demanding production setups. However, history has proven that even high-budget films do not guarantee a blockbuster performance. One such example is the animated movie Mars Needs Moms, which has a budget of $150 million yet only raked in $39.5 million in sales.

Meanwhile, one good example of a box office hit with a low budget is the original installment of the horror film Paranormal Activity. This 2007 movie had a budget of $15,000 but earned more than $193 million, making it the most profitable film ever.

One perk of low-budget films, especially independent ones, is the lack of pressure and low expectations from stakeholders like the producers. The limited budget would make the production team more clever, resourceful, and economical, yet still aiming to deliver a good film. They still want to earn, after all, not just create a movie for the sake of it.

Sci-fi movies are demanding, yet it’s possible to have a low production budget for such. The 2010s saw some of the most awesome sci-fi movies that had a limited budget, yet scored big time at the box office.

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8 The Discovery (2017)

     Netflix

Sci-fi romance movies attract crowds, thanks to their fresh retellings of a love story amid complex situations. Love moves in mysterious ways, right? One example of such is the 2017 Netflix Original film The Discovery. The movie is set in a future where the afterlife is scientifically proven and as such, some people have decided to take their own lives for a fresh start in the afterlife.

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The film then follows a man as he attempts to help a woman be free from her dark past. It stars Rooney Mara, Jason Segel, Robert Redford, and Riley Keough. The Discovery received mixed reviews, but is still worth a watch due to its interesting take on the sensitive topic of death. It has great promise and potential, something that newbie director Charlie McDowell could deliver on in the future.

7 Prospect (2018)

     Dust (Gunpowder & Sky)

The 2018 movie Prospect has an interesting story: a teenage girl and her greedy father travel to an alien moon, only to be faced by others like them who want to harvest elusive gems. Trying to be rich, they now need to survive first. The film has a $4 million budget; some of the production staff are first-time movie workers, and its visual effects were finished in the directors’ basements.

This indie film, which stars Pedro Pascal of Game of Thrones fame, attracted positive reviews, and was praised for its character development, detailed sound design, and practical filmmaking. Prospect is proof that even DIYs can be so good.

6 Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

     FilmDistrict

Viewers should expect a joyride from Safety Not Guaranteed, probably one of the funniest sci-fi movies out there. This romantic-comedy film stars comedians Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, and Kristen Bell, so laughter is always guaranteed. It follows the adventures of three magazine employees (Plaza, Johnson, and Soni) who want to interview a guy who posted an advertisement looking for a time travel companion.

The film only had a budget of $750,000, yet made $4.4 million. It was commended for its “strong performances, beguiling charm, and heartfelt story.” Roger Ebert also praised the movie’s dialogue and the characters’ depth. From the cast to the plot, Safety Not Guaranteed delivered big time.

5 Sound of My Voice (2011)

     Fox Searchlight Pictures

Fans of psychological thrillers should not miss Sound of My Voice, which is low-budget, but big on surprises. It was made with a $135,000 budget, enough to wow cinephiles and critics. The story follows two documentary filmmakers’ (Christopher Denham and Nicole Vicius) attempts to infiltrate a cult that worships a woman (Brit Marling) who claims to be from the future.

The film is so thrilling, that it was named one of the best indie movies of 2011. Entertainment website Den of Geek said the film will leave viewers “wanting for more,” and luckily, Sound of My Voice is part of a planned trilogy.

RELATED: ’80s Sci-Fi Films That Could Use a Remake

4 Another Earth (2011)

Marling, who played Maggie in Sound of My Voice, is in the lead role in the sci-fi drama Another Earth. The movie follows a woman (Marling) and a man (William Mapother) who bond because of tragic events in their lives, and highlights their visit to a newly discovered different Earth.

It premiered at the 27th Sundance Film Festival and is one of the most lauded movies at the event. Rotten Tomatoes critics appreciated it for being “soulful,” while Ebert said it was a “strong” and “thought-provoking” movie. Plots about parallel universes are not new, but Another Earth made them more intriguing.

3 Predestination (2014)

     Pinnacle Films/ Stage 6 Films

Time travel fans have probably watched Predestination many times – because they loved it so much, they wanted to dissect the plot and do more analysis. This mind-twisting film is based on a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, nicknamed the “dean of science fiction writers.”

It stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook (considered the film’s breakout star), Noah Taylor, and Madeleine West. Thanks to Heinlein’s impressive storytelling skills, the movie turned out to be that good, too. It was praised for successfully “teasing the brain and touching the heart,” all the while being “futuristic and nostalgic.”

2 Coherence (2013)

Coherence was James Ward Byrkit’s directorial debut, and he intended it to be a low-budget movie shot in his own home. He said he wanted to test shoot it “without a crew and without a script,” so he hired improvisational actors who did not know each other. The actors were so good that film critic Nell Minow said she assumed they all knew each other before filming.

The movie follows a group of friends who experience strange things after the passing of a comet. The rhythm of the cast was praised, and its writing was applauded. There was much praise for the movie, as many were impressed that it’s low-budget, yet a true mind-boggler.

1 The Man From Earth (2007)

     Anchor Bay Entertainment/ Shoreline Entertainment

The dialogue-heavy The Man From Earth had a long story. Jerome Bixby finished writing it on his deathbed in 1988. It was based on longevity concepts he advanced in a Star Trek episode he wrote in 1969. The film follows the farewell party of a professor (David Lee Smith) who claims to be a Cro-Magnon that has survived for more than 14,000 years.

The movie gained much publicity due to file-sharing on BitTorrent. It was basically pirated, but producer Eric Wilkinson was thankful to file-sharers, because of the free promotion. This “intellectual sci-fi” movie made sure to honor Bixby and his genius.