Last Sunday, Variety ranked the 35 best films from the production company A24. Over the past five years, A24 has gained steam as they’ve produced and distributed more indie style films with big stars, rising directors and lower budgets like Uncut Gems, The Zone of Interest and Best Picture winning Everything Everywhere All At Once.
While A24 plays a fantastic role in the world of movies and gives new directors a shot to showcase their films to a large audience, there is one issue that should be addressed with A24. Film fans look at A24 films as a genre of film. People will say “It feels like an A24 film“, but it doesn’t make sense as it’s not a genre. A24 spans a wide variety of flicks that they distribute and produce. From a Holocaust drama like The Zone of Interest to a coming-of-age film like Lady Bird to instant horror classics like Hereditary, A24 proves it’s not a genre of film. Once people stop doing that, then we’ll see people stop calling A24 fans insufferable.
Nevertheless, I’m not here to educate people on the proper way to discuss A24 films. I’m here to breakdown Variety’s rankings of A24’s 35 best films.
The Rankings
35. Midsommar (2019) dir. Ari Aster
There are a lot of people who are fans of Midsommar. I’m not one of those people. I love Hereditary, but Midsommar falls flat on many fronts for me and it starts with the pacing. The usage of methodical pacing in Hereditary works perfectly, but makes Midsommar a monotonous slog. It was ambitious for Aster to direct a daylight horror film. It just didn’t work for me.
33. Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells
Aftersun should be higher up on this list. Wells explores depression and poor coping mechanisms so well in Aftersun that you never fully understand that Mescal’s character is in the midst of a mental health crisis while being with his daughter. It’s a beautiful film that solidifies itself as one of the best of the 2020s.
30. The Bling Ring (2013) dir. Sofia Coppola
I just watched The Bling Ring for the first time and frankly, I think it stinks. Stylistically it works, but the story isn’t compelling. Not that the idea of teens stealing from celebrities isn’t compelling, but when they’re as pompous and entitled as the characters we see in The Bling Ring, it becomes an annoyance. Coppola is a good director, but The Bling Ring isn’t her finest work.
27. The Disaster Artist (2017) dir. James Franco
Much like The Bling Ring, I do not like The Disaster Artist. I know a lot of people romanticize The Room and Tommy Wiseau because he’s charismatic in an awkward way, but it’s not something I’ve ever been entertained by. That’s why I don’t like The Disaster Artist. For some people, the idea works. For me, it doesn’t. I don’t think it’s funny and I think the whole narrative around The Room is played out.
24. Hereditary (2018) dir. Ari Aster
Hereditary should be WAY HIGHER. It’s a modern horror masterpiece from one of the best horror directors working. Whether you like Aster’s films or not, I mentioned I’m not huge on Midsommar, you have to acknowledge his genius. Hereditary is his best film and is one that’s paced perfectly and includes great performances from Toni Collette, Alex Wolff and Gabriel Byrne.
16. Uncut Gems (2019) dir. Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Spoiler alert for when I rank my ten favorite A24 films: Uncut Gems is on top. While being in the top 20 of Variety’s list is nice, I think it’s a brilliant film about obsession and addiction and includes a savvy performance from Adam Sandler. It’s the Safdie Brothers’ magnum opus film and is one of the best of the 2010s. Maybe the best? Who’s to say.
13. Eighth Grade (2018) dir. Bo Burnham
Yes, Eighth Grade is a good film. But I do think it’s overpraised. I understand the angle where people connect to it because of its message about not fitting in in the modern age of the internet, but it feels like a somewhat familiar coming-of-age film. Definitely one of the better A24 films, but I don’t think it should be in the top 15.
10. Past Lives (2023) dir. Celine Song
I saw Past Lives in theaters last summer and it had me blubbering like a baby in a packed Amherst Cinema. The idea of right person, wrong time is a tried and true one in romantic cinema, but the way that Celine Song ties in Korean lore to add depth to this story of lovers who can’t be together makes it a dynamite romantic film with great leads from Greta Lee and Teo Yoo.
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) dir. Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
I’m not here to bash Everything Everywhere All at Once. I just don’t thing that it should be in the top ten of A24 films. In addition, I don’t think it should’ve won Best Picture. Maybe one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time. But again, it’s not a bad movie. A lot like Eighth Grade, I find that Everything Everywhere All at Once is overpraised.
2. Lady Bird (2017) dir. Greta Gerwig
Yes, yes, yes. I whole heartedly agree that Lady Bird deserves to be regarded as one of the best A24 films ever. The coming-of-age aspects from Gerwig coupled with Saoirse Ronan’s lead performance makes this a relatable film for both guys and girls alike who are trying to find their way in the world.
1. Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins
Agreed. I fully agree that Moonlight should have this number one spot. It’s not my favorite A24 film, but it’s in my top five. It melts down coming-of-age, drugs, and sexuality and molds it into a beautiful drama surrounding an individual through the three main stages of his life. It deserved its Best Picture win and all of the flowers that it receives.
My Personal Ranking
Honorable Mention: The Zone of Interest (2023) dir. Jonathan Glazer, Red Rocket (2021) dir. Sean Baker
10. Under The Skin (2014) dir. Jonathan Glazer
Glazer’s two contributions to A24, Under The Skin and The Zone of Interest, are extremely different stylistically, but both stand as divisive masterpieces. Under The Skin is a methodically paced science fiction horror flick that bends the brain when you’re watching it. Scarlett Johansson dials in my favorite career performance from her in the role of being a beautiful extra terrestrial that seduces men to a shadowy realm leading to their death. If that doesn’t entice you then I don’t know what will.
9. The End of the Tour (2015) dir. James Ponsoldt
Showcasing the life of esteemed author David Foster Wallace and the interview conducted by David Lipsky, we see a fragile story about life and death and how fragile life can be. It’s a deep dive into mental health and how addiction doesn’t always come in the form of drugs and booze. I find that Jason Segal’s performance as Wallace is one of the best of the 2010s decade. He nails the nonchalant demeanor of the author and displays his underlying issues even better.
8. Good Time (2017) dir. Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
What the Safdie’s do best is making anxiety-inducing films, their first being Good Time starring Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. It’s one of the films that I first watched to get me into cinema and it introduced me to a sub-genre of films that will make you nearly vomit. There are multiple scenes like that in Good Time, but the one that stands out the most is when Pattinson’s character makes out with a teenage girl to distract her from the fact that he’s a wanted criminal. I was doubled over in pain with the anxiety this scene caused. But at the end of the day, I return to re-watch this movie time and time again because it’s great.
7. Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells
When a film explores mental health, I’ve found that the ones that hint around the issue do a better job driving the point home than ones that tell you they’re exploring mental health. In Charlotte Wells’ directorial debut, she skims the surface of masking depression through Paul Mescal’s character. It’s not him moping around, but it’s him being introverted and disconnected from reality. The father-daughter dynamic she directs is beautiful and heartbreaking all at once and it makes for one of A24s best films.
6. First Reformed (2018) dir. Paul Schrader
The visceral rawness of First Reformed from both Schrader behind the camera and Ethan Hawke in front of it is jarring. Schrader’s take on religion is profound as he highlights the evils of it and what its radical nature can lead people to do along with showing the radical ways people act when straying away from their faith. That notion carries through the entirety of the film and culminates in the most radical feat, or at least attempt from Hawke’s character.
5. Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins
For a long while before I watched Moonlight, I thought that there was no way it should’ve won Best Picture over La La Land. While I still prefer La La Land, I understand Moonlight winning. Barry Jenkins combines coming-of-age with the brutal reality of drug usage on a child’s life and the exploration of sexuality. Bringing those aspects together was probably a large task for Jenkins, but the way he tells the story in three parts through the life of Black was masterful.
4. Lady Bird (2017) dir. Greta Gerwig
Similar to the A24 films I’ve grown to like, I went into Lady Bird with the preconceived notion that I’d hate the movie. I was hell bent on hating this girly movie. But I was dead wrong. It’s a great movie that is the pinnacle of modern coming-of-age films. Some have and will try to replicate what Lady Bird is, but there’s nothing like the performance that Saoirse Ronan gives and the direction Gerwig brings that’s gleeful and somber all at once.
3. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2022) dir. Dean Fleischer Camp
A film this cute shouldn’t have made me cry in the way it did. But the relationship between this little shell Marcel and his Nana Connie was moving. That’s probably because I had such a tight-knit relationship with my Nana. Nevertheless, it’s a cute film that doesn’t just rely on the adorable nature of the characters. It’s well written as there’s an adventure aspect of the film with Marcel looking to find his family after they’re all moved away. It’s cute, funny and one of the best films of the 2020s.
2. Hereditary (2018) dir. Ari Aster
I’ve never been a fan of horror films. That was at least until I saw Hereditary. Ari Aster’s feature length debut is haunting in two ways. It’s haunting as it’s terrifying in its spirit driven plot line, but also in the way that Aster breaks down a dysfunctional family riddled with loss and rising feuds. Some would argue that it’s paced slowly, but I find the methodical pacing to be perfect for what this film needs. It pairs beautifully with the sharp score that makes you feel continuously on edge. That’s what you want from a horror film. I have a great appreciation for it as it’s the film that got me into horror.
1. Uncut Gems (2019) dir. Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
The Safdie’s made an anxiety inducing thriller in 2017 with Good Time and then two years later they made a film that was even more daunting with Uncut Gems. Not only does it raise the blood pressure of the viewer, but it showcases the best performance of Adam Sandler’s career. Him playing the slimy jewelry dealer that’s a gambling degenerate was unbelievable. I find this performance to the best of the 2010s decade as it was so opposite of what we’ve seen from in the past. The closest thing to a performance like this from Sandler was in Punch-Drunk Love in 2002. I think it’s A24’s best and established the Safdie’s as a force in the world of cinema.
