The Best A24 Movies You Need to Stream Immediately
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Film production and distribution company A24 has established itself as a force to be reckoned within the entertainment space. Over the course of a decade, A24 has already been responsible for a plethora of imaginative, acclaimed, and unforgettable movies. With a hand in everything from Oscar winners like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Moonlight to tense thrillers like Uncut Gems and Civil War, the company has consistently supported independent, forward-thinking filmmakers.
Putting acting talents like Robert Pattinson, Mahershala Ali, and Michelle Yeoh in front of the camera, and directors such as Greta Gerwig and Yorgos Lanthimos at the helm, A24’s offerings continue to garner fans all over the world. We’ve rounded up 20 of the best A24 movies to date—including intense dramas, unexpected romantic comedies, apocalyptic mysteries, and more.
Aftersun (2022)
Director Charlotte Wells made her directorial debut with 2022’s Aftersun, a coming-of-age drama starring Paul Mescal, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance. The film focuses on an 11-year-old girl named Sophie who embarks on a vacation to Turkey with her dad, Calum. Aftersun explores the complicated relationship between father and daughter, who attempt to bond after a period of separation, in spite of the personal problems they have.
Amy (2015)
Multi-award-winning documentary Amy showcases the incredible talent of British singer Amy Winehouse, while also exploring the tragic circumstances that led to her untimely death. The film chronicles her rise to fame, the huge success of her two albums, the troubling side of stardom, and the personal difficulties she experienced—including destructive relationships and health issues such as bulimia, self-harm, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Whether or not you’re a fan of Winehouse’s music, Amy is an intimate portrait of an icon.
Civil War (2024)
Alex Garland’s dystopian thriller stars Kirsten Dunst as photojournalist Lee, who is traveling across a warring United States, documenting the country’s unrest on the way. In Civil War, cavernous divisions have formed between the government and multiple factions of citizens, leading to violence, destruction, and fear. En route to interview the president, Lee and her colleagues contend with threats, both physical and existential.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by filmmaking team Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner, took the world by storm. Spanning a multitude of genres, the movie follows Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh), whose IRS audit takes an unexpected turn involving parallel universes and an evil force intent on destroying the world. Yeoh stars alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan in the unmissable movie, which took home seven Oscars.
Lady Bird (2017)
Before 2019’s Little Women and 2023’s Barbie, Greta Gerwig established herself as an impressive directorial talent with 2017’s Lady Bird, starring Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet. The dreamy coming-of-age drama is set in Sacramento in the early 2000s, and explores the tense relationship between Christine/Lady Bird (Ronan) and her mom (Laurie Metcalfe). This relatable teenage story focuses on what it’s like to be a young person frustrated by your surroundings and searching for an escape.
Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster’s follow-up to the equally terrifying Hereditary stars Florence Pugh as a young woman who travels to Sweden with her terrible boyfriend and his friends to attend a midsummer festival. Following the loss of her entire family, Dani is in a fragile place, but embraces the chance to immerse herself in a different country. However, something feels off about the commune they’re staying at, and it soon becomes clear that its residents have some…unique beliefs.
Minari (2020)
Writer-director Lee Isaac Chung drew inspiration from his own life for Minari, which tells the story of the Yi family, who leave South Korea for Arkansas in the 1980s. As the family attempts to build a life in their new country, they face tragedies and difficulties. Costarring Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, and Youn Yuh-jung, the movie received six Academy Award nominations, with Youn becoming the very first Korean to take home an Oscar for acting.
Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight took home three Academy Awards, including the coveted Best Picture Oscar, beating La La Land in dramatic fashion. Based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s semi-autobiographical play, Moonlight tracks the life of a young man as he deals with complicated familial relationships, emotional and physical abuse, and his own sexuality. Featuring incredible performances by Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, and Janelle Monáe, Moonlight has rightfully been declared a masterpiece.
Obvious Child (2014)
Gillian Robespierre’s directorial debut is a love letter to abortion access if there ever were one. Jenny Slate stars as Donna, a heartbroken bookstore worker and comedian who accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night stand with Max (Jake Lacy), a man she meets at a bar. Combining elements of romantic comedy with discussions about the essentiality of abortion access, Obvious Child is an important movie, particularly at a time when women’s rights are under threat.
Past Lives (2023)
Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro star in Celine Song’s Past Lives, a romantic drama partially based on her own life experiences. Childhood sweethearts Nora and Hae are separated when Nora’s family leaves South Korea for Canada. Over the course of more than 20 years, Nora and Hae make intermittent contact with one another, and when they eventually meet face to face, she is married to an American named Arthur.
Priscilla (2023)
Based on Priscilla Presley’s book Elvis and Me, which tells the story of her romance with and marriage to rock ’n’ roll legend Elvis Presley, Priscilla is a delicate portrayal of a complex relationship. Cailee Spaeny takes on the role of Priscilla, a young girl who meets a 24-year-old Elvis (Jacob Elordi) when she is just 14 years old. Directed by Sofia Coppola, Priscilla tackles the darker side of Elvis’s life and relationships, and finally takes an honest look at the predatory nature of one of pop culture’s most famous romances.
Room (2015)
Based on the best-selling novel by author Emma Donoghue, who also penned the screenplay, Room is a taut and disturbing thriller starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. The movie tells the story of a woman who has been kidnapped and held captive by a man for seven years, giving birth to his son in the tiny prison constructed to keep them from getting away. The claustrophobic drama explores the longevity of trauma, and the terrifying escape attempts made by mother and son.
Talk to Me (2022)
Australian horror movie Talk to Me is not for the faint of heart. A group of bored teenagers attend a party at which a severed hand is the main attraction. One by one, the teens take part in a supernatural ritual, in which they hold the embalmed and seriously gross hand and utter the phrase, “Talk to me.” Each time, the person is overtaken by a creepy and often grotesque spirit, and it’s not long before the afterlife is infecting everyone’s day-to-day. You’ll be sleeping with the lights on long after the credits roll.
The Farewell (2019)
In The Farewell, Awkwafina stars as Billi Wang, a Chinese American woman whose family reunites when her grandmother Nai Nai is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The family decides to conceal Nai Nai's illness from her, using a number of conceits to explain their decision to stage an impromptu reunion. Written and directed by Lulu Wang, The Farewell won several high-profile awards, with Awkwafina winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards for her performance.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson star in Sean Durkin’s biographical drama about real-life wrestling family the Von Erichs. Raised in the world of professional wrestling, Fritz Von Erich’s sons follow in his footsteps, both finding success and meeting immense tragedy in the process. Taking place throughout the 1980s and ’90s, The Iron Claw explores the so-called “Von Erich curse” and the devastating events that led to the term being coined.
The Lobster (2015)
Yorgos Lanthimos directs this bizarre black comedy starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman. Following the breakdown of his marriage, David (Farrell) moves into a hotel for single people, which has some very strange stipulations: If residents don’t find love with another person within 45 days of moving in, they will turn into animals. While the deadline can be extended under certain circumstances, the pressure is on to find a partner and avoid a lifetime void of humanity.
The Witch (2015)
Anya Taylor-Joy made her feature film debut in Robert Eggers’s The Witch, a foreboding folk horror story about a Puritan family in New England in the 1630s. After being banished from the main settlement, the family starts to experience strange occurrences, including the mysterious disappearance of one of their children. It soon transpires that a witch lives in the woods near their farm, and satanic panic ensues.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Loosely based on the book of the same name by Martin Amis, Jonathan Glazer’s adaptation takes place in the “zone of interest,” an area lived in by Nazi SS officers and their families on the land surrounding the concentration camp Auschwitz. The movie examines what the lives of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his family may have been like, as they resided next door to the grievous death camp.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Josh and Benny Safdie’s New York crime thriller netted a ton of acclaim upon release, and it’s easy to see why. Adam Sandler stars as a Jewish-American jeweler with an unfortunate gambling addiction, who ends up in a race against time to retrieve a priceless gem he hopes can solve his problems. Costarring LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, and Idina Menzel, Uncut Gems will have you on the edge of your seat, screaming that Sandler should have been nominated for an Oscar. No, really.
Zola (2020)
Zola is based on a series of tweets by Aziah “Zola” King, which went viral because of the wild story they told. In the movie, waitress and stripper Zola (Taylour Paige) is invited on a weekend road trip to Tampa by fellow stripper Stefani (Riley Keough), who claims they can make a lot of money. Their plans almost immediately descend into chaos, thanks to the presence of Stefani’s boyfriend (Nicholas Braun) and her so-called “roommate” X (Colman Domingo). An unmissable crime caper.
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