In just over a decade, A24 has gone from a scrappy indie distributor to a cinematic powerhouse with a fiercely loyal fanbase. Known for championing bold storytelling, experimental visuals, and emotional depth, A24 films often linger in the mind long after the credits roll. Whether it’s horror that crawls under your skin, dramas that tug at your soul, or surreal adventures that defy genre, the studio has built a reputation for making movies that are anything but ordinary.
But with such a diverse and ever-growing catalog, which films truly stand out in the eyes of fans? From Oscar-winning dramas to cult horror sensations, some titles have risen above the rest to become cultural touchstones. These are the films that get quoted, rewatched, memed, and passionately debated online — the ones that sparked conversations and carved out their own little corner in film history.
In this article, we’ve ranked 15 of the most beloved A24 films, chosen not just for critical acclaim, but for the way they’ve resonated with audiences around the world. These are the fan favorites — the unforgettable, the haunting, the hilarious, and the downright strange.
15. Eighth Grade
Few films capture adolescence with such raw authenticity as Bo Burnham’s directorial debut. Through the eyes of Kayla Day, an anxious teen navigating her final week of middle school, we’re reminded how small moments can feel monumental. Social media, awkward silences, and hopeful YouTube monologues shape her emotional world. Elsie Fisher gives a beautifully natural performance that’s equal parts funny and heartbreaking. Scenes unfold with a cringe-worthy realism that never feels forced. Instead of mocking youth, the film treats it with compassion and understanding. Eighth Grade is a quiet triumph of empathy.
14. Uncut Gems
Panic pulses through every second of this relentless thriller. Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner is a gambling addict teetering on the edge of ruin, charm, and chaos. Set against the gritty backdrop of New York’s Diamond District, the film feels like a sprint from beginning to end. The Safdie brothers use tight camerawork and overlapping dialogue to create constant tension. Every choice Howard makes feels both thrilling and disastrous. Surprisingly, even his most reckless moves evoke a strange sympathy. In a world ruled by risk, Uncut Gems dares you to look away—but you won’t.
13. Ex Machina
From its first frame, Ex Machina invites viewers into a sleek, sterile world pulsing with ethical complexity. A young programmer is brought to a remote estate to test a humanoid AI named Ava. Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander form a tense triangle of curiosity, power, and deceit. The film explores what it means to be conscious—and whether that consciousness deserves freedom. Dialogue-heavy yet suspenseful, it plays like a philosophical thriller. Nathan’s tech utopia quickly reveals itself as a fortress of manipulation. Ex Machina leaves you questioning who was truly in control.
12. The Green Knight
Myth and morality intertwine in this moody, atmospheric reimagining of a classic Arthurian legend. Dev Patel stars as Gawain, a flawed and uncertain knight embarking on a quest of self-worth. Rather than heroic bravado, the journey emphasizes introspection, temptation, and the weight of legacy. David Lowery fills each frame with haunting beauty and deliberate ambiguity. Time flows strangely in this world of giants, ghosts, and riddles. Gawain’s struggle is less about victory and more about facing the truth of who he is. The Green Knight doesn’t provide easy answers—but that’s what makes it unforgettable.
11. The Florida Project
Beneath the shadow of Disney World, this vibrant film explores the magic and heartbreak of childhood on society’s margins. Director Sean Baker captures life at a budget motel through the eyes of Moonee, a mischievous six-year-old bursting with imagination. The contrast between her joyful adventures and her mother’s struggle to survive is both striking and painful. Saturated colors and handheld camerawork bring a sense of immediacy to every moment. Willem Dafoe grounds the film with quiet compassion as the motel manager caught between empathy and responsibility. Despite the hardship, the movie never feels exploitative—instead, it’s full of life and longing. The final scene, sudden and surreal, lingers like a dream you’re not ready to wake from.
10. Waves
Told in two emotionally distinct halves, Waves is a visceral meditation on love, grief, and healing within a Black American family. The first part pulses with energy, music, and rising tension as a teenager’s life spirals out of control. When the narrative breaks, the tone shifts entirely, allowing silence and softness to take over. Director Trey Edward Shults uses color, light, and sound to mirror inner turmoil and emotional release. Performances across the board—especially from Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell—are deeply moving. It’s a film that acknowledges the violence of heartbreak and the quiet power of forgiveness. Few movies are this emotionally exhausting—and this rewarding.
9. Under the Skin
Strange, minimalist, and haunting, this film follows an alien entity—played by Scarlett Johansson—as she seduces and studies unsuspecting men in Scotland. With an eerie score and hypnotic visuals, it feels more like an experience than a narrative. The character’s gradual exposure to humanity sparks subtle, unsettling change. Dialogue is sparse, and meaning is often conveyed through atmosphere and expression. Director Jonathan Glazer blurs the line between fiction and documentary, heightening the sense of realism and alienation. It’s not an easy watch, but its images and themes burrow deep into the subconscious. Under the Skin is unsettling in ways that are hard to describe—and impossible to forget.
8. Swiss Army Man
Absurdity meets sincerity in this wildly original film about friendship, isolation, and flatulence. Paul Dano’s character, stranded and suicidal, discovers a talking corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. What follows is a bizarre, hilarious, and oddly moving survival journey. The corpse, full of life despite being dead, becomes both a tool and a companion. The film uses crude humor to explore profound loneliness and the need for connection. Its visuals are whimsical, its tone unpredictable, and its heart surprisingly huge. By the end, Swiss Army Man makes you believe that even the weirdest stories can be deeply human.
7. A Ghost Story
Minimalist and melancholic, A Ghost Story meditates on time, memory, and the impermanence of existence. After dying in a car crash, a man returns as a ghost—represented by a simple white sheet—and silently observes the world moving on without him. Rooney Mara’s long, unbroken pie-eating scene becomes an iconic portrait of grief. The film rarely speaks, relying instead on haunting imagery and long takes to convey meaning. As decades pass, the ghost lingers, witnessing love, loss, and the erosion of everything he once knew. Director David Lowery dares to make a film about the cosmic weight of letting go. A Ghost Story is as quiet as it is profound.
6. The Lighthouse
Set on a remote island, this black-and-white fever dream pits two lighthouse keepers against isolation, madness, and each other. With every crashing wave and howling wind, tension builds between Willem Dafoe’s grizzled veteran and Robert Pattinson’s tortured newcomer. The film’s language is poetic, archaic, and often surreal, adding to its otherworldly tone. Reality fractures as days blur and myth bleeds into madness. Stark cinematography traps the characters in tight, claustrophobic frames. There’s an eerie timelessness to the story, as if it could be taking place yesterday or a hundred years ago. What starts as cabin fever becomes cosmic doom.
5. Midsommar
Unlike typical horror films, Midsommar bathes its terror in bright sunlight and floral beauty. Ari Aster crafts a slow, surreal descent into madness within a seemingly idyllic Swedish commune. Florence Pugh delivers a haunting performance as Dani, a grieving woman searching for connection. The film’s horror lies not in jump scares, but in its emotional manipulation and creeping dread. As traditions turn sinister, the rituals begin to feel disturbingly logical. Visually, the movie is a kaleidoscope of disturbing beauty—equal parts hypnotic and horrifying. Midsommar asks: what happens when your pain becomes part of someone else’s ceremony?
4. Lady Bird
Right from the opening scene, Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut feels personal and profoundly relatable. Set in early 2000s Sacramento, the film captures the turbulence of teenage life with warmth and wit. Saoirse Ronan’s portrayal of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is both rebellious and vulnerable. Arguments with her mother hit painfully close to home for many viewers. Rather than glamorize adolescence, the film embraces its awkwardness and imperfections. Each supporting character adds texture to Lady Bird’s coming-of-age journey. By the final moments, it’s clear that growing up is less about escaping and more about understanding where you come from.
3. Hereditary
Without warning, this horror film plunges into psychological terror that lingers long after the final frame. Ari Aster’s directorial debut isn’t just about ghosts—it’s about grief, trauma, and the monstrous legacies we inherit. Toni Collette delivers a career-defining performance, unraveling on screen with harrowing intensity. As events spiral out of control, the film traps viewers in an atmosphere of dread. Every detail, from the unsettling score to eerie miniatures, adds to the unease. What begins as a family drama slowly transforms into something far more disturbing and demonic. Hereditary doesn’t just scare—it devastates.
2. Moonlight
Told in three poignant chapters, this Oscar-winning masterpiece traces the life of a young Black man as he grapples with identity, love, and survival. Silence speaks volumes throughout the film, with quiet glances and subtle gestures conveying what words can’t. Barry Jenkins crafts each scene with poetic sensitivity and restraint. As Chiron grows up, the world around him often feels hostile and unforgiving. Yet amid the pain, there are flickers of tenderness and human connection. Cinematography drenched in deep blues and warm glows enhances the film’s dreamlike atmosphere. In the end, Moonlight is a study in vulnerability, longing, and becoming.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
At the core of this chaotic multiverse film lies a surprisingly tender story about family and identity. Rather than follow traditional narrative rules, the movie explodes with absurdity, action, and existential questions. Michelle Yeoh delivers a powerhouse performance that anchors the madness with emotional depth. Viewers are swept from one bizarre reality to another, often laughing one minute and tearing up the next. What sets this film apart is its fearless blend of genres—sci-fi, comedy, drama, and martial arts. Throughout it all, a message about love, connection, and meaning grounds the wild ride. Few films manage to be this ambitious and this intimate at the same time.
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