Over the past decade, A24 has been massively responsible for redefining modern independent film. As both a distribution and production company, the movies it's brought to the public have been game-changing cinema, simultaneously introducing the world to directors like Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, the Daniels, the Safdie brothers, Greta Gerwig, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Saulnier, and Bo Burnham, while also keeping the yesteryear indie film flame lit with old school maestros like Gus Van Sant, Atom Egoyan, Sofia Coppola, and Harmony Korine.
Whether we're dealing in freakish horror, gripping noir, dreamy drama, or just general chaos and calamity, A24's track record is unbeatable, having now racked up over a dozen Oscar nominations, including a Best Picture win for Moonlight. So with so many amazing offerings to choose from, what's the best of the best when it comes to A24 films?
IGN's Entertainment team has done its darndest, via intricate systems of voting, to whittle this awesome catalogue down to just 24 (get it?) features, ranging from multiversal mayhem to demonic bloodbaths to quirky coming-of-age stories. Sadly, some great flicks just missed the Top 24, but here's what made the grade!
24. First Reformed
Where to Watch: Prime Video Premium, Hulu Premium, Roku Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Ethan Hawke garnered some of the best reviews of his career playing a priest in the midst of both a personal and existential crisis in First Reformed, which was written and directed by Paul Schrader, the writer behind many of Martin Scorsese's finest films, like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Hawke is completely captivating as a haunted man of the cloth in this patiently punishing work about doubt, loneliness, and divine purpose.
23. It Comes at Night
Where to Watch: Free on YouTube, Tubi, Pluto TV, Vudu, and rentable on most other platforms
For a movie about a dystopian future ravaged by a deadly plague, It Comes at Night -- starring Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, and Riley Keough -- plays things slowly, carefully, and with a tight paranoid grip. Written and directed by Waves' Trey Edward Shults, the film tells the story of a family living deep in the woods, safely away from others, who must decide whether or not another family, desperate for food and shelter, is worth breaking their rules for and trusting. It's one of the best examples of the unseen being the enemy and our imaginations feeling like daggers in the mind.
22. Swiss Army Man
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
In their feature film directorial debut, The Daniels -- er, that's Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan -- hit us with the absurd, spellbinding story of a man marooned on an island, played by Paul Dano, who discovers a washed-up corpse that miraculously provides him everything he needs to survive. Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, stupidly rich and doing whatever the f*** he wants, plays a dead guy whose mouth can be used to shoot projectiles, whose farts can be used to propel them both through water, and whose boners can be used as a guiding compass. Swiss Army Man is a tour de force of surreal silliness.
21. The Farewell
Where to Watch: Netflix, FuboTV Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Awkwafina stars in the complex Chinese family dramedy The Farewell, about a young woman who doesn't understand her family's decision to not tell their grandmother she only has a short while longer to live. Instead, they schedule a big family gathering while all holding onto the secret that it will be the grandmother's last time with everyone. It's an absorbing, melancholy look at how younger generations evaluate cultural traditions and what might be considered a "good lie."
20. Mid90s
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
Actor Jonah Hill wrote and directed this terrific teen drama, inspired by his own childhood in the '90s, that follows a 13-year-old boy as he begins hanging out with an older pack of L.A. skateboarders. With a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and a formidable collection of '90s needle drops, Mid90s offers up a complex look at youths of the era, complete with hom*ophobia and misogyny, as an audacious exploration of character and setting.
19. The Florida Project
Where to Watch: Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms.
Another coming-of-age tale ranks in the top A24 list as Red Rocket's Sean Baker directed and co-wrote this stunning 2017 story of a young girl and her single mom, on the cusp of being homeless, living out of a motel room in Kissimmee, Florida - right next to the idyllic majesty of Walt Disney World. The Florida Project features new-to-the-screen (at the time) Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite as six-year-old Moonee and her mom, with Willem Dafoe also starring as the kind and protective motel manager. This harsh look at American poverty. juxtaposed with the wondrous wealth of nearby Disney, is not to be missed.
18. Talk to Me
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
This terrifying feature film debut from RackaRacka twins Danny and Michael Philippou uses "cursed object" horror to showcase grief, loneliness, and addiction amongst bored South Australian teens who begin communing with the dead as a party trick. It's a spare, scary tale that forgoes the usual "here's the rules and origin of the object" -- in this case, a ceramic-encased embalmed forearm and hand -- for a less detailed, more mysterious approach. Talk to Me invokes a sense of dread through an impressive use of sound, practical effects, and meaningful cinematography. All of which is bolstered by powerful performances – most notably a standout turn from Sophie Wilde.
17. Saint Maud
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Paramount+, Epix, and rentable on most other platforms
Saint Maud, from newcomer writer/director Rose Glass, is a disturbing, shocking slice of psychological horror about a Roman Catholic convert who believes it's her holy mission to "save the soul" of the terminally ill former dancer (Jennifer Ehle) she's in charge of caring for. Morfydd Clark turns in an anxious, ace performance as the lead lunatic in this bold, horrific debut.
16. Spring Breakers
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms.
One of A24's first acquisitions was Spring Breakers, a riotous "beach noir" saga from Kids and Gummo's Harmony Korine about four girls who meet an eccentric drug dealer, named Alien, during their spring break and get lured into a diabolical world of narcotics, crime, and violence. Purposefully cast against type, Disney TV stars Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez were joined by Pretty Little Liars' Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine as the young women caught up inside the drug-fueled dubstep domain of James Franco's Alien in this ready-made cult film that crazily combined the vibes of Barbie and Scarface.
15. Room
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
Brie Larson took home the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her harrowing, shattering turn as a woman held captive for seven years in a single room, with five of those years shared with her son (Luca's Jacob Tremblay) who was born in captivity and believes the room they live in is all that exists. Room is a grim, heartbreaking and unforgettable watch that, like many A24 films, is not for the faint of heart. But if you're looking for performances that will floor you, Larson and Tremblay are scarily superb.
14. Under the Skin
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
Another standout from early in A24's catalogue is Under the Skin, from Sexy Beast's Jonathan Glazer, about the journey of an otherworldly predatory being, which takes the shape of a young woman played by Scarlett Johansson (in a mostly silent role), who stalks men outside of Glasgow, Scotland, to consume for their meat. With the rest of the cast new to the screen, and many shots filmed via hidden cameras, this adaptation of Michel Faber's novel is perfectly pared down sci-fi, spellbinding in its simplicity.
13. Eighth Grade
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
Written and directed by Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade follows a shy pre-teen, Kayla (Elsie Fisher), as she struggles with anxiety and yearns for social acceptance during her final week of middle school. Navigating themes of mental illness and the pressures of growing up in the online world, the film channels Burnham's own observations about social media and the health risks involved with existing in front of a constant audience. Casting actual eighth-graders, the story presents an amazingly authentic look at sensitive themes during a fragile time of someone's life.
12. The Lighthouse
Where to Watch: Showtime, Prime Video, and rentable on most other platforms
Robert Eggers' follow-up to his acclaimed debut, The Witch, was a shadowy surreal two-man show starring A24 darlings Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers who get stuck on their island by a storm and descend into madness. The Lighthouse is equal parts horror, thriller, comedy, and maritime mystery. This gripping, lean fable opens itself up to many interpretations, anchored by two leads giving darkly exciting performances.
11. Good Time
Where to Watch: Netflix and rentable on most other platforms
Good Time, from the Safdie brothers, is a frantic and visceral triumph, starring Robert Pattinson as a bank robber who tries to free his mentally disabled brother from police custody. The film represents a critical career high for post-Twilight/pre-Batman Pattinson and still survives, years later, as a sharp, visually-distinctive, commanding crime drama.
10. Lady Bird
Where to Watch: Netflix and rentable on most other platforms
After a decade in the indie scene as an actress and writer (Frances Ha, Nights and Weekends), Greta Gerwig made her solo directorial debut with Lady Bird, a quasi-autobiographical coming-of-age dramedy about a precocious, difficult Catholic School senior (Saoirse Ronan) growing up in Sacramento, resentful of her lower-middle-class standing in the midst of richer peers. Lady Bird is a tremendous tonal triumph, depicting cutting hilarity, stinging honesty, and resounding heart. Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, and Beanie Feldstein co-star.
9. Ex Machina
Where to Watch: Max, (and via Max with Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, and YouTube Primetime). Rentable on most other platforms
By the time 2015's Ex Machina rolled around, first-time director Alex Garland had already made waves in the sci-fi world, having written the screenplays for Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later and Sunshine (and having his novel, The Beach, turned into a Danny Boyle movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio). Ex Machina was a devilish, claustrophobic, controlled burn of A.I. intrigue. Featuring Oscar Isaac as a tech-genius CEO who invites a low-level programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) to his secluded estate to evaluate and test the emotive responses and humanity of a robot he's built (Alicia Vikander), the film is smart, stylish, and spare. Ex Machina slowly slides you into a nightmare of paranoia and dystopian possibilities.
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once
Where to Watch: Showtime, Prime Video, and rentable on most platforms
The newest A24 film on our list is also one of the absolute best. The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once is a rollicking, rambunctious ride through multiversal therapy featuring a career-best Michelle Yeoh, the return of child star Ke Huy Quan, and a breakthrough performance by Stephanie Hsu. Hard to pin down with a brief description, this film is absurd, jaw-dropping, and phenomenally moving... all at once. A smorgasbord for the senses, evoking a vast spectrum of feelings, viewers are, simply put, blown away by this punchy, poignant look at family, fate, and the vast, endless universe of "what if's."
7. The Green Knight
Where to Watch: Prime Video, FuboTV Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Originally meant to open in the summer of 2020, David Lowery's lush and mesmerizing retelling/retooling of the Arthurian legend "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" finally hit theaters in 2021, delivering an enchanting, gorgeous fable about fate, fortune, temptation, and courage. This weird, grimly whimsical tale, starring Dev Patel as King Arthur's nephew, and the only Knight of the Round Table with no heroic exploits to share, is a fever dream of deconstructive fantasy, infusing old lore and myth with modern worries and fears.
6. Green Room
Where to Watch: Hulu Premium, Prime Video Premium, Roku Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
One of Anton Yelchin's final film perfomances came in 2016's Green Room, where he co-starred with Imogen Poots, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat as members of a DIY punk band whose detour takes them to a gig in a remote bar in the woods that they discover too late is a Nazi skinhead club. After witnessing a murder, the band savagely scrambles to survive an entire club of white supremacists who want them dead. Jeremy Saulnier wrote and directed this absolutely berserk and barbaric thriller that will have you clenching anything on your body that can be clenched for a solid 90 minutes. Oh, and this is also your chance to see Patrick Stewart play a Nazi. If that's on your bucket list.
5. Hereditary
Where to Watch: Max, Prime Video Premium, Hulu Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Ari Aster's debut film, Hereditary, is blunt force trauma in arthouse horror form. It begins as elevated psychological terror before leveling you with heavy-hitting hardcore revelations that blow the mind and explode the heart. Perhaps one of the more polarizing films on this list, simply due to the film's third-act insanity, Hereditary is a crucial chapter in the reinvention and revitalization of horror that bridges gaps in fandom and sub-genres. It's shocking, compelling, and -- by all accounts -- defies category. Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne headline this whopper of a scarefest which... we won't say too much about here in case you haven't seen it yet. Because... yeah.
4. The Witch
Where to Watch: Max, Prime Video Premium, Hulu Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Whether you spell it "The Witch" or the stylized "The VVitch," there's no denying the power and persuasion of Robert Eggers' first film. The stark spookiness of this unrelenting, unnerving tale -- which only involves a small wooden house and some woods -- is a prime example of just how impactful horror can be when it's quiet, patient, and precise. Anya Taylor-Joy became an instant star as Tomasin, the oldest daughter of a family that gets targeted by a nearby coven of witches after the mother and father's strict religious beliefs got them all exiled from their 17th Century New England colony. Tomasin’s basically framed and blamed for everything that goes wrong, simply because she’s on the cusp of womanhood, and with that The Witch encapsulates the puritanical hatred of women through the lens of black magic hysteria.
3. Midsommar
Where to Watch: Free on SlingTV, available on Prime Video, and rentable on most other platforms
Director Ari Aster is two for two when it comes to A24 horror bangers. 2019's Midsommar features Florence Pugh as a tragedy-stricken young woman who makes the mistake of traveling to a midsummer festival in central Sweden with a sh*tty boyfriend who secretly wants to end things with her. Once there, the couple and their friends find themselves in the progressively off-putting and alarming grip of a murderous cult that's looking for sacrifices. Midsommar is a frightening, fascinating watch that will leave you with more than a few malignant memories. It's visually stunning, emotionally punishing, and also operates as sort of a malicious break-up movie.
2. Uncut Gems
Where to Watch: Netflix and rentable on most other platforms
After dazzling with 2017's Good Time, the Safdie brothers scored even bigger with 2019's Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, in a rare dramatic role, as a fast-talking gambling addict who races to retrieve an expensive gem he purchased in order to pay off his debts. Overflowing with the filmmakers' trademark energy, anxiety, and unrelenting tension, Uncut Gems -- which marked Sandler briefly stepping away from his Netflix films for his first theatrical release in several years -- is an exhausting but also exhilarating achievement, garnering Sandler his first-ever award for acting after winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. The film also stars Atlanta's Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, and NBA power forward Kevin Garnett as himself.
1. Moonlight
Where to Watch: Max, Prime Video Premium, Hulu Premium, and rentable on most other platforms
Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, which was also the first film A24 co-produced, was the company's biggest victory to date at the time - winning the Academy Award for Best Picture (while also picking up a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Mahershala Ali and the Best Adapted Screenplay prize). Presented in three chapters, representing three stages of life for the main character, Chiron, Moonlight is a juggernaut of dramatic and poetic storytelling, tackling themes of abuse, sexuality, and identity. Bottom line: This is one of the best films of the century and proof that A24 doesn't have to be a rotating carousel of jagged genre films to make its mark. It can also level you with compassionate projects that deal with loneliness and dig deep into the human experience that connects us all.
