Dr. Strangelove (1964)

With a $1.8 million budget, it grossed $9.4 million, a 5.2x return that trails Some Like It Hot's 13.8x. It earned 4 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, a feat that surpasses Airplane!'s zero above-the-line noms. Its blend of absurdity and nuclear dread remains unparalleled, with 98% Rotten Tomatoes citing it as one of the sharpest films ever made.