8 of The Best A24 Films
The production company A24 has made some of the greatest films of the 21st century. They have grown exponentially, especially in recent years, since the company launched in 2012. What makes A24 so successful is that it gives independent films that bigger studios would call “too risky” a chance. Many audiences want to see thought-provoking films with deep meanings, unique cinematography, and in depth characters, which is something that's seriously lacking in today's cinematic landscapes. A24 is always ready to scratch that itch.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Uncut gems is one of the best crime comedies of the decade, but it’s also the most stressful one. The film follows a jeweller (Adam Sandler) who makes a high stakes bet that will either destroy his life or make him rich. There’s a constant downpour of chaos, with things going wrong for the lead character at every turn. Directing duo the Safdie Brothers made sure the character’s failures and solutions were hilarious, counteracting the high stress in the film. Even with comic Adam Sandler delivering these moments, the film withstands a serious tone, with dark cinematography and heavy philosophical themes.
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Ex Machina (2014)
Ex Machina - a film about a programmer who gets the opportunity to assess an AI as part of an experiment - is a unique sci-fi film. Rather than being set in a technologically advanced metropolis or in space, the film mostly tackles place in a millionaires house in the middle of a jungle. This makes the film feel far more realistic, making its warning about artificial intelligence feel more urgent. This isolating use of setting effectively shows the beginning of the end for the blurred line between humanity and AI. The design is also amazing - a perfect blend of mechanical and human features to create an uncanny valley effect.
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The Florida Project (2017)
This is one of A24’s more depressing films. The Florida Project follows the day-to-day misbehavings of a six-year-old girl at the motel she lives at with her mother, who struggles to make ends meet. The film is shot minimalistically, with a shaky camera and no exaggerated visual elements. The style is rather refreshing, and feels extremely personal and realistic, like you're watching a documentary. Of course, this only makes the film far more heart wrenching, given how common such tragic circumstances are. The acting from Brooklynn Prince was phenomenal, especially since she was only six. Willem Dafoe also stars in the film, playing a loveable landlord.
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Hereditary (2018)
A24 is known for its unsettling horror films, and how they’re changing the face of the genre from scary jump scares to disturbing psychological films. Hereditary is a prime example of this. After the death of Annie’s (Toni Collette) mother, her family is left grief stricken, and soon discover a curse amidst Annie’s ancestry. Although some people didn’t like the slow-burn shift in horror, Hereditary left audiences disturbed with its theme of grief at the centre of a terrifying family curse. With dark lighting and long still shots, the film captures truly terrifying scenes, and creates a lingering creepiness throughout. The acting from Toni Collette as a mother inflicted with stress, family issues, and grief is superb.
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Under The Skin (2014)
Under The Skin is unlike any other alien film in the way that it uses a minimalistic style that creates a haunting creepiness. Most of the film follows an extraterrestrial disguised as a woman (Scarlett Johansson) driving around Glasgow, looking for men that she can lure in and send as meat to another dimension. The vacant look in Scarlett Johansson's eyes as we watch her seducing unsuspecting men is uncanny, which is only intensified with the unnerving soundtrack. It has recently received a well deserved title as the best British film of the 21st century based on critics' polls.
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The Lighthouse (2019)
The Lighthouse shows the weirder side of A24 with its unsettling visuals and pacing. Starring Robert Pattrson and Willem Dafoe as the leads, the story takes place solely at a lighthouse where a new lighthouse keeper has begun working under the direction of his supervisor. The lighthouse keeper starts being plagued by visions and nightmares. The entire film is in black-white, which already creates a dreamy, moody effect. What makes the film so unsettling is the constant suggestion of evil lurking among the lighthouse. Whenever we get close to seeing this evil, it’s unclear whether the men have just gone insane or if there is actually something else.
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Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird follows a simple plot about a high school girl (Saoirse Ronan) trying to navigate through her last year before heading off to a prestigious university. The film is nothing but simple, however, with characters and relationships rich in depth and conflicts. It’s clear that director Greta Gerwig poured her heart into the film - it has a feeling of authenticity and realness that many other coming-of-age films lack. Lady Bird would be a relatable watch for many others, as the character struggles with the usual things senior students struggle with - applying for college, loneliness, relationships, etc.
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Spring Breakers (2012)
Four college girls rob a diner to have enough money for a spring break in Florida, where they get acquainted with a drug kingpin. It sounds like it would be a fun crime-comedy, but that’s not the right frame of mind to see the film in. With captivating cinematography, the directing style makes the film feel like a fever dream. Brightly coloured neon lighting hazes over wild party scenes filled with debauchery, and the camera heavily shifts around. It will make you feel the dreamy effects of whatever the characters are on, as well as the inevitable hangover. James Franco was brilliant as the drug kingpin called Alien, with his silver teeth, dreadlocks, and talent for playing Britney Spears on a piano. Spring Breakers is certainly polarising, leaving critics divided. It’s a brilliant satire of the “you only live once culture”, and how it’s a result of capitalism taken too far.
