From mind-bending multiverse adventures to heart-wrenching family dramas, A24 has redefined independent cinema. Join us as we count down the films that have cemented this studio's reputation as the home of bold, innovative storytelling. Our picks showcase how A24 continues to push boundaries while capturing authentic human experiences.
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00:00One of the few good memories of my childhood were those summers at Nai Nai's.
00:05They had that garden.
00:07Yeah, yeah, and I would catch dragonflies.
00:11And then we just moved to the States.
00:13Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the best of the best
00:16from the studio-slash-distributor-keeping-cinema-alive-one-masterpiece-at-a-time, A24.
00:22Action!
00:24I did not hit her. It's not true. It's bullshit.
00:27I did not hit her. I did not.
00:31Oh, hi, Mark.
00:33Number 10, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
00:36Just when you thought A24 had done it all,
00:38the studio delivered something completely out of left field,
00:41a film for the whole family.
00:43The title speaks for itself, following a shelled creature with two shoes,
00:47one eye, and a heart that knows no bounds.
00:50I don't want to end up with less than what I have.
00:54I can't make this decision for you, but...
00:56No, you're not. I've already made it for myself. I said no.
01:01What may surprise audiences the most about Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
01:05is its sincerity.
01:06The setup seems bizarre,
01:08and the presence of a documentary crew only adds to the magical realism-slash-surrealism.
01:13Yet the earnest voiceover performances from Jenny Slate as Marcel
01:16and Isabella Rossellini as his grandmother
01:18will make the most emotionally guarded viewers crack.
01:21And if you told me then, many years ago,
01:24that I would have spent so much time in a garden,
01:27I would have said, are you kidding?
01:29You see these ones? You can feel them.
01:32For older audiences, it is a testament to why animation isn't just for kids.
01:37For younger ones, it'll expand what animation can be.
01:41I want to slide down.
01:42Good. I didn't know that that's what you were trying to do.
01:44I thought you were asking me how I can be overwhelming to me.
01:49Number 9. Past Lives.
01:51Longing.
01:52That is the word that best describes Celine Song's past lives,
01:55whether the two main characters are separated by time or physical distance.
02:12Even when they reunite face to face,
02:14both know the closest they'll come to another embrace
02:16is when they inevitably say goodbye.
02:18If there's another word that sums up the film,
02:20it's in-yeon, or fate.
02:22Nora and Hyesoong may seem destined for each other.
02:25With both going down different paths, though,
02:27it simply isn't meant to be, or is it?
02:30Neither will ever know,
02:31which is what makes Past Lives such an emotionally lingering watch.
02:41Even if you find true happiness
02:43with the person you choose to spend the rest of your life with,
02:46you can't shake off what might have been.
02:57Number 8. Room.
02:58Franchises have consumed much of Brie Larson's schedule as of late,
03:01but her best work remains on the indie scene.
03:12She deservingly won the Best Actress Oscar
03:14for her gut-wrenching performance as a captive mother in Room.
03:17Jacob Tremblay is equally extraordinary as a little boy
03:20who knows nothing of the world beyond the prison he was born into.
03:23A more conventional film would end with the mother and son escaping.
03:27Room keeps going, though,
03:29revealing how PTSD can keep a person trapped
03:31even after they've survived hell.
03:34As devastating as Lenny Abrahamson's film can be,
03:36it's ultimately a hopeful experience
03:38about how unconditional love can bring people to find closure.
03:41The setting may be limited, but the story's depth is endless.
04:04Number 7. Ex Machina.
04:05Alex Garland was already an established screenwriter
04:08when he made his feature directorial debut with Ex Machina.
04:11Although produced on a modest budget,
04:13this modern sci-fi classic places among the century's
04:16most seamless visual effects showcases,
04:18even triumphing over the blockbuster competition at the Oscars.
04:26It's what's beneath the surface that makes Ex Machina
04:28a thought-provoking, transcendent experience worthy of Kubrick.
04:32Alicia Vikander is a revelation as Ava,
04:35an AI that blurs the lines between puppet and puppet master,
04:38keeping the audience guessing who's in control
04:41while contemplating what makes us human.
04:53The film played a key role in helping A24 establish itself
04:56as the home for auteur-driven, high-concept projects,
04:59paving the way for Garland to helm one of the studio's
05:01highest-grossing films, Civil War.
05:13Number 6. Lady Bird.
05:14While Greta Gerwig had previously worked behind and in front of the camera,
05:18Lady Bird firmly established her as one of this generation's defining voices.
05:22This coming-of-age story also once again proved
05:25that Saoirse Ronan may be young, but she is the real deal.
05:30What is wrong with you?
05:31Go, go to your room.
05:32I'm not fine.
05:33I didn't raise you like this.
05:34Likewise, Christine Lady Bird McPherson is wise beyond her years.
05:38At least, that's how she views herself.
05:40In reality, she has a lot to learn about life.
05:43Nevertheless, Lady Bird is ready to fly the coop and escape her overbearing mother,
05:47played by the marvelous Laurie Metcalf.
05:50I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.
05:55It isn't until she enters the real world
05:57that Lady Bird looks back with more perspective.
05:59If you're not calling your parents by the end,
06:01you'll be calling somebody telling them to watch Lady Bird.
06:04But I wanted to tell you...
06:09I love you.
06:10Number 5. Uncut Gems.
06:12If good time was a cinematic panic attack,
06:15then the Safdie brothers practically sent their audience
06:17into cardiac arrest with Uncut Gems.
06:19So, uh, I gotta tell you, I'm in a bit of a rush.
06:22I don't have much time because I gotta, I gotta get...
06:25What'd I tell you? I said no water.
06:27Didn't I tell you no water?
06:29We'd say that Howard Ratner is his own worst enemy.
06:32This Jewish jeweler has a lot of enemies, however.
06:35If Howard can't pay them off with cash,
06:37they'll seek more violent means of restitution.
06:40We knew by this point that Adam Sandler could do drama,
06:43but never have we seen him escape into a role like Howard.
06:46I do, I did, I admit it.
06:48I, I, I made a bet,
06:51and guess what?
06:53Here's the thing I hid.
06:55I hid the bet big.
06:57Sandler's natural performance, paired with the film's immersive craft,
07:00makes the audience a part of this anxiety-riddled ride.
07:03As Howard impulsively digs himself deeper into debt,
07:06the audience almost wants to look away.
07:09Yet we can't help but be arrested by every chaotic action on screen.
07:13This is how I win.
07:15Number 4. The Brutalist.
07:17Brady Corbet's magnum opus is the sort of sweeping American epic
07:20audiences rarely see anymore.
07:22And again, you could argue that Hollywood never produced an epic quite like The Brutalist.
07:35Under most circumstances,
07:37a story of this magnitude would have been made for no less than $50 million.
07:42Corbet pulled it off with less than $10 million.
07:45In that sense, the film is a cinematic magic trick,
07:48appearing costlier than it is with awe-inspiring cinematography,
07:51performances every bit as towering as the Herculean production design,
07:55and a runtime that earns all 215 minutes, intermission included.
08:08Just as the film isn't what it seems,
08:10the same can be said about The American Dream.
08:13It's the land of opportunity, but also opportunists,
08:16painting an uncompromising portrait of immigration.
08:21With what?
08:22Well, our crew.
08:24I don't know.
08:26You can't, sir. You cannot do that.
08:28Yes, I can. Yes. Yes, I can!
08:31Number 3. Hereditary.
08:33When it comes to modern horror movies,
08:35you know you're in for something special when the A24 logo appears.
08:39You'll also question what exactly you've gotten yourself into,
08:42uncertain of what insanity awaits.
08:44Oh, God! It hurts so much!
08:47I just need to talk!
08:49Oh!
08:52This is the standard Ari Aster set with Hereditary,
08:55which presents itself as another creepy child movie.
08:59What ensues is a descent into psychological torment
09:02as a mother wrestles with her grief, regret,
09:04and something else lurking in her house.
09:10Jesus Christ, Annie.
09:12It's a film that gets inside your head,
09:14constantly making a second guess if what we're witnessing on screen is real.
09:18Either way, Toni Collette's masterful performance
09:21forces us to feel every ounce of dread.
09:24With one film, Aster and A24 elevated elevated horror,
09:28an endeavor they continued with Midsommar.
09:39Number 2. Moonlight.
09:41Moonlight became the first A24 film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
09:45Its victory was a sign of a changing academy
09:48ready to embrace smaller, more personal stories
09:50that represented those who've been cast aside in the past.
10:01Protagonist Chiron spends his life adapting, conforming, and hiding,
10:05afraid to reveal his true self to the world.
10:08Every time Chiron finds love and understanding,
10:11something holds him back from accepting himself.
10:16Hey, hey.
10:20Chiron puts up a facade as a means of survival,
10:23but it isn't until those defenses break down
10:25that the potential for genuine joy is unearthed.
10:28Watching Barry Jenkins' film, many felt seen for the first time.
10:32For others, it was an eye-opening odyssey
10:34that shined a light on another corner of humanity.
10:37You're the only man that's ever touched me.
10:46You're the only one.
10:48Before we unveil our top pick,
10:50here are some honorable mentions.
10:52The Lighthouse.
10:53Robert Eggers presents the oddest couple.
10:56You're a dog! A filthy dog!
10:59A dog!
11:03The Zone of Interest.
11:05A harrowing example of emotional distance.
11:16Minari.
11:18A family story of loss, triumph, and growing anew.
11:34Eighth Grade.
11:36An all-too-real time capsule of middle school.
11:46Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you.
11:48You didn't...
11:49Sing Sing.
11:50The power of cinema and theater
11:52rolled into one life-affirming tale.
11:55Line.
11:56We sure coulda used you for some serious backup.
12:01Why, we sure could use you for some serious backup.
12:04Yeah, we sure coulda used you for some serious backup,
12:06and then I say, never fear!
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12:26Everything Everywhere All at Once.
12:39Everything Everywhere All at Once
12:41Everything Everywhere All at Once
12:43takes our top spot
12:44not just because it's A24's highest-grossing film to date
12:47or because it won seven Oscars,
12:49including Best Picture.
12:50It's the film that best represents what A24 is.
12:53A studio willing to take chances on ambiguous,
12:57at times borderline bonkers projects
12:59and the artists who conceive them.
13:02Everything Everywhere All at Once
13:10Although a few A24 movies fit that definition,
13:13none are quite like this feat from the Daniels.
13:16As the title suggests,
13:17the film is everything.
13:19A mind-bending sci-fi fantasy,
13:21an absurdist comedy,
13:22a martial arts extravaganza,
13:24a family drama,
13:25and several other genres
13:26all delivered at once.
13:32Everything Everywhere All at Once
13:38Even as the multiverse collapses,
13:40the cast and filmmakers maintain perfect balance
13:42in a film that defies tradition,
13:44embracing the new and bold.
13:50What are your favorite A24 movies?
13:52Do you think this should have been a top 24 list?
13:54Let us know in the comments.
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