A24 is one of the best production houses that has given us some incredible films and television shows over the years. It is unlike any other production house, as A24 is known for giving fans some of the very best horror movies that employ an artistic approach. Some of the gems to its name include I Saw the TV Glow, Hereditary, Heretic, and the much anticipated, upcoming movie Bring Her Back. Regardless, if you’ve stumbled upon the brilliance of A24 recently, here are some of the best A24 movies you can watch and we have ranked them for you to start your binge-watch session.
10. Enemy
- Genre: Psychological Thriller
- Release Date: March 14, 2014
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
- Running Time: 90 minutes
- IMDb: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Enemy is one of the best thriller films Jake Gyllenhaal has worked in. Based on the novel “The Double,” Enemy features a complex story that, despite not achieving mainstream success at the Box Office, earned a cult following. Jake, in the double role of Anthony and Adam, was terrific, and he somehow became the primary reason that drew the cinema fans towards the film. Moreover, for someone who enjoys character-driven and bold narratives, Enemy is a must-watch film.
The story revolves around Adam and Anthony, who are lookalikes. Initially, it’s Adam who stalks stalks Anthony after spotting him in a film. However, when their lives intertwine, the tables turn, and a series of horrifying events begin to unfold.
9. Hereditary
- Genre: Psychological Horror
- Release Date: June 8, 2018
- Director: Ari Aster
- Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne
- Running Time: 127 minutes
- IMDb: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Hereditary is one of the best horror films that every fan should watch. This movie relies too much on atmospheric horror and slow-burn tension to make it an unsettling experience for the viewers. Hereditary explores themes of grief, trauma, and family dynamics in the most disturbing way. So, if you’re someone who loves to watch horror projects that use their atmosphere and eerie and disturbing visuals to a good extent to create spooky vibes, Hereditary is waving at you.
The story revolves around the Graham family, which is grieving the death of the secretive grandmother. However, soon, the grief and trauma start taking a creepy turn when the dark secrets of the family start to unfold.
8. Lady Bird
- Genre: Comedy
- Release Date: June 8, 2018
- Director: Greta Gerwig
- Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lois Smith
- Running Time: 94 minutes
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Lady Bird was Greta Gerwig’s first solo directorial film, which was heavily praised for its screenplay and direction. The film was distributed by A24 in the U.S. Theaters in November 2017 and ended up becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the company. The story revolves around a high school girl and focuses on her relationship with her mother, making it resonate with young girls worldwide. With its relatable story, the film garnered a huge fanbase, earning a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film revolves around a teenage girl who, after getting frustrated with her complex mother and father, who has recently lost his job, looks forward to moving out of her hometown to avoid her family. The film has everything to keep fans hooked, whether it’s the humorous or the heartwarming elements.
7. The Lighthouse
- Genre: Mystery
- Release Date: October 18, 2019
- Director: Robert Eggers
- Cast: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe
- Running Time: 109 minutes
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Robert Eggers is one of the best directors when it comes to blending horror, mystery, and drama in a single project. He did the same in The Lighthouse; despite having a not-so-huge budget comparatively, the film had everything to impress the global fandom. The film gained huge appreciation, especially for the strong performances by the lead duo, ie. Robert Pattinson, and Willem Dafoe. Apart from that, with the amazing visuals and the cinematography, the film won the hearts of the audience.
Thomas Wake is the senior lighthouse keeper on a remote Island in New England. Soon, he is joined by Ephraim Winslow, who starts having strange visions within a few days after his arrival on the Island.
6. Moonlight
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: October 21, 2016
- Director: Barry Jenkins
- Cast: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali
- Running Time: 111 minutes
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
The film comes with a unique concept that helped it become not only one of the best A24 movies but also one of the finest movies produced in the 21st Century. Additionally, it was made on a low budget, but that didn’t stop it from winning an Oscar for Best Picture. The film follows a young Black man who has had to go through a lot since his childhood. Moonlight shed light on his childhood, teenage years, and adulthood to showcase the struggles of someone who society doesn’t think worthy of existing. Besides that, the homosexual protagonist also has to struggle to find a place in the world that doesn’t miss an opportunity to ridicule him.
Moonlight features the themes of identity, trauma, and complicated feelings, which push a human to the edge of death at times. The film’s heart-touching and deeply emotional elements will not let you leave your seat without tears in your eyes.
5. Waves
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: December 6, 2019
- Director: Trey Edward Shults
- Cast: Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Alexa Demie, Lucas Hedges
- Running Time: 135 minutes
- IMDb: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Now, this is a movie that the fanatics who enjoy watching thought-provoking storylines may find intriguing. The film will bombard you with several sequences that will push your imagination beyond its limits. You will feel for the characters and can’t help but get emotional after witnessing their struggles, especially in the second half.
Waves follows a suburban African American family that tries to overcome the grief and trauma to bring their lives back on track after a tragic loss turns their lives upside down.
4. The Farewell
- Genre: Comedy- Drama
- Release Date: October 21, 2016
- Director: Lulu Wang
- Cast: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shu-zhen
- Running Time: 100 minutes
- IMDb: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
The Farewell is a heartfelt and humorous film that will make you shed tears as well as bring a smile to your face most of the time. With the heartfelt and touching events, the film will make you feel homesick if you stay away from your family. It will also let you know many exciting things about Chinese and American culture. The screenplay isn’t extraordinary, but it’s the characters and the direction that make it worth watching.
The Farewell follows a family that suddenly discovers that the oldest member of the family has developed terminal cancer, which will not let her live for long. So, they decide not to let her know anything about the illness; instead, they schedule a wedding to let the grandmother enjoy one last event with the entire family before her passing.
3. The Florida Project
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: October 6, 2017
- Director: Sean Baker
- Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Kimberly Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, Caleb Landry Jones
- Running Time: 111 minutes
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
If you haven’t watched The Florida Project, you are really missing out on something great. The film is considered a ‘breathtaking masterpiece’ by the global fandom. The pacing of the film is a bit slow, but that doesn’t diminish its impact on the viewers. In fact, it’s way more engaging than the so-called fast-paced movies with no purpose at all.
The film revolves around a six-year-old girl named Moonee, who lives in a motel with her unemployed mother. She, along with her two best friends, has no clue about the harsh reality of the world. Her mother, having the kind-hearted motel manager by her side, must protect the kids from getting acquainted with the horrors of the surroundings.
2. Ex Machina
- Genre: Science-Fiction
- Release Date: April 10, 2015
- Director: Alex Garland
- Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac
- Running Time: 108 minutes
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Ex Machina is a science fiction film that dives deeper into the world of AI. We learn about the ethics of Artificial Intelligence and also discover the consequences of living in a world dominated by it. Besides the gripping storyline, the strong performances by our lead trio garnered widespread appreciation upon the film’s release in 2015.
Nathan Bateman, the CEO of the search engine company Blue Book, creates an AI called Ava. He calls one of the young, brilliant programmers of his company to judge the capabilities of the AI, which makes it more like a human.
1. Room
- Genre: Survival Psychological Drama
- Release Date: October 16, 2015
- Director: Lenny Abrahamson
- Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, Tom McCamus, William H. Macy
- Running Time: 118 minutes
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Based on a novel, Room features one of the most disturbing storylines that will make you break down after feeling the pain of the protagonists. No one really deserves that much pain, that the five-year-old boy and his mother had to go through for five years since his birth.
Jack and his mother were held captive in a room. So, after escaping captivity, Jack struggles with the outside world that he didn’t know existed. It is one of the very best movies that A24 has to offer, and while the narrative will affect you psychologically, the artistic way of storytelling will make you appreciate the brilliance of A24 even more.
