There’s movies and then there’s A24. No intellectual property, no superheroes and no cinematic universes. Just a tradition of storytelling excellence.
A24’s track record is enough to make any film buff take notice of their work. Their films are provocative and dramatic. This film studio has done the impossible, they’ve created a style, a unifying brand, from films that all seem so different from each other. Even their horror films are unique.
A24 is one of the most interesting studios working in Hollywood today. They have a huge variety in films and I wanted to explore how A24 knocks it out of the park with nearly every single movie. What exactly makes them unique from other studios and what is an A24 movie exactly?
Since 2013, A24 has produced some of the most interesting and unique films that have been released in theatres.
From a film about people finding a romantic partner and if they fail to do so they get turned into an animal to a film about Daniel Radcliffe playing a corpse. These films, despite how weird they may be, are actually really good. For those who pay attention to critic scores, the companies last few releases have all had higher than 80% which is great. So you have to wonder, how does A24 make such good movies?
Well, let’s meet the founders.
David Fenkel, Daniel Katz and John Hodges founded A24 in August of 2012. These three came from various film backgrounds and they wanted to do something different. Although money is an important factor as it is with any company trying to stay in business, A24 asked if a film was cool or not after seeing it. They were really not concerned right away with how much money a film might make or whether or not audiences will agree with it. They first want to know if the film is cool.
For a production company, A24 does have a certain audience and legitimate fanbase. Despite not doing sequels like other companies, A24 still has dedicated fan culture. So much so, they even have their own merchandise.
Those who have seen A24 films and are familiar with them, we know that they try their best to pick films that are out of the ordinary. But what exactly is an A24 film?
There is not a direct correlation between all of their films but a lot of their movies generally do not have a singular genre.
A24 breech several different genres in film. Hereditary is a drama horror, Spring Breakers is a crime film with comedy thrown in and Lady Bird is a drama/comedy/.
Another thing that sets A24 apart is their marketing, more specifically their trailers. They all offer a unique and intriguing look at the film and they never give too much away, just enough to get you interested.
A24 does care about their audiences despite a rare miss they had with It Comes At Night. It shows in their films and the creators they support. Their philosophy is not to change ideas from creators, it’s to invest in them. A way of business which I hope other film studios can adopt as well.
Let’s talk about A24 horror for just a second. They have a wide range of horror films. An A24 horror film takes chances that no other films ever attempt. When watching one, you won’t find a serial killer with a weapon or a ghost of a creepy dead girl, but instead you’ll find eerie and terrifying worlds. Most of their horror genre films stretch the definition of what is actually horror by unnerving the audience not with monster VFX or a clear evil villain, but a pervasive atmosphere of dread and merciless suspense. A24 uses stunning cinematography and surreal creepiness that makes you feel that something is terribly wrong.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer in particular disturbs audiences with the notion that horror can come out of nowhere and tear families apart.
Hereditary follows in traction of unsettling horror films that use nature and psychological terror punctuated with startling imagery to frighten us in ways we never thought possible.
At the end of the day there really isn’t a through line to A24 films, they don’t focus on a certain genre or a string of franchises but there’s undoubtedly a common thread to their films and that is how A24 focuses on authenticity. Their films have horror and come from creators that have something unique they want to share with the world. A lot of times the film might come from a personal experience they might have had or it relates to one.
Not only that but A24 puts money towards groups and ideas that aren’t typically seen on the big screen . Their Best Picture Oscar winning film, Moonlight, focuses on a gay black man. To see a movie like this, even today, is rare and one that only a production company like A24 (so far) would be willing to support.
So it’s not necessarily the posters or the trailers that all certainly helps them stand out but the commitment to being unique and investing in new creative ideas all while being as authentic as possible
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Sources:
https://www.gq.com/story/a24-studio-oral-history
