20 A24 Movies That Hit Harder Than They Should

The best A24 movies don’t just tell stories; they hijack your emotions, sneak into your brain and refuse to leave. Over the past decade, the studio has turned indie filmmaking into a high-stakes playground that delivers everything from gut-punch dramas to mind-bending thrillers. They’ve even stormed the Oscars, with Moonlight taking home Best Picture and Everything Everywhere All at Once sweeping the night with seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. 

Along the way, directors like Ari Aster, Greta Gerwig and Yorgos Lanthimos have continued to twist genres into strange and unforgettable shapes. And the ride isn’t slowing down: 2025 already has cinephiles buzzing for Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, David Lowery’s Mother Mary and Alex Garland’s Warfare, among others. With so much anticipation building, now feels like the perfect moment to revisit 20 A24 films, in no particular order, that show exactly why this studio has become one of the most thrilling names in modern cinema.

1. MOONLIGHT (2016)

Growing up in Miami isn’t easy, especially when every street corner seems to shape who you’re becoming. Chiron’s life unfolds in three stages: childhood (Alex Hibbert) under the care of the gentle Juan (Mahershala Ali); adolescence (Ashton Sanders) marked by bullying, longing, and self-discovery; and adulthood (Trevante Rhodes), where he faces his identity and desires head-on. Barry Jenkins weaves an intimate yet expansive story, exploring race, sexuality, and masculinity with poetic precision. Relationships sting, small moments of tenderness surprise, and the city pulses with life, guiding every choice and encounter. Chiron emerges as a quietly unforgettable presence, leaving you pondering how lives are shaped by love, loss, and the spaces in between.

2. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022)

What would happen if your laundromat life suddenly demanded you save the multiverse? Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) tumbles through bizarre worlds while managing her frazzled daily life. Her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) surprises with optimism and unexpected heroics, and their daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) also appears as the reality-bending Jobu Tupaki. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert drive this whirlwind of martial arts, absurdity, and heartfelt family drama with relentless energy. Evelyn fights, argues, and questions everything while the universe literally folds around her. Reality twists, genres collide, and surprises lurk in every corner, leaving you grinning at how wildly unpredictable life can get.

3. AFTERSUN (2022) 

Sun-drenched holidays aren’t always what they seem. At a modest Turkish resort in the late 1990s, Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her father Calum (Paul Mescal) drift through laughter, adventures, and quiet conversations. Their days appear carefree, yet beneath the laughter lies an unspoken distance neither fully understands. Charlotte Wells, in her debut, captures these moments with subtle precision, mixing nostalgia with tender melancholy. Mescal conveys the complexities of fatherhood with understated depth, while Corio brings authenticity and innocence to every scene. Fleeting gestures, stolen glances, and unspoken words carry emotional weight, revealing a bond shaped as much by what is left unsaid as by what is expressed. In the end, the story lingers like a half-remembered dream, both comforting and achingly elusive.

4. THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021)

You know a film is worth your time when Dev Patel leads the way, and here he becomes Sir Gawain, a hesitant hero on a surreal quest. Alongside him, the enigmatic Lady (Alicia Vikander) and the formidable King Arthur (Joel Edgerton) test his courage and resolve at every turn. David Lowery’s ambitious direction, combined with Andrew Droz Palermo’s painterly cinematography and Daniel Hart’s haunting score, transforms the medieval tale into something both fresh and timeless. Moments of beauty and danger intertwine throughout Gawain’s journey, as courage, temptation, and moral reckoning converge, making the story feel vividly alive.

5. HEREDITARY (2018)

What if your family’s quirks were actually tiny monsters waiting to strike? After her mother’s death, Annie Graham (Toni Collette) notices grief warping her home into something eerily unpredictable. Her husband, Steve (Gabriel Byrne), tries to stay calm, while their son, Peter (Alex Wolff), juggles guilt and fear, and their daughter, Charlie (Milly Shapiro), delights in unsettling everyone with her bizarre habits. Ari Aster twists ordinary family life into a claustrophobic carnival of tension, where whispers and glances feel almost conspiratorial. The strange little horrors pile up, leaving a lingering, deliciously uncomfortable shiver that refuses to leave.

6. LADY BIRD (2017)

Adolescence is a whirlwind of awkward choices and big feelings, and Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) experiences it all at once. Her senior year in Sacramento pulls her between the desire to leave and the grounding presence of her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), whose love is both exasperating and fiercely protective. At the same time, her first love arrives in the form of Danny (Timothée Chalamet), complicating her path to independence with charm and intensity. Greta Gerwig weaves humour, heart, and nostalgia through everyday moments, making friendships, family friction, and personal victories feel vivid and relatable. Through her sharp observations and tender direction, Lady Bird captures the messy beauty of growing up. The story dances with energy and warmth, leaving a lingering sense of joy and reflection.

7. THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)

Isolation can get weird really fast, especially on a stormy rock in the middle of nowhere. Lighthouse keepers Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) quickly find themselves bickering like an old married couple trapped with no Wi-Fi. Their rivalry escalates amid the island’s oppressive solitude, captured in claustrophobic 1.19:1 black-and-white that makes every shadow feel alive. Dafoe and Pattinson feed off each other, turning insults into performances of barely contained madness. Robert Eggers uses sound, fog, and light like mischievous little saboteurs of the mind. As tempers flare, the ocean starts looking like the saner option.

8. UNCUT GEMS (2019)

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) treats high-stakes gambling like a full-contact sport with zero safety gear. This fast-talking New York jeweller bounces between dodging angry clients, juggling debts, and obsessing over a rare Ethiopian opal he’s convinced will solve all his problems. At home, his wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) has officially had it, while his girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox) happily encourages his reckless schemes. The Safdie brothers orchestrate the chaos like a high-speed symphony, mixing panic, dark humour, and pure audacity. Each deal spirals into wilder bets, blurring the line between genius and catastrophe. Just when you think the chaos might settle, Howard somehow finds a way to make disaster feel thrillingly inevitable.

9. THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)

Who says a budget motel can’t be a kingdom of adventure? At the Magic Castle Inn & Suites near Walt Disney World, six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) fills her days with mischief and imagination. Her mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), scrambles to make ends meet by selling knockoff perfumes to tourists. Across the hall, motel manager Bobby Hicks (Willem Dafoe) keeps a watchful eye on the children’s antics. Sean Baker captures the chaotic charm of childhood with vibrant colours and playful energy. Small victories and tiny rebellions turn ordinary summer days into unforgettable stories. Each scene brims with mischief, warmth, and the bittersweet reality of growing up fast.

10. SAINT MAUD (2019)

Sometimes devotion goes too far, and for Maud (Morfydd Clark), a hospice nurse, saving her patient, Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), becomes an unsettling obsession. As her fixation grows, everyday care twists into something dangerously unhinged, and soon the quiet rooms of the house feel like a pressure cooker. Along the way, Rose Glass fills every corridor with tension, where shadows seem to watch and silence carries weight. Maud’s quirks and delusions collide with reality in ways that are as darkly funny as they are disturbing. Ultimately, the story tiptoes along the line between devotion and madness, leaving you half-amused, half-worried she might start preaching to your houseplants next.

11. MIDSOMMAR (2019)

Even the brightest sun can cast the darkest shadows. After losing her entire family, Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) reluctantly joins her awful boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his friends at a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish commune. Her grief leaves her vulnerable, and soon the group falls into the commune’s increasingly bizarre and violent rituals. Ari Aster, the master of psychological horror following Hereditary, layers bright sun-soaked visuals with creeping tension that seeps under the skin. Pugh navigates fear, anger, and curiosity with striking precision, drawing the audience deep into Dani’s fragile psyche. With every cheerful ceremony twisting into something sinister, the story forces viewers to consider how far devotion can bend before breaking.

12. EX MACHINA (2015)

Ever wondered if your AI might outsmart you while pretending to be polite? Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) is tasked with testing Ava (Alicia Vikander), a humanoid AI built by the eccentric tech genius Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Alex Garland turns a minimalist lab into a playground of tension, where even blinking feels suspicious. As Caleb and Ava’s interactions grow stranger, manipulation and desire sneak in sideways. Each twist makes you question who’s controlling whom, leaving you wary about your smart fridge and maybe your toaster, too.

13. PAST LIVES (2023)

Some films sweep you off your feet; Past Lives politely takes your hand, walks you to the edge of your feelings, and lets you decide whether to jump. Childhood friends Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) are separated when Nora’s family moves from South Korea to Canada. Twelve years later, they reconnect online, only to drift apart again, until fate — or something like it — brings them together in New York. What unfolds isn’t a grand romance but a quiet, aching meditation on the love we keep tucked away in the “what if” drawer. Celine Song’s debut is tender, restrained, and sharp enough to slice straight through nostalgia. It leaves you wondering not just about the lives you’ve lived, but about the ones still waiting somewhere in the wings.

14. MINARI (2020)

What if chasing the American Dream meant planting roots in the middle of nowhere? Minari follows a Korean-American family who swap city life for a rural Arkansas farm, armed with big ambitions and even bigger challenges. Jacob (Steven Yeun) is a father determined to grow Korean vegetables on American soil, while Monica (Yeri Han) wrestles with homesickness and doubt. Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) steals scenes as the unconventional grandmother who arrives from Korea with a suitcase full of surprises and zero filter. Director Lee Isaac Chung infuses every moment with warmth, humour, and authenticity, making the family’s struggles feel both personal and universal. Expect laughter, a few quiet tears, and the surprising belief that a humble herb can carry an entire family’s hope.

15. THE WITCH (2015)

If a 17th-century Airbnb existed, this one would have one star and a warning about “unexplained disappearances. In Robert Eggers’ chilling debut, Puritan couple William (Ralph Ineson) and Katherine (Kate Dickie) raise their children Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), and a pair of unsettling twins on the edge of a 17th-century forest. When baby Samuel vanishes during a seemingly innocent game of peekaboo, suspicion festers faster than crops in summer. Eggers laces the slow-burn horror with period-accurate dialogue, candlelit dread, and nature that feels complicit in the terror. The tension grows so thick you could churn butter with it. After this, a walk in the woods might not feel quite so wholesome.

16. THE FAREWELL (2019)

Family secrets are surprisingly hard to keep when everyone’s nosy and loving at the same time. Billi (Awkwafina) flies to China after learning her beloved Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen) is seriously ill. Her relatives hatch a fake wedding to gather everyone without spilling the truth. Lulu Wang draws from her own true story, balances humour and heartfelt moments, showing how family love and cultural expectations collide in both hilarious and touching ways. Between whispered jokes, awkward hugs, and little acts of rebellion, Billi navigates the chaos with curiosity and heart. Life feels a little brighter, a little stranger, and entirely unforgettable when family is involved.

17. SING SING (2024)

Who knew that behind bars, the most electrifying performances don’t require a stage? At Sing Sing Correctional Facility, John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) discovers the transformative power of theatre. Drawing inspiration from the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, he and fellow inmates, including the hesitant newcomer Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, stage their first original comedy, ‘Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code.’ Greg Kwedar brings this true story to life with empathy and wit, capturing resilience, growth, and the unexpected friendships that flourish in unlikely places. The cast, featuring people with firsthand experience of prison life, infuses every scene with authenticity. Through clever performances, tension, and camaraderie, the film celebrates how creativity can spark change in the most surprising environments.

18. X (2022)

What do you get when a group of filmmakers venture into rural Texas to shoot an adult film? A slasher flick that turns the genre on its head. Maxine/Margaret (Mia Goth) joins RJ (Martin Henderson), Bobby-Lynne (Judy Greer), Jackson (Archer Grantham), and Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) at a remote ranch. Soon, they discover the reclusive owners, Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Brittany Ashworth), harbour deadly intentions. As tension rises, small mistakes escalate into chaos. Ti West mixes suspense, dark humour, and 1970s horror vibes, keeping every moment unpredictable. With danger lurking around every corner, viewers oscillate between laughter and dread, unsure who will survive. The story later expands into a chilling trilogy, with the prequel Pearl revealing the origins of its unhinged villain and the sequel Maxxxine bringing Maxine’s journey to its wild conclusion.

19. THE IRON CLAW (2023)

Behind the spotlight and the spandex, wrestling is as much about family drama as it is about punches. Sean Durkin directs this intimate look at the Von Erichs, where the lives of Kevin (Zac Efron) and his brothers are shaped by their father, Fritz (Holt McCallany), as they train under his guidance while grappling with expectations, rivalry, and personal struggles. Along the way, Pam (Lily James) stands by them, offering support amid chaos. Jeremy Allen White (David Von Erich), Harris Dickinson (Kerry Von Erich), and Stanley Simons (Mike Von Erich) each confront their own battles, blending triumph with tragedy. Through moments of victory, defeats, and brotherly clashes, the story explores legacy, resilience, and what it truly costs to chase glory. It leaves you laughing, wincing, and marvelling at how a shared dream can strengthen bonds while also driving a wedge.

20. The Lobster (2015)

In this world, love isn’t optional—it’s state-mandated. David (Colin Farrell) checks into a dystopian hotel where being single past 45 is a crime. The strict hotel manager (Olivia Colman) enforces bizarre rules, pairing guests or sending them to the woods. In the forest, David encounters a group of rebellious loners, led by the mysterious Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz). Through awkward dances, secret glances, and absurd punishments, the line between absurdity and survival blurs. Yorgos Lanthimos twists dark satire and deadpan humour into a world where desire, conformity, and desperation collide. It leaves you questioning just how far people will go for companionship.

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