10 Great Movies That Became Successful Despite A Lack Of Star Power

While major Hollywood stars can be a big factor in drawing audiences to theaters, some movies have managed to find incredible success despite a total lack of star power. It’s true that some movies act as vehicles for major stars to show off their talents, but plenty of quirky comedies and horror hits have earned reputations as some of the best films of all time despite having no notable names among their cast lists. This was also often the case for first-time filmmakers, whose creative directorial debuts acted as the launching point for future stars’ Hollywood careers.

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From low-budget surprise hits to films that have their lack of star power built into their very premise, an absence of major names can sometimes benefit a movie as audiences don’t associate the characters with anyone else. Often, a strong script, a clever concept, and some standout performances are enough to capture viewers’ imaginations and interests. While it may feel like Hollywood has become overwhelmed by franchises and sequels, these movies stand outside the accepted notion of celebrity and prove that if a movie’s good enough, viewers will see it.

10 Clerks (1994)

Directed by Kevin Smith

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7.8/10 Clerks RComedy

Kevin Smith’s Clerks is a comedy film that follows Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, two best friends who work at a conjoined storefront of a convenience store and a video rental store. Presented entirely in black and white, the film goes through a day in the life of the two characters as they deal with the mundane, the weird, and the flat-out nonsensical as Dante continues to lament his current state in life, providing sharp satire on various discussed topics.

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*Availability in US Director Kevin Smith Release Date September 13, 1994 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Kevin Smith Cast Brian O’Halloran , Jeff Anderson , Marilyn Ghigliotti , Lisa Spoonauer , Jason Mewes , Kevin Smith Runtime 92 minutes Sequel(s) Clerks 2 , Clerks 3 Budget $27 thousand Expand

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Kevin Smith’s DIY comedy Clerks was made on a shoestring budget by a no-name director with zero star power, yet it still became a defining film of the 1990s. By presenting one day in the lives of dissatisfied convenience store employees at Quick Stop Groceries, the amateurish aesthetic of Clerks was part of its appeal. Produced on a budget of just $27,575, which Smith partly financed by maxing out credit cards (via Guardian), after being picked up by Miramax, Clerks grossed over $4 million at the box office, showcasing that with enough perseverance, anyone could make a movie.

While the recurring cast of characters in Smith’s View Askewniverse would become recognizable figures later in his career, when Clerks was first released, nobody had heard of Dante, Randal, or Jay and Silent Bob. By leaning into his genuine experiences as a store clerk, Smith captured the everyday frustrations and hilarious happenings of the 9-to-5 retail experience as audiences connected with the outrageous customers and everyday mundanities of working life. As an important glimpse into slacker culture in the 1990s, Clerks proved a movie didn’t need stars to strike a chord with viewers.

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9 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Directed by Tobe Hooper

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre RHorror

Five friends traveling through rural Texas encounter a family of cannibals led by the terrifying Leatherface. As they fall victim one by one to the gruesome horrors, they must fight for survival against relentless and unimaginable terror in a macabre and chilling fight for their lives.

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*Availability in US Director Tobe Hooper Release Date October 11, 1974 Writers Kim Henkel , Tobe Hooper Cast Marilyn Burns , Allen Danziger , Paul A. Partain , William Vail , Teri McMinn , Edwin Neal Runtime 83 minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

More so than any other genre, horror movies have repeatedly found major success without boasting any star talent. As one of the most unnerving aspects of watching a horror movie is not knowing who will live or die, casting mostly unknown actors generally works in the film’s favor, which was certainly the case for Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. As the terrifying story of a chainsaw-wielding maniac determined to murder a group of unsuspecting teens in rural Texas, the heartracing nature of this terrifying tale alone was enough to entice horror fans to check out this R-rated classic.

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As a forbearer to countless later slasher movies, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre didn’t need any major stars because the vicious villain, Leatherface, was eye-catching enough to spread word-of-mouth publicity for this film back in 1974. As one of the most controversial horror movies ever made, the ultra-violence depicted onscreen and ruthless killings meant audiences turned out in droves to see what all the fuss was about. While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series became one of the biggest horror franchises of all time with nine movies, it has never relied on star power.

8 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

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21 6.1/10 The Blair Witch Project RHorrorMystery

The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 horror film that follows three film students who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland. As they document their search for the Blair Witch legend, strange and unsettling events unfold. Presented as found footage, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and it pioneered the found footage genre in mainstream cinema.

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*Availability in US Director Eduardo Sánchez , Daniel Myrick Release Date July 30, 1999 Studio(s) Summit Entertainment Distributor(s) Summit Entertainment Writers Daniel Myrick , Eduardo Sánchez Cast Joshua Leonard , Michael C. Williams , Heather Donahue Runtime 81 minutes Franchise(s) Blair Witch Sequel(s) Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 Budget $60 thousand Expand
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The Blair Witch Project didn’t feature any star power, and the film wouldn’t have been nearly as successful or effective if it did. As a true cultural phenomenon, The Blair Witch Project was released when horror fans weren’t yet used to found-footage-style movies, and much of the viral marketing online presented the film as if it was real, with many viewers buying into the fictional myth of the Blair Witch. This clever advertising reached its peak as the movie’s official website featured fake police reports (via BBC) and newsreel-style interviewers about missing students.

As a film presented in documentary style, The Blair Witch Project told the story of three students endeavoring to make a documentary about the Blair Witch, a legend about a killer ghost in Blair, Maryland. With improvised dialogue, the killings depicted on screen felt totally real as non-professional actors were killed off by a mysterious force. The lack of star power in The Blair Witch Project was an essential part of the film’s success. The movie became a sleeper hit, earning almost $250 million (via Box Office Mojo) against its $35,000 to $60,000 production budget.

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7 Superbad (2007)

Directed by Greg Mottola

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7.2/10 Superbad RComedy

Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and produced by Judd Apatow, Superbad follows high school seniors Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), two best friends who are desperate to join the popular kids’ party before heading off to college. After asking their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) – A.K.A. McLovin – to use his fake ID to purchase alcohol, Seth and Evan end up getting drawn into a night of criminal misfortunes that threatens the very fabric of their friendship.

Director Greg Mottola Release Date August 17, 2007 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Sony Writers Seth Rogen , Evan Goldberg Cast Seth Rogen , Bill Hader , Jonah Hill , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Michael Cera , Emma Stone Runtime 113 minutes Budget $20 million Expand

Superbad was one of the biggest comedies of the 2000s, and looking back on it today, it looks like a star-studded release. However, despite boasting massive names like Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and Emma Stone, this was actually at the beginning of all of their careers, and none of the talented comedians in Superbad were household names in 2007. Despite this, Superbad had such a funny script and represented teenagers with a level of realism and wit that it became a defining movie of the Millennial generation, which remains endlessly quotable to this day.

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With a script from Rogen and his close friend and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg, the pair started writing the movie while they were still teenagers and loosely based it on their own lives, hence the names of its two lead characters, Seth (Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera.) With a classic teenage conundrum of trying to buy alcohol to impress girls at a party, Superbad balanced vulgarity with sincerity in a way that struck a chord with viewers. Superbad helped kickstart countless comedy careers, and it’s impressive just how successful the majority of its cast have since become.

6 The Witch (2015)

Directed by Robert Eggers

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12 9.2/10 The Witch RHorror

Distributed by A24, The Witch marks the feature directorial debut of Robert Eggers and the first film appearance of Anya Taylor-Joy. Written by Eggers, The Witch follows a puritanical family in New England in the 1630s who are forced to leave their community after a religious dispute. Attempting to set up a farm in the New England countryside, the family soon find themselves beset by malevolent and supernatural forces beyond their comprehension.

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*Availability in US Director Robert Eggers Release Date February 19, 2016 Studio(s) A24 Distributor(s) A24 , Universal Pictures Writers Robert Eggers Cast Kate Dickie , Wahab Chaudhry , Ellie Grainger , Ralph Ineson , Sarah Stephens , Lucas Dawson , Anya Taylor-Joy , Bathsheba Garnett , Harvey Scrimshaw , Julian Richings Runtime 92minutes Budget $4 million Expand
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Director Robert Eggers has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in horror filmmaking, but when he made his first movie, The Witch, he did so without any star power. This unnerving folk horror of religious hysteria was set in 1630s New England and followed a Puritan family encountering evil forces in the woods beyond their farm. With slow-building suspense and an accomplished sense of style, The Witch saw its characters slowly descend into madness as its thought-provoking story brought to mind other religion-inspired classics like The Exorcist, The Omen, and Rosemary’s Baby.

The Witch was a major hit at the box office and earned ten times its budget with a total gross of over $40 million. While there was no significant star power among its cast, The Witch also boasted the feature film debut of Anya Taylor-Joy, who has since become one of the most sought-after young actresses in Hollywood. With a subsequent career that’s included the Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit and the apocalyptic prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Taylor-Joy’s powerful performance in The Witch was just the beginning of an astounding career.

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5 Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Directed by Jared Hess

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9/10 Napoleon Dynamite PGComedy

Considered a cult classic, Napoleon Dynamite follows the titular character, an awkward high school student from a small town in Idaho. The film follows Napoleon’s life as he deals with the antics of his strange family, his romantic feelings for a fellow classmate, and his assistance of a friend to win Class President over the school’s popular girl. Jon Heder stars as Napoleon Dynamite, with a further class that includes Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Aaron Ruell, and Jon Gries. 

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*Availability in US Director Jared Hess Release Date August 27, 2004 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Searchlight Pictures , Paramount Pictures Writers Jerusha Hess , Jared Hess Cast Jon Heder , Aaron Ruell , Tina Majorino , Haylie Duff , Efren Ramirez , Jon Gries Runtime 96 minutes Budget $400 thousand Expand

Without any major stars and a truly unusual sense of humor, it was astounding that Napoleon Dynamite became the hit that it did, earning over $46 million against its $400,000 budget. With Jon Heder as the nerdy title character and an assortment of oddball, awkward supporting roles, the world of Napoleon Dynamite was a quirky, side-eyed look at American culture through the lens of the kind of characters people don’t normally make movies about. It shouldn’t have worked, but it all came together perfectly into a laugh-out-loud movie full of all-time classic quotes.

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With a unique charm, offbeat style, and deadpan delivery, Napoleon Dynamite was an unexpected hit whose eccentric character truly bordered on the absurd. However, underneath all the strangeness was an enjoyable underdog story about a socially awkward teen hoping to get the girl and a disarmingly calm boy named Pedro stepping outside his comfort zone and running for class president. By presenting classic high school movie tropes in a style that audiences weren’t used to, Napoleon Dynamite felt both new and comfortable. It was a strange film that never got so weird that it scared away mainstream audiences.

4 Rocky (1976)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

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9/10 Rocky PGDramaSport

Rocky tells the story of Rocky Balboa, an underdog boxer from Philadelphia who gets an unexpected shot at the world heavyweight title. The film explores Rocky’s personal and professional struggles, his romance with Adrian Pennino, and his journey toward self-respect and determination.

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*Availability in US Director John G. Avildsen Release Date November 21, 1976 Writers Sylvester Stallone Cast Sylvester Stallone , Talia Shire , Burt Young , Carl Weathers , Burgess Meredith , Thayer David Runtime 120 Minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
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Today, it would be difficult to find somebody who does not recognize Rocky Balboa as one of the greatest heroes in sports movie history. But back in 1976, nobody was familiar with this underdog’s story. Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky managed to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards despite featuring no major stars or recognizable names. While some cast members, such as Talia Shire, who had been in the Godfather movies, had some notoriety, Rocky lacked the big names usually associated with movies that gained such incredible accolades.

However, Rocky didn’t need star power for audiences to connect with this story about a low-level boxer gaining a shot at glory as he’s chosen to fight the heavyweight boxing world champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers.) With a fairytale-like setup, Rocky blended elements of sports movies, romance, and sheer sincerity to produce a movie that immediately stood out as an instant classic and led to a franchise that still continues to this day. While Rocky made a star out of Stallone, this rags-to-riches tale of achieving the American Dream became a classic without any major names among its cast.

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3 My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Directed by Joel Zwick

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding PGComedyDramaRomance

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy that follows the story of Toula Portokalos, a Greek woman who falls in love with Ian Miller, a non-Greek man. As they plan their wedding, cultural clashes and comedic misunderstandings ensue as Toula’s traditional Greek family struggles to adapt to Ian’s more reserved family.

Director Joel Zwick Release Date April 19, 2002 Studio(s) Gold Circle Films , HBO , MPH Entertainment Productions , Playtone Writers Nia Vardalos Cast Nia Vardalos , John Corbett , Lainie Kazan , Michael Constantine , Andrea Martin Runtime 95 Minutes Budget 5000000.0 Main Genre Comedy Expand

The rom-com My Big Fat Greek Wedding was an extraordinary success that exceeded all expectations with its incredible $368 million take at the box office against its modest budget of $5 million. These numbers were even more impressive, considering this was a release from a director primarily known for his TV work, a first-time screenwriter, and a cast featuring no stars and mostly complete unknowns. The most famous face was John Corbett, who had recently played Aidan on Sex and the City; although he was far from a box office draw.

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding succeeded not due to the recognizability of its cast members but because of its hilarious exploration of clashing cultures and conflicted heritage. With Nia Vardalos as a 30-something woman dealing with the crushing expectations of her Greek family, My Big Fat Greek Wedding featured eccentric characters and a sharp script that second-generation immigrant children will immediately connect with. As a clever insight into an experience rarely depicted in mainstream movies, My Big Greek Wedding captured the comedy of romance meeting familial expectations in a way that felt fresh and interesting.

2 Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Directed by Danny Boyle

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Slumdog Millionaire pg-13DramaRomance

Slumdog Millionaire: A drama directed by Danny Boyle, depicting the journey of Jamal Malik, a young man from the slums of Mumbai who participates in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as he searches for his lost love while reflecting on his past experiences.

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*Availability in US Director Danny Boyle Release Date March 5, 2009 Studio(s) Pathé Distributor(s) Pathé Writers Danny Boyle Cast Dev Patel , Freida Pinto , Madhur Mittal , Anil Kapoor , Mahesh Manjrekar , Saurabh Shukla , Irrfan Khan , Ankur Vikal , Tanay Chheda , Ayush Mahesh Khedekar , Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala , Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail , Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar , Rubina Ali , Raj Zutshi Character(s) Older Jamal , Older Latika , Older Salim , Prem , Javed , Sergeant Srinivas , Police Inspector , Maman , Middle Jamal , Youngest Jamal , Middle Salim , Youngest Salim , Middle Latika , Youngest Latika , Director Runtime 120minutes Budget $15 million Expand
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Despite its lack of star power, Slumdog Millionaire was a sleeper hit that won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From director Danny Boyle, who was known for his work with stars like Ewan McGregor and Leonardo DiCaprio, Slumdog Millionaire told the story of an 18-year-old resident of the Juhu slum of Mumbai winning the top prize in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? By showcasing the difficult life and harrowing circumstances that led him to know the answers to each question, Slumdog Millionaire was a powerful depiction of life for the poorest residents of India.

Slumdog Millionaire was the breakthrough role for British actor Dev Patel, whose performance as the gameshow contestant Jamal Malik truly stood out. While Patel was already known in the UK for a role as Anwar Kharral on the notorious teen drama Skins, he was not a major star outside of his home country. Much of the rest of Slumdog Millionaire’s cast had backgrounds in Bollywood cinema, but for a major Hollywood production, it did not have the kind of star power one would expect from an Oscar-sweeping success.

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1 Parasite (2019)

Directed by Bong Joon-ho

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9.3/10 Parasite RComedyThrillerDrama

Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite follows the impoverished Kim family, who live in a small apartment and consistently struggle to make ends meet. After they chance across the gullible and wealthy Park family, the Kims ingratiate themselves through lies and deceit, earning themselves jobs taking care of the household. However, their newfound luck is built on an ever-growing foundation of mistruths – one that threatens to fall down around them at any moment.

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*Availability in US Director Bong Joon Ho Release Date November 8, 2019 Studio(s) Barunson E&A Distributor(s) CJ Entertainment Writers Jin Won Han , Bong Joon Ho Cast Yeo-Jeong Jo , Myeong-hoon Park , Jeong-eun Lee , Sun-kyun Lee , Ji-so Jung , So-dam Park , Keun-rok Park , Kang-ho Song , Ji-hye Lee , Woo-sik Choi , Seo-joon Park , Hye-jin Jang Runtime 132 minutes Budget $15 million Main Genre Drama Expand

While Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite gained widespread acclaim and quickly earned a reputation as one of the best films of the 2010s, this South Korean worldwide hit did not feature any names that the average Western audience would recognize. Instead, Parasite’s themes of class discrimination and inequality stood for themselves, and the movie won some of Hollywood’s top prizes, including the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Picture at the Academy Awards. As the first non-English language film to win that coveted Oscar, Parasite’s success was an important moment in movie awards history.

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With an entirely South Korean cast, Parasite took a sharp satirical aim at wealth disparities in Joon-ho’s home country, although the universality of its themes ensured viewers all over the world connected with its story. As Parasite followed the poor Kim family infiltrating the life of the wealthy Park family, its themes of class conflict aligned with the growing frustration among working-class people against the luxurious lifestyles and excesses of the 1%. An important and thought-provoking movie, the lack of star power in Parasite contributed to its appeal as an anti-capitalist work of art.

Source: Guardian, BBC, Box Office Mojo

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Category: Entertainment