Kevin Sheppard
Staff Writer
At some time or another, we’ve all heard someone say the classic line, “Hollywood is completely out of new ideas,” and in a world of movie sequels and franchise reboots at times this idea can be easy to believe. However, within the past few years, there has been a growing company name that’s been centered on proving that very theory wrong. That name is A24.
A24 is an independent entertainment company founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges in 2012. They started small but over the past decade, they’ve grown to distribute some of the most successful and original independent movies of their time.
From traumatic heart-racing horrors like Hereditary and The Lighthouse to slice-of-life emotional dramas like Eighth Grade and The Florida Project, A24 has proven they’re a company that’s not limited by genre. While there is a full sense of variety in each of their releases, spend enough time with their movies and you may start to notice some distinct stylistic choices that make up the A24 aesthetic.
They initially gained industry credibility in 2015 when their films Room and Ex Machina won them their first set of Oscars for the categories of Best Actress and Best Visual Effects. However, undoubtedly their biggest moment came in 2017 when their film Moonlight (which they also had a hand in producing) was nominated for eight different Oscar categories. The film ended up winning three of these awards including the coveted Best Picture category which was notoriously given to the team behind La La Land on accident before Moonlight was announced as the real winner.
The company has had a part in starting the careers of some of the most intriguing filmmakers today. Most notably, the two horror directors/writers, Ari Aster (Hereditary and Midsommar) and Robert Eggers (The Witch and The Lighthouse) have had both their critically acclaimed debut and sophomore release films distributed by the company. They have also gained a reputation for taking risks on movies that no other studio would think to. Famously, the weirdo black-comedy film Swiss Army Man had many walkouts when it premiered at Sundance yet A24 still saw potential in the film and purchased its distribution rights.
Outside of the movie world, A24 has distributed a handful of television shows/specials as well as a brand podcast where they have notable names within the movie industry talk about their general love for the medium. On their website, they have several articles on various topics meant to promote whatever film they have on their release schedule.
So next time you’re mindlessly scrolling through the menu on a streaming platform looking for something to watch I recommend you try an A24 film.
Streaming Guide (All titles are located on Company’s Website)
* = Writer’s Favorites
Netflix
Moonlight (Dramas/LGBTQ)
Uncut Gems (Crime/Drama)*
Lady Bird (Coming of Age/Drama/Comedy)
The Florida Project (Comedy/Drama)*
A Ghost Story (Drama/Fantasy)*
The Disaster Artist (Comedy/Drama)
Good Time (Crime/Drama)
Killing of a Sacred Deer (Drama/Horror)
It Comes At Night (Horror/Mystery)
20th Century Women (Drama/Comedy)
American Honey (Drama/Romance)
The Bling Ring (Crime/Drama)
Showtime (A24 Has Their Very Own Category in the App)
Eighth Grade (Coming of Age/Comedy/Drama)*
Green Room (Horror/Thriller)
Swiss Army Man (Fantasy/Comedy/Drama)
Room (Drama/Thriller)
Hereditary (Horror/Drama)*
Ex Machina (Sci-Fi/Thriller)
The Witch (Horror/Drama)
The Lobster (Drama/Romance)
Tusk (Comedy/Horror)
Under the Skin (Sci-Fi/Drama/Horror)
First Cow (Western/Drama)
Amazon Prime Video
The Lighthouse (Thriller/Drama/Horror)*
Midsommar (Horror/Drama)*
Mid 90’s (Drama/Comedy)
The Farewell (Drama/Comedy)
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Drama)
Under the Silver Lake (Mystery/Thriller)
