A comprehensive ranking of the best A24 movies of all time, including Uncut Gems, Everything Everywhere All at Once, First Reformed, and more
It’s become impossible to discuss the modern era film industry without mentioning A24 studios, which has managed to turn themselves from a smaller arthouse production and distribution company into a leader at the forefront of award-winning, independent filmmaking. They’ve become a significant tastemaker for a younger generation getting interested in newer movies the same way a brand like The Criterion Collection has become a tastemaker for film restoration and film history.
A24 is partly responsible for spearheading projects that housed the debut films of Ari Aster, Celine Song, Robert Eggers, and so much more. They acquire movies at festivals and market them about as well as anybody working today. And in the hotly contested climate of film distribution, they’ve managed to break through in a significant way and sit at the table with the likes of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.
And it felt A24 was just a niche studio for cinephiles and burgeoning film fans for a bit in the early 2010s, but with movies like Moonlight, Hereditary, Lady Bird, and Uncut Gems are releasing int eh span of a half-decade, they transformed into something completely different. I now make an effort to see as many movies as I can that they release in a given year.
Perhaps that’s because they market themselves as a curator with a tightly woven collection of entries as well as they market themselves as a studio. I can’t file away movies by major studios in my own mind the way that I can with A24, NEON, Annapurna, and a few others that came and went. They rarely release the incomprehensible dud that, say, Sony Pictures has perfected.
This run doesn’t seem like it’s going to end anytime soon, and I’m planning to make this ranking a running list. I’ll return to it as I see a few more films in the deeper caverns of the filmography, as well as the ones in their lineups for 2024, 2025, etc. Case in point: I still haven’t seen Love Lies Bleeding or I Saw the TV Glow – two movies that are garnering major critical acclaim early in 2024.
I’ll update the list accordingly. But for now, here’s how I’d rank the best A24 movies of all time:
50. X (2022)
49. The Souvenir (2019)
48. C’mon C’mon (2021)
47. In Fabric (2018)
In Fabric shows exactly the kind of filmmaker that Peter Strickland can be. He’s unashamed of wearing his influences on his sleeves, but that’s not always a terrible thing. He molds his own style to the style of Giallo movies effortlessly, as if he’s always had this vision in his head. In Fabric review
46. The Green Knight (2021)
45. High Life (2018)
44. Waves (2020)
43. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
42. The Lobster (2015)
41. American Honey (2016)
40. Green Room (2015)
39. Stars at Noon (2022)
38. The Zone of Interest (2023)
The Zone of Interest both washes over you and punches you right in the stomach – a combination few filmmakers can pull off as effortlessly as Jonathan Glazer does here. Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller co-star in a beguiling portrait of the hatred and terror that seeps through the world. The Zone of Interest review
37. You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
You Hurt My Feelings is a movie tearing apart the artistic complex. A film that questions whether professionals can have their lives figured out in the twenties or thirties. It’s honest and personal, as if Nicole Holofcener is using Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a stand in for directors and creatives everywhere. You Hurt My Feelings review
36. Aftersun (2022)
Aftersun is a remarkable debut movie from Charlotte Wells, one that tries to piece together memories from a father-daughter vacation years prior. Absolutely in sync with its emotions, Wells delivers one of the best films of 2022. Aftersun review
35. Krisha (2015)
34. The Witch (2015)
33. Room (2015)
32. Amy (2015)
31. While We’re Young (2014)
30. A Most Violent Year (2014)
29. Under the Skin (2013)
28. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Tonally, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an extremely tough film to pull off by Halina Reijn and co-screenwriters Kristen Roupenian and Sarah DeLappe, but they manage to land the plane in a film that feels naturally satirical, yet sympathetic and self-loving. Even at its tensest moments, the film juggles comedy and commentary at a highly successful rate – a quality that even the biggest blockbusters struggle with at times. Bodies Bodies Bodies review
27. Ginger & Rosa (2012)
26. Locke (2013)
25. Priscilla (2023)
Priscilla is a journey that, while not shattering the boundaries of Sofia Coppola’s established repertoire, undoubtedly captivates with its remarkable performances and intimate storytelling. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi shine as the tumultuous Priscilla and Elvis Presley. Priscilla review
24. Red Rocket (2021)
A mighty return to the screen for Sean Baker, Red Rocket is an interrogation of American reality set to the backdrop of a fluorescent South. It’s equal parts hilarious, saddening, and shockingly honest in only a way Sean Baker can present. Simon Rex and Suzanna Son co-star. Red Rocket review
23. The Lighthouse (2019)
22. Boys State (2020)
21. Causeway (2022)
Jennifer Lawrence’s performance, as well as Brian Tyree Henry’s supporting role and Lila Neugebauer’s unobtrusive directing style, makes Causeway one of 2022’s sharpest and most afflicting films – one that pulls more emotion out of you than the average studio blockbuster. Many films pull you in with pyrotechnics and bedazzled stylistic choices; it’s harder to conjure up enough emotional weight early on to keep a viewer locked in, but Causeway does that. Causeway review
20. Laggies (2014)
19. Mississippi Grind (2015)
18. Under the Silver Lake (2018)
17. The Spectacular Now (2013)
16. The End of the Tour (2015)
15. Good Time (2017)
14. Ex Machina (2015)
13. Saint Maud (2020)
Saint Maud certainly has a few of the motifs and themes you’d expect from an A24 horror movie – a real sense of dread and Christian guilt lingers throughout much of its brisk runtime – but the debut from Rose Glass feels like an expansive, reinvigorating mold of those ideals. A few years since its release, Saint Maud remains the best horror film from the studio in the 2020s. Saint Maud review
12. 20th Century Women (2016)
11. Enemy (2013)
Enemy‘s true power lies in its ambiguity. Unlike conventional narratives that spoon-feed answers, Denis Villeneuve invites the audience to actively participate in unraveling the movie’s enigmatic plotlines. The recurring spider motif becomes a potent symbol, open to individual interpretation. Is it a harbinger of danger, a manifestation of repressed desires, or simply a narrative thread to guide us through the inner turmoil of Adam (Jake Gyllenhaal)? The beauty lies in the absence of definitive answers for Enemy, where Denis allows you to form your own conclusions. Enemy review
10. First Reformed (2017)
9. The Iron Claw (2023)
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 2023’s greatest achievements in filmmaking, a confirmed *masterpiece* that will stay in your mind and heart long after the final bell rings. The Iron Claw review
8. A Ghost Story (2017)
7. Lady Bird (2017)
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
To put into words how exhilarating Everything Everywhere All at Once is isn’t easy to do. A film unlike any other, it pushes every filmmaking possibility to the brink in 2022. Many films come and go with the wind, but Everything Everywhere All at Once will be in our culture for years – even decades. The phrase “modern classic” doesn’t apply to films very frequently, but this is one of those instances where it feels justified. Everything Everywhere All at Once review
5. Uncut Gems (2019)
Uncut Gems compounds tension about as well as any movie made in the 2010s. Josh and Benny Safdie announce themselves as filmmakers to keep an eye on moving forward with this grisly thriller set in the world of high stakes sports gambling. Adam Sandler and Kevin Garnett co-star, along with a supporting cast for the ages. Uncut Gems review
4. Moonlight (2016)
3. Hereditary (2018)
2. Past Lives (2023)
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
1. The Florida Project (2017)
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