Favorite low budget film starring a blockbuster actor

[caj]

Successful actors making blockbuster films also have low budget films - usually early in their careers - that are sometimes very good or enjoyable.

What is your favorite low budget or smaller film starring a now big budget actor?

One of mine is All The Right Moves (1983) starring Tom Cruise. Cruise plays a high school football player who has big dreams of getting a scholarship to play football so he can become an electrical engineer and get out of the steel mining town he lives in.

[ChrisIII]

Highlander with Sean Connery, although $19 million isn't that low by mid 80s standards, although a chunk of that probably went to Connery.

Ditto with Time Bandits.

I haven't seen it but "Zardoz" was very low budget.

Dr.No was certainly low budget even by the standards of the time.

[Kirby101]

Copland with Sly Stalone and many more top actors.

[achilles]

Highlander with Sean Connery, although $19 million isn't that low by mid 80s standards, although a chunk of that probably went to Connery.

Ditto with Time Bandits.

I haven't seen it but "Zardoz" was very low budget.

Dr.No was certainly low budget even by the standards of the time.

Loved Time Bandits. Gilliam just did those weird, wonderful movies, that, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchuasen---fun stuff.

As for me, Big Trouble in Little China? Yeah, Kurt's no longer a huge name, but he's still a bit active.

[Jim Kelly]

I think Jason Priestly at the peak of his fame in 1997 agreeing to do LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND opposite John Hurt speaks volumes about Priestly. Many other young actors would not have taken the risk, when their image was so important to their celebrity.

[Ramsay Snow]

Cry-Baby with Johnny Depp.

[ChrisIII]

Ken Russell's surreal thrillers and musicals often featured big stars at the time.

[Reviresco]

I'm sure there are a lot of such films that I don't recall right now. But the one I do remember, is Pitch Black with Vin Diesel.

[Jim Kelly]

In 1964, Beatlemania was on the rise. Everyone expected the fad would soon fade, but before it did United Artists hoped to exploit the craze for the four lads from Liverpool by shooting a quick black & white low budget film, done in just seven weeks, and get it out before Beatlemania was yesterday's news, oh boy. That was the film called A HARD DAY'S NIGHT.

[Scott Taylor]

Donnie Darko (4.5 million) - Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Jake Gyllenhaal, Seth Rogan, Jenna Malone, Noah Wyle, Katherine Ross

THX-1138 ($775k) - Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence

[Geraldofrivia]

I dont know you can call Brie Larson a Blockbuster lead actor even though she has been exclusively in MCU and Fast movies for past years

Anyway Short Term 12 is her best work, also starring a lot of other soon to be popular actors. I doubt we will see her ever top that performance or even come close to it again and general public will remember her for phone it in Captain Marvel performance

[Aahz]

If John Boyega qualifies I'm going with "Attack the Block".

[Jokerz79]

I loved most of Charles Bronson's Cannon Films.

[Peter Parker]

Michael Keaton and Robert Downy Junior in Game 6:

[CaptCleghorn]

Susan Sarandon in RHPS. I don't think it was that big of a budget, but she and it should qualify.