2024 was yet another standout year for A24, a studio that has consistently proven its dominance in auteur-driven, large-scale filmmaking. For years, I’ve been ranking their best releases, and each time, it feels like their influence in the industry only strengthens. Their knack for blending intimate, low-budget projects with increasing ambition and scope has solidified them as a key player in both the indie and awards circuit.
This year is no exception. The sheer variety and caliber of films released by A24 in 2024 show how the studio continues to expand its horizons while remaining true to its artistic roots. Their slate feels larger, more competitive, and more deserving of recognition than ever before.
December proved to be a climactic month for A24, with three of the studio’s most anticipated films—Queer, The Brutalist, and Babygirl—hitting their qualifying release dates just in time for awards season. These late heavy-hitters capped off yet another triumphant year for the indie powerhouse. And with every standout year comes the inevitable ranking.
Here are the 10 best A24 movies of 2024:
10. MaXXXine
MaXXXine closes out Ti West’s ongoing A24 horror trilogy, bringing Mia Goth back to reprise her role as the titular actress attempting to transition from a life in the adult film industry to Hollywood movie star. But as we’ve seen with West’s pastiche-heavy work these prior two films, Maxine’s ties to her past keep catching up with her in ways she can’t help. This go around, the movie takes the form of a mid-1980s slasher crossed with a technicolor giallo picture. A perfect combination of time, space, and design that seems right up my alley.
Read our review of MaXXXine.
9. A Different Man
Although the story sometimes feels like it’s chasing its own tail, Aaron Schimberg deserves praise for his calculated setup, precise direction, and visual flair. A Different Man is not just intellectually stimulating, but it also offers a bright, grainy color palette and shot design that recalls old school B-movies. It’s schlocky in all the best ways while maintaining a serious script and story about valuing yourself and staying confident in your abilities.
Read our review of A Different Man.
8. Civil War
Naming your movie Civil War is pretty daring. But Director Alex Garland is known for just that – being a provocateur with an eye for the future. Whether that be artificial intelligence, or the impending doom of mankind (or both), Garland is always looking forward. And he’s never painted that as painstakingly clear as he does in Civil War.
Read our review of Civil War.
7. Love Lies Bleeding
There’s really nothing like Love Lies Bleeding. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the blanket notion that they don’t make movies like they used to anymore – but I will say, Hollywood hasn’t consistently made films as erotic and thrilling like this since the 1980s and 90s. Rose Glass directs the dynamic duo of Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart.
Read our review of Love Lies Bleeding.
6. Y2K
The best way to approach Y2K is to go in completely blind. Seriously, avoid trailers and marketing if you can. The film’s absurd twists and genuinely hilarious moments are what make it so enjoyable, and knowing too much beforehand could spoil the fun. Kyle Mooney makes his directorial debut here, and he nails it. Throughout the brisk 91-minute runtime, he keeps the pace sharp and entertaining. The movie is often exhilarating, always self-deprecating, and has just enough 1999 nostalgia to hit the right notes without feeling overdone or cheesy.
Read our review of Y2K.
5. The Brutalist
Throughout December, expect to see many outlets anoint Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist as the best film of 2024. It’s epic. It’s wildly accomplished. And it knows it. The movie’s operatic opening crescendos into a visually striking image of the Statue of Liberty flipped upside down—an arresting symbol that mirrors the film’s poster. It’s the kind of bold, declarative start that announces a filmmaker fully in command of their craft.
Read our review of The Brutalist.
4. We Live in Time
A movie like We Live in Time really shouldn’t work. The overly sentimental cancer drama is a well-trodden path, with its fair share of genuinely touching entries but even more bogged down by predictability and melodrama. We Live in Time doesn’t completely avoid these familiar pitfalls, as it leans into some of the same cheesy tropes that often plague this subgenre.
Read our review of We Live in Time.
3. Babygirl
25 years after co-starring in Eyes Wide Shut, Nicole Kidman revisits similar thematic territory in Halina Reijn’s Babygirl, another holiday-set exploration of lust, power, and dissatisfaction. In Babygirl, she plays Romy, a high-powered tech CEO whose meticulously crafted life seems perfect on the surface. With a doting husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), two well-adjusted children, and a dreamlike home, Romy appears to have it all. Yet, beneath this pristine façade, she is deeply unfulfilled, yearning for something—or someone—to awaken her buried fantasies.
Read our review of Babygirl.
2. Sing Sing
Few films in the 2020s have matched the emotional impact and resonance of Sing Sing. A deeply sincere and open exploration of how we channel our emotions into the things we care about most, while also examining how those same passions can serve as an escape from life’s pain points. The movie is a riveting drama that gently reminds viewers that, even within the broken systems we create, art has the power to both liberate and comfort.
Read our review of Sing Sing.
1. I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow is one of the best movies of 2024, showcasing exactly what independent filmmaking can be when handled by the right people. A24 adds another riveting drama by a fascinating young auteur to their trophy case, and Jane Schoenbrun announces themselves as an important and singular filmmaker to look out for moving forward.
Read our review of I Saw the TV Glow.
