An A24 film is one that is typically easy to recognize. The independent production has backed some of the most unique, captivating films of the past decade. A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges.
Some of the company's most notable films include Lady Bird, Moonlight, and The Florida Project, but recently, A24 has accumulated a fair share of widely praised horror movies. Having been founded only a few years ago, this company has gained significant ground and is still teeming with potential. Let's take a look at 10 of A24's best films, based on their Rotten Tomatoes scores.
MIDSOMMAR (2019) - 83%
After captivating, disturbing, and terrifying audiences with his debut feature film, Hereditary, Ari Aster set out to expand his filmmaking career with Midsommar, which hit theatres in July of 2019. Vibrant in tone and managing to get under the audience's skin in a subtle yet undeniably eerie manner, Midsommar definitely deserves every bit of praise it gets.
The movie takes place predominantly in broad daylight, set to the lush, bright, and colourful backdrop of Harga, a Swedish village that operates by ancient, unorthodox rituals and traditions. Midsommar was helmed by Florence Pugh with an unforgettable performance and was inarguably a worthy follow-up to the modern cult-classic, Hereditary.
HEREDITARY (2018) - 89%
The aforementioned Ari Aster's first feature-length horror film, Hereditary sits slightly above Midsommar on the Tomatometer with 89%. When asked about the mind-bending psychological thriller in interviews, writer/director Ari Aster described Hereditary as a "family tragedy."
The film definitely took "family tragedy" to the next level with themes of occult rituals and dark matter of the like expertly placed within the film, but Hereditary's main focus certainly was shining limelight - however disturbing and unsettling - on the reality of grief.
20th CENTURY WOMEN (2017) - 89%
20th Century Women hit theaters in 2017 and would quickly become the subject of notable praise. At the 2017 Golden Globe Awards, the film coined several nominations and awards and was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 89th Academy Awards.
20th Century Women starred Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, and Greta Gerwig. The ladder would go on to write and direct Lady Bird, another highly successful A24 film.
IT COMES AT NIGHT (2017) - 87%
It Comes At Night originally premiered in April of 2017 at the Overlook Film Festival. The horror/thriller would then be picked up by A24 and was released in theatres by June of 2017. Starring Joel Edgerton and written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, It Comes At Night is often regarded as an overlooked masterpiece.
The film was created on a modest budget and would go on to gross $19 million worldwide. It Comes At Night is one of the more unique A24 films, especially in terms of its horror output.
THE HOLE IN THE GROUND (2019) - 85%
The Hole In The Ground premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and was never released in theatres. Due to its limited released, the psychological thriller was almost completely overlooked and did not receive the attention that it deserved.
The Hole In The Ground followed the story of a single mother who moves to a rural countryside with her young son and soon realizes that her life is in danger due to a mysterious sinkhole on the property.
ROOM (2015) - 93%
Room was released in theatres in 2015, starring predominantly Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, Room was both a critical and commercial success and is one of A24's most notable movies.
Following the story of a young woman and her son who have been held captive in a tiny room for years, this film is regarded as both disturbing and completely captivating. Brie Larson would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2015.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017) - 96%
Sean Baker's The Florida Project studied in depth the lives of a single mother and her young daughter who live in a shabby motel in Kissimmee, Florida. The motel sits in the shadow of Disneyland and primarily features the young residents as they explore the depressed yet vibrantly colourful surrounding area.
The Florida Project starred Willem Dafoe and was highly praised for its use of stunning cinematography and gritty portrayal of poverty and single parenthood.
MOONLIGHT (2016) - 98%
In 2016, Barry Jenkin's Moonlight became the underdog film and saw huge success for an independent production created on a small budget. The film was based on an unpublished, autobiographical play titled In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.
Moonlight had a talented cast that consisted of Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monae, and Mahershala Ali. At the Academy Awards, Moonlight surpassed expectations and took home the award for Best Picture in an iconic and unforgettable ceremony.
EIGHTH GRADE (2018) - 99%
Eighth Grade was filmmaker Bo Burnham's directorial debut, and it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2018. Providing a fresh, gritty look at adolescence and not bothering to hold back from portraying a realistic coming-of-age story, Eighth Grade has seen significant praise, being one of A24's two highest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 99%.
Eighth Grade grossed around $13 million at the box office on a $2 million budget. The film's lack of profitability was blamed on the MPAA, which slapped an R rating on a movie about and obviously primarily directed at adolescents. To remedy this, A24 released free unrated screeners of Eighth Grade across the U.S.
LADY BIRD (2017) - 99%
Lady Bird was Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, premiering at the Telluride Film Festival in September of 2017 and released in theatres later that year by A24. Since Lady Bird's theatrical release, Greta Gerwig's career has significantly grown and flourished, and she is now taking on major projects such as the 2019 remake of Little Women.
Lady Bird touched the hearts of countless viewers with a portrayal of growing up that felt genuine and rooted in reality. Along with Eighth Grade, it is A24's highest-rated film with 99%.