A comprehensive ranking of the 10 best movies produced or distributed by A24 in 2023, including Talk to Me, The Iron Claw, Priscilla, and more
In the bustling marketplace of independent cinema, A24 has stood as a towering monolith for quite some time, casting a long shadow of daring artistry and groundbreaking visions. 2023 has been no exception. Overflowing with different flavors, genres, and visionaries, A24 always delivers a dizzying array of films, each one a unique morsel for the discerning cinephile and standing apart from what they’ve done prior. From established auteurs pushing the boundaries of their craft to audacious newcomers bursting onto the scene, A24 has once again proven its mastery in producing, distributing, and marketing independent movies.
But with such a dense catalogue year after year, it’s hard to know where to begin. Yet, in the spirit of exploration and celebration as 2023 comes to a close, I thought it would be nice to reflect on the most worthwhile efforts that the studio had to offer this past year by ranking the 10 best movies from A24 in 2023. There’s certainly something for everyone – esteemed directors making their best films yet, chilling horror entries, period pieces and romance films, you’re certainly going to find something new and exciting to watch in their extensive oeuvre.
This list isn’t a cold, clinical ranking – it’s just my opinion. My objective, perfectly correct list. Here’s how I’d think I’d rank the 10 best movies from A24 in 2023:
10. Earth Mama
Earth Mama is a movie best watched with zero distractions. It’s certainly not the most flashy or stylized movie you’ll see in 2023, but there’s a warm sentiment that may just ring through if you can let it wash over you. It has a heart-wrenching story at the center, emphasized by shockingly controlled and weathered performance by newcomer Tia Nomore. Earth Mama review
9. Talk to Me
Talk to Me juxtaposes the ineffable highs of knowing you’re doing something dangerous that you shouldn’t be, with the realization that at some point the house – or in this case, the embalmed hand – is bound to win. There’s a brilliantly flashy montage incorporated in which each of the members of the friend group take center stage of the séance, each being able to understand the feeling of touching death while still being able to pull away. Talk to Me review
8. When You Finish Saving the World
When You Finish Saving the World slips through your fingers to the same degree as the guy sitting in the director’s chair, yet I feel like he carves out such a unique voice in just his first film. The movie may lack structural integrity that some of the greats have on display, but every bit of this riveting world oozes with ideas about connecting and communicating with young people in an age where no one communicates face to face. When You Finish Saving the World review
7. Beau is Afraid
Beau is Afraid isn’t just audacious – it’s ludicrous and surreal in a way I’m not sure anyone would’ve expected, even for Ari Aster. Hereditary and Midsommar have always been the works that you love to love, almost like a guilty pleasure, but you couldn’t really suggest that your friends or family watch. There’s a necessary content warning for anyone going into those films, not just those that rarely venture into the shocking imagery that his style of horror indulges in. Beau is Afraid review
6. Showing Up
Showing Up is the latest movie from director and writer Kelly Reichardt, who has operated in the independent scene for the better part of thirty years now capitalizing on lo-fi cinematography and slower pacing that can sometimes feel like a tough barrier to break down when watching her movies. If you can get past these stylistic choices, there are common themes of personal ambition and treatment of the lower class socially and economically. Showing Up review
5. You Hurt My Feelings
You Hurt My Feelings succeeds by inflicting deeply personal and honest anecdotes of interactions between people in a relationship. Nicole Holofcener crafts a movie that feels fully realized, unaffected by common storytelling tropes or narrative twists and turns. It’s not twee or acidic, rather working in a gray area between the two that is both cozy and distancing, warm and cold. You Hurt My Feelings review
4. The Zone of Interest
The Zone of Interest is one of the most beguiling, upsetting, and finely constructed movies I saw in all of 2023. I’ve admired Jonathan Glazer’s work in the past, but I didn’t know that he had this in him. It’s much more reserved and quiet than even Under the Skin – a movie that had to sink into you and get “under your skin” in its own right. This is almost structureless and purposefully unengaging. The violence and despair never shows onscreen in a way you’d expect for a movie about The Holocaust and focused on those in charge of inflicting such atrocities. The Zone of Interest review
3. Priscilla
Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla invites us to step through the looking glass into the tumultuous life of Priscilla Presley, one of the most enigmatic and influential figures of the 20th century. The film delves into the intricacies of Priscilla’s remarkable journey and her complex relationship with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. In this intimate portrayal, Sofia Coppola crafts a narrative that serves as a poignant exploration of the human condition, while simultaneously offering a glimpse behind the glittering curtain of fame. Priscilla review
2. The Iron Claw
The Iron Claw is a film that sticks with you long after the credits roll (as cliché as that sounds). It’s a powerful reminder of the human spirit being both enduring and fragile. It’s a film that redefines what a sports movie can be, leaving viewers emotionally spent and profoundly moved. This is, without a doubt, one of the year’s greatest achievements in filmmaking, a confirmed *masterpiece* that will linger in your mind and heart long after the final bell rings. The Iron Claw review
1. Past Lives
It’s rare to see a movie like Past Lives feel so emotionally daring and perfectly in-tune with its own ideas, especially in its opening few moments. Celine Song has a few years of experience writing plays at this point, but nothing that could’ve pointed towards such a spellbinding debut feature, one that simultaneously transports you to a space of childhood reimagination, while keeping its own roots firmly in the ground; reconciling years of past relationships while also consistently focusing on the future. Past Lives review
Read more lists from our “Best of 2023” section
Recent Lists from Cinephile Corner
- Alex Garland Movies Ranked, from Ex Machina to Civil War
- Gareth Edwards Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
- The 30 Best Movies of 2018, Ranked
- The 50 Best A24 Movies of All Time, Ranked