The 7 Best A24 Movies On Max Right Now
Anyone who says the film industry is dying clearly hasn’t considered A24’s impressive contributions to the medium.
Reinventing independent cinema for an entire generation, A24 remains among the most exciting film studios working within Hollywood today, as seen through their numerous award-winning achievements on movies like Hereditary, Moonlight, Uncut Gems, Lady Bird, and the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Rising from a small-time indie film studio into a world-renowned purveyor of unique, narratively astounding movies and TV series, A24 has since become a dependable source of entertainment for viewers across the globe. From suspenseful psychological thrillers to conscious-altering action comedies, here are some of the greatest A24 films currently streaming on Max, ranked in order from worst to best.
7. Heretic (2024)
They say two things people should never openly discuss with either friends or complete strangers are religion and politics. Portraying the former topic with vigor and confidence, Heretic simultaneously succeeds as a claustrophobic horror film and a profound meditation on belief, religion, conformity, and morality. Led by a wondrously cast-against-type Hugh Grant, the finished film further cements A24’s taut grip over the contemporary horror genre, proving once again why the studio is among the most faithful providers of first-rate horror in the modern film industry.
6. A Different Man (2024)
Almost every A24 movie imparts an immediate emotional and/or intellectual response on viewers, but A Different Man is somehow able to slip even deeper past the surface. Punctuated by three memorable performances from Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, and Adam Pearson, A Different Man offers a tantalizing portrait of identity, physical appearance, success, and jealousy when it comes to both creative and romantic relationships. Surprisingly comedic in its main subject matter yet deeply reflective in its foremost narrative themes, it’s a startlingly original dark comedy that lingers on in viewers’ imaginations for days on end.
5. Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
On paper, a romantic thriller set in the 1980s female bodybuilding industry might not seem like a very concrete idea. But as Love Lies Bleeding shows us, there’s plenty of passion and romanticism in the adrenaline-filled weight rooms of an ‘80s gym (along with a variety of more illicit substances as well). A pulp crime drama that feels like an epic cross between the films of John Waters, Quentin Tarantino, and the Coen brothers, Love Lies Bleeding is an inspired romantic epic that balances out its hard-boiled plot points with just enough added surrealism to sustain viewers’ interest throughout.
4. The Lighthouse (2019)
A24 has overseen production on many fantastic horror movies, but for a number of reasons, The Lighthouse stands on its own as an entirely different sort of horror film. Directed by modern auteur Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse draws on a fittingly stylized black-and-white cinematography for its narrative presentation, likening itself to a vintage Universal monster movie from the 1930s and ‘40s. Not only that, but Eggers’ meticulous recreation of 19th century New England vernacular goes a long way in immersing viewers in the film’s historical setting. Ambiguous in all the right places and terrifyingly bleak in its psychological horror elements, it’s a maddening Lovecraftian horror movie that’s equal parts The Shining, Moby Dick, and Jacob’s Ladder.
3. The Iron Claw (2023)
You don’t have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the heartbreaking drama of 2023’s The Iron Claw. A fascinating biopic centered around the wrestling industry’s legendary Von Erich family, The Iron Claw portrays the numerous tragedies that upended the Von Eriches’ lives from the late 1970s up to the early 1990s. However factual its portrayal of the Von Erich brothers’ lives are, The Iron Claw excels first and foremost at exploring the dangers of perfectionism, obsessive competitiveness, and continuously striving to win our parents’ approval, often leading to tragic consequences for all parties involved.
2. Lady Bird (2017)
Before she became one of the most talked-about directors of the current generation, Greta Gerwig was busy transitioning from a career as an underrated indie actor into an aspiring filmmaker in her own right. Making her directorial debut with 2017’s Lady Bird, Gerwig taps into the most complex aspects of young adulthood in the course of her ceaselessly satisfying 90-minute narrative. From the combative relationships we sometimes share with our parents to our constant attempts to reinvent ourselves to fit in among our ordinary high school surroundings, Lady Bird is a coming of age dramedy worthy of John Hughes or Amy Heckerling, securing Gerwig’s place as a promising auteur to watch for in the very near future.
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Quite possibly the most successful A24 release yet, Everything Everywhere All at Once cemented the studios’ place as an indie powerhouse of unparalleled artistic merit. The highest-grossing A24 movie to date, its critical accolades know almost no bounds, leading the film to earn such prestigious awards as the Oscar for Best Picture. At its heart, the Daniels’ career-defining surreal comedy acts as an unorthodox portrayal of family, relationships, and existential meaning in the face of seemingly unbearable personal and professional setbacks. Exploring these subjects through the guise of an absurdist action comedy, Everything Everywhere All at Once has literally everything viewers could want from a multiverse-oriented fantasy flick, from hot dog-fingered spoofs of 2001: A Space Odyssey to hilarious Ratatouille rip-offs featuring singing raccoons and talentless hibachi chefs.
