A24: Bringing Arthouse Cinema to the Masses
A24 is a production company which produces and distributes artistic indie films into multiplexes for a wide release.
As long as cinema has existed, there has been an independent circuit of cinema existing outside of the mainstream studio system. From the work of Oscar Micheaux and other black filmmakers of the 1920s and 30s to the wave of 1980s and 90s filmmakers that dominated Hollywood, indie films have slowly become more popular in the eyes of mainstream filmgoers thanks to streaming services and smaller companies like Miramax and Focus Features. Now, a new distribution company has been capturing the hearts of cinephiles: A24.
This production and distribution company has been doing at an enormous level what other companies have done before: bringing the art house theater experience to the multiplexes. Before the multiplex culture of the past few decades, there were essentially three kinds of theaters: dirty theaters which played pornographic films, art theaters and cinemas (of varying quality) which played the mainstream Hollywood films.
Dirty theaters and cinemas have a fairly obvious definition but what art theaters do is a very wide definition. Art theaters typically play films that are less likely to get a wider release and this includes foreign films, independently made films, re-releases of older films and midnight B-movies (many currently existing art theaters still have a tradition of showing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”)
While dirty theaters gradually disappeared and cinemas were replaced with multiplexes (with many cinema palaces now playing classic films and having live events), the art theaters were the odd element that remained in limbo. While there are plenty of small cinemas left and art theaters, the mainstream films have now become a part of multiplexes where you are most likely to see the latest studio film.
Theaters like the Normal Theater in Normal, IL continue to showcase classic films while also showing indie art films.
What A24 has been doing over the last decade is either producing or distributing films to these multiplexes that otherwise wouldn’t get a larger audience. This has been massively helpful to up-and-coming filmmakers by giving them a voice so that their films can be more widely viewed and that the filmmakers themselves can gain a larger following. The films of A24 also have smaller budgets meaning artistic freedom is much greater. So if you’re tired of the typical Hollywood blockbuster cliches, then watching a film from A24 might be a welcomed change of pace.
Watching an A24 film is always a really special experience because the filmmakers behind these stories are unafraid to not play by the rules and have a much more raw kind of storytelling. When a fantasy film like “The Green Knight,” which was made for $15 million, is much better in effects, quality and storytelling than “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which was made for $200 million, it’s clear that A24 is much centered on more intricately crafted stories by talented filmmakers with little interference.
The average filmgoer may not go to see these films on the same level as blockbusters but, due to the smaller budgets of these films, they almost always turn in a profit and are frequently critically acclaimed. Not only that, A24 films and other indies have started to gain more recognition from bodies like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This has resulted in films like “Moonlight” and “Minari” winning Oscars and I don’t think that this will end here.
As A24 continues to become more popular and even expanding into television with shows like “Euphoria,” it’s clear that this company will be to the 2010s and 2020s what Miramax was to the 90s. With many more A24 films coming out in theaters and on streaming services like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, I will continue to look for their films to see what new talent is on the horizon.
A24 has given filmmakers from underrepresented groups including racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and women like Gerta Gerwig. Gerwig’s debut film “Lady Bird” was critically acclaimed and garnered Gerwig two Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
For those who wish to explore A24 films, here are some of their best films that I highly recommend.
Under the Skin: Starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien who stalks men throughout Scotland, the film is full of tension and abstract imagery to make this more than an average alien invasion film. Johansson’s performance is nothing short of captivating as she conveys so much with very little dialogue.
The End of the Tour: Starring Jesse Eisenberg as writer David Lipsky, the film is based on Lipsky’s short time spent interviewing acclaimed writer and Champaign-Urbana native David Foster Wallace (Jason Segal) over the course of a few days. Segal and Eisenberg’s conversations are remarkable and the film invigorates a deeper respect for Wallace’s work, especially if you’ve read his amazing work including “Infinite Jest.”
The Lobster: This surreal comedy sees single people have to find their soulmates quickly or else be turned into animals. This film is refreshingly original and unforgettable.
Moonlight: This Best Picture winner shows the life journey of a young black man through three stages (childhood, adolescence and adulthood) of his life as he comes to terms with his demons and his sexuality. In many ways, this was the film that brought A24 to the mainstream and this deeply human and beautiful story is a perfect film to watch to become introduced to A24’s filmography.
20th Century Women: Based on writer/director Mike Mills’ childhood, the film sees a 15-year-old boy (Lucas Jade Zumann) coming to terms with his adolescence and trying to discover his interests and relationships, especially with his best friend (Elle Fanning) and his mother (Annette Benning).
The Florida Project: A film about finding happiness in the face of poverty, the film is set in a motel located in the shadow of Walt Disney World as a six-year-old girl (Brooklynn Prince) and her single mom (Bria Vinaite) try to stay ahead of homelessness.
Lady Bird: A young girl (Saorise Ronan) tries to understand the relationships she has with her mother (Laurie Metcalf) as she lives her senior year of high school, aspires to go to college on the East Coast and tries to get away from her life in Sacramento. Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is nothing short of remarkable and her tender and loving screenplay is expertly crafted in this realistic look at being a teenager.
The Disaster Artist: Inspired by the true story of the making of “The Room,” one of the most enjoyably bad films ever made, the film examines what it means to be an artist even in the face of certain ridicule. James and Dave Franco are amazing as real-life actors and friends Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero and James Franco’s direction is fantastic as he approaches this larger-than-life story with humanity and love.
Hereditary: This creepy, unnerving film about dread gave Ari Aster the platform to be one of the best horror filmmakers to come out of the 2010s as well as make “Midsommar.” The fact that Toni Collette wasn’t nominated for an Oscar shows just how underrepresented horror is.
Eighth Grade: Besides being a hilarious songwriter and comedian, Bo Burnham wrote and directed this coming-of-age classic. It’s not glamorous and it examines how tough it is being a teenage girl in modern America and how teenagers need to have someone to just listen to them. Elsie Fisher delivers one of the best performances of a young actor I’ve seen in recent years in this necessary watch for all teenagers.
The Farewell: This family comedy-drama stars Awkwafina as a young woman who finds out with the rest of her family that her grandmother Nai Nai(Zhao Shu-zhen) is dying. But instead of telling her, the family decides to keep her illness a secret and have a large family gathering celebrating Nai Nai and her life.
The Lighthouse: This modern horror classic dives into the feelings of insanity and isolation that were present in “The Shining.” Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe deliver A-grade performances as two men teetering towards insanity and director Robert Eggers masterfully displays the same great instincts towards horror that were present in “The VVitch.”
Uncut Gems: This exercise in anxiety features a career-defining performance from Adam Sandler as a gambling addict who walks the fine line between winning it all and losing his mind. The Safdie Brothers craft a suspenseful film that is nerve wracking to watch but unable to shut off.
Minari: This excellent family film sees a Korean-American family move to Arkansas to try and start a farm. It’s a tale of sacrifice, compromise and coming together as a family in times of struggle which both farmers and immigrants alike know all too well.
The Green Knight: One of the best fantasy films of the past few years, this modern telling of an Arthurian legend is realistic enough to capture an authentic journey while also showcasing Arthurian fantasy and the beautiful English landscape.
A24 has brought indie gems to the eyes of a wider audience including masterpieces like “20th Century Women.”
