The 10 most underrated A24 movies
In a cinematic landscape dominated by big franchises and major studios, the American distribution and production company A24 has been a beacon of hope, encouraging unbridled creativity without restraint. Built on an ethos that encourages the fostering of emerging talents, A24 has introduced such filmmakers as Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Rose Glass and Barry Jenkins to the world.
Ever since the company was formed in 2012, A24 has brought several modern classics to the fold, rejuvenating the cinematic genre with films that upend the cliche. Take Aster and Eggers, who released Hereditary and The Witch, respectively, two slow and steady horror flicks that rely more on intense atmosphere rather than jump scares and carnivalesque cheap thrills.
The company has also seen great success during the awards season, claiming ‘Best Picture’ in 2023 with the Daniels sci-fi movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, who each won separate Oscars for their acting roles. But what about those A24 films that simply don’t get the credit they deserve, pushing the boat out with creative audacity only to reach little public adoration?
Take a look at our list of the ten most underrated A24 movies below, which includes films from the likes of Rose Glass, Yorgos Lanthimos, Sean Baker and David Lowery.
The 10 most underrated A24 movies:
10. In Fabric (Peter Strickland, 2018)
One of Britain’s most eccentric filmmaking talents, Peter Strickland is known for his arthouse oddities, first releasing Katalin Varga in 2009, followed by Berberian Sound Studio in 2012 and The Duke of Burgundy in 2014. His curious 2018 comedy In Fabric may be the most overlooked of his entire filmography; however, his first collaboration with A24 allowined for some ingenious creative flourishes.
Telling the story of a haunted red dress that stalks and kills whoever wears it, Strickland’s film is a callback to Italian Giallo horror with its own dashings of British comedy, turning out quite the A24 gem.
9. Under the Silver Lake (David Robert Mitchell, 2018)
American filmmaker David Robert Mitchell burst onto the scene with the neat 2014 horror flick It Follows. Fans didn’t go as mad for his 2018 follow-up of Under the Silver Lake, however, with the director’s passion project flopping both critically and commercially. Starring Andrew Garfield and Riley Keough, the film tells the story of a young man who becomes obsessed with a young woman and her disappearance.
But, despite the hatred, the film is far more intriguing and densely layered than it appears, boasting some stellar performances and a well-structured screenplay from Mitchell.
8. Bodies Bodies Bodies (Halina Reijn, 2022)
This was a weird one. 2022 was a hell of a year for horror, with Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies being one of the very best of the bunch, largely capturing the imaginations of critics and fans. Yet, for our money, it really didn’t get the love it deserved, telling an ingenious murder-mystery plotline with some of the most promising young actors in the modern industry.
Starring the likes of Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Sennott, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold and Pete Davidson, the film perfectly satirises the paranoia of modern youth, making fun of the TikTok generation with a loving smile.
7. Funny Pages (Owen Kline, 2022)
Speaking of overlooked comedy, Owen Kline’s Funny Pages drew some critical acclaim upon its release in 2022 before it was bizarrely forgotten by audiences across the globe. Likely not helped by its ‘18’ rating, Kline’s hilarious raunchy tale follows Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), a teenage cartoonist who rejects suburban life to pursue his passions no matter how eccentric.
Helmed by the same person who starred as the young boy in Noah Baumbach’s Squid and the Whale, Funny Pages is filled with much of the same comedy and style as the iconic indie director, with Kline creating a film that is fresh, subversive and very funny.
6. The Green Knight (David Lowery, 2021)
Hype for the release of David Lowery’s The Green Knight was very much present throughout the start of 2021, but as the film was rolled out that fans soon discovered that the film was not the epic that the trailer suggested and was more of a moody slow burn. Starring Dev Patel, the film tells the story of Gawain, a knight who sets out on a journey of discovery to find and kill the Green Knight.
A that’s genuinely as old as time, Lowery’s film is a classic retelling of the hero’s journey, updating the classic tale with feverish creativity and an innovative approach to cinematography. The result is something truly captivating.
5. Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh, 2017)
There’s no doubt that Andrew Haigh is one of the finest British directors working in modern cinema, having helmed such greats as 2011’s Weekend and 2015’s extraordinary 45 Years. Yet, for some reason, his slow, atmospheric 2017 drama Lean on Pete got little love, telling the story of a teenager who gets a summer job working as a horse trainer before slowly befriending one of the racehorses.
A tender, emotional drama, Lean on Pete follows the style and tone of Haigh’s previous films and is elevated by fantastic performances from the likes of Charlie Plummer, Amy Seimetz and Steve Buscemi.
4. The Rover (David Michôd, 2014)
There was a point back in the 2010s when the Australian filmmaker David Michôd was considered to be one of the industry’s most exciting talents. Helming the brilliant Animal Kingdom in 2010, he would follow up his efforts with The Rover in 2014, a truly underrated modern western that tells the story of a man who tracks down a gang of crooks after his car is robbed in the dystopian outback.
Led by outstanding performances from Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce, The Rover isn’t the film it appears to be on the surface, which is likely why it has never been showered with praise, being more of a slow, careful study on human survival rather than a wild action flick.
3. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2017)
These days, the Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is known as one of the greatest auteurs in the modern industry, helming 2015’s The Lobster and 2023’s Poor Things. But, our pick for his most underrated movie is most certainly 2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer, an eerie modern re-telling of a Greek tragedy that tells the story of a surgeon who is cursed by the son of a father he mistakenly killed.
With stellar performances from Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Barry Keoghan, Lanthimos’ film is a piece of modern drama bottled as an almost romantic tragedy. It’s a mysterious, absorbing and utterly mesmerising piece of cinema.
2. Saint Maud (Rose Glass, 2019)
Horror is one genre that A24 has dominated over the years, creating such modern classics as Ari Aster’s Hereditary, Robert Eggers’ The Witch and Gaspar Noé’s Climax. But, one film that is glaringly overlooked is 2019’s Saint Maud, by British filmmaker Rose Glass. A dark, dreary and utterly brilliant exploration of modern loneliness, Saint Maud doesn’t need demons, ghosts and the like to keep you up at night.
Telling the story of Maud, played excellently by Morfydd Clark, a pious nurse who is tasked with looking after a terminally ill ex-dancer, Glass’ film is a creepy meditation on existential loneliness and regret set on the windy shores of rainy England.
1. Red Rocket (Sean Baker, 2021)
Forget underrated movies, American filmmaker Sean Baker may be one of the most undervalued directors in the modern industry. With a ton of tender independent movies under his belt, Baker’s first hit came with Tangerine in 2015, which in turn helped him to fund his Oscar-nominated 2017 film The Florida Project. So, logic would suggest that his next film, 2021’s Red Rocket, would receive a sizable amount of publicity. Think again.
Starring the comedian Simon Rex, Baker’s observant modern drama tells the story of Mikey Saber, a down-on-his-luck porn star who returns to his Texas home under the shadow of Donald Trump’s America. Struggling to define himself in the world around him, he meets a young, ambitious girl named Strawberry (Suzanna Son), whom he idolises and deep-down feels great jealousy for.
A hilarious, deeply heartfelt and wonderfully shot movie, Baker extracts a profound truth in Red Rocket that speaks to the cynicism and toxicity that has thrived in contemporary society, highlighting the birth of a new American dream.
