A24 releases have become a must watch for me. In a world of superhero movies and reboots, I love the originality of the plots. Even the films I’ve rated 3/5 are at least thought provoking. I love how A24 handles dark comedies (Dream Scenario), rom-coms which lean towards drama (Past Lives) and Philip K. Dick sci-fi inspired plotlines (Everything Everywhere All at Once). They have even got me into watching horror like Hereditary and Heretic (despite avoiding them for 25 years).
I’ve gathered the top 30 films ranked by combining the scores from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb to see what I should add next to my watchlist. You can find descriptions of each film below the table. Let me know what your underrated A24 films are in the comments.
| Rank | Title | Year | Rotten Tomatoes | IMDb | Combined Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lady Bird | 2017 | 99% | 7.9 | 88.5 |
| 2 | Marcel the Shell with Shoes On | 2022 | 98% | 7.7 | 87.9 |
| 3 | Room | 2015 | 93% | 8.1 | 87.6 |
| 4 | Aftersun | 2022 | 96% | 7.7 | 86.9 |
| 5 | Past Lives | 2023 | 96% | 7.9 | 86.9 |
| 6 | Minari | 2020 | 98% | 7.5 | 86.8 |
| 7 | The Florida Project | 2017 | 96% | 7.6 | 86.8 |
| 8 | Eighth Grade | 2018 | 99% | 7.4 | 86.7 |
| 9 | The Farewell | 2019 | 97% | 7.5 | 86.2 |
| 10 | Moonlight | 2016 | 98% | 7.4 | 86.0 |
| 11 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | 2022 | 93% | 7.8 | 85.5 |
| 12 | On Becoming a Guinea Fowl | 2024 | 100% | 6.8 | 84.0 |
| 13 | Ex Machina | 2015 | 92% | 7.7 | 84.8 |
| 14 | The Zone of Interest | 2023 | 92% | 7.5 | 83.5 |
| 15 | Good Time | 2017 | 92% | 7.4 | 83.2 |
| 16 | The End of the Tour | 2015 | 92% | 7.3 | 82.7 |
| 17 | First Reformed | 2018 | 94% | 7.1 | 82.5 |
| 18 | Uncut Gems | 2019 | 91% | 7.4 | 82.2 |
| 19 | The Disaster Artist | 2017 | 91% | 7.3 | 82.2 |
| 20 | The Lighthouse | 2019 | 90% | 7.4 | 82.0 |
| 21 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | 2021 | 92% | 7.2 | 82.0 |
| 22 | Hereditary | 2018 | 90% | 7.3 | 81.5 |
| 23 | Pearl | 2022 | 93% | 7.0 | 81.5 |
| 24 | The Smashing Machine | 2025 | 85% | 7.8 | 81.5 |
| 25 | Locke | 2014 | 91% | 7.1 | 81.0 |
| 26 | The Spectacular Now | 2013 | 91% | 7.1 | 81.0 |
| 27 | Heretic | 2024 | 91% | 7.0 | 81.0 |
| 28 | 20th Century Women | 2016 | 89% | 7.3 | 81.2 |
| 29 | Red Rocket | 2021 | 87% | 7.2 | 79.6 |
| 30 | Saint Maud | 2020 | 92% | 6.7 | 79.4 |
Lady Bird
Saoirse Ronan shines as a sharp-tongued teen yearning for escape in this coming-of-age story set in early 2000s Sacramento. The film captures the tension and tenderness between mothers and daughters with uncanny precision. Greta Gerwig, who later directed Barbie, earned Oscar nominations for both directing and writing. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
A one-inch-tall shell with a googly eye and gentle soul becomes an unlikely hero in this stop-motion mockumentary. Jenny Slate voices Marcel with warmth and whimsy, while Dean Fleischer Camp directs with a delicate touch. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars and became a quiet cultural phenomenon.
Room
A young boy discovers the outside world for the first time after escaping captivity with his mother, played by Brie Larson in an Oscar-winning performance. The story unfolds with emotional intensity, balancing trauma with resilience. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank), the film earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Aftersun
A sun-drenched holiday hides emotional shadows in this quietly devastating drama. Paul Mescal (Normal People) delivers a haunting performance as a father whose inner life remains just out of reach. Charlotte Wells’ debut was a breakout at Cannes and earned Mescal an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Past Lives
Two childhood friends reunite decades later, grappling with love, destiny, and the lives they didn’t live. Greta Lee (Russian Doll) and Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave) bring aching sincerity to this cross-cultural romance. Celine Song’s debut earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and was hailed as one of the most emotionally resonant films of the year.
Minari
A Korean-American family moves to rural Arkansas in search of their own version of the American dream. Steven Yeun (Burning, The Walking Dead) leads a cast that includes Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards and praised for its tender, autobiographical storytelling.
The Florida Project
Life unfolds in pastel hues and heartbreak just outside the gates of Disney World, where a precocious girl and her young mother live in a budget motel. Willem Dafoe earned an Oscar nomination for his role as the compassionate manager. Sean Baker (Tangerine) directs with empathy and realism, capturing childhood wonder amid economic hardship.
Eighth Grade
Middle school has never felt more painfully real than in this portrait of a shy teen navigating social anxiety and digital adolescence. Elsie Fisher’s breakout performance anchors Bo Burnham’s directorial debut, which won the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film’s raw honesty struck a chord with audiences and critics alike.
The Farewell
A Chinese-American woman returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to say goodbye to her terminally ill grandmother — who doesn’t know she’s dying. Awkwafina won a Golden Globe for her performance, balancing humor and heartbreak. Lulu Wang’s semi-autobiographical film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and praised for its cultural nuance.
Moonlight
Told in three chapters, this lyrical drama follows a young Black man’s journey through identity, love, and vulnerability. Mahershala Ali won his first Oscar for his role as a compassionate drug dealer, and Barry Jenkins’ direction earned widespread acclaim. The film won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards — a landmark moment in cinematic history.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
A laundromat owner is hurled into a multiverse of absurdity, martial arts, and existential dread — all while trying to finish her taxes. Michelle Yeoh leads a powerhouse cast including Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, with direction from Daniels (Swiss Army Man). The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, making it A24’s most decorated release to date.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
A young woman stumbles across her uncle’s lifeless body on a rural road, triggering a funeral that’s less about grief and more about keeping up appearances. As family secrets bubble to the surface, the film peels back layers of silence, shame and generational complicity with biting humour and surreal flair. Directed by Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch), this black comedy-drama balances trauma and absurdity with a tone that’s both confrontational and oddly tender. Susan Chardy and Elizabeth Chisela lead a cast that dances, mourns and side-eyes their way through a reckoning that’s long overdue. It premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and currently holds a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
Ex Machina
Artificial intelligence meets seduction and manipulation in this sleek sci-fi thriller. Alicia Vikander plays a humanoid robot whose eerie charm unsettles both her creator (Oscar Isaac) and her tester (Domhnall Gleeson). Written and directed by Alex Garland (Annihilation, Men), the film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
The Zone of Interest
Set just outside Auschwitz, this chilling drama explores the banality of evil through the lens of a Nazi commandant’s domestic life. Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin) directs with icy precision, adapting Martin Amis’s novel into one of the most unsettling films of the decade. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes and was nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars.
Good Time
Robert Pattinson sheds his heartthrob image in this gritty, adrenaline-fueled crime thriller. Directed by the Safdie Brothers (Uncut Gems), the film follows a desperate man racing through New York’s underbelly to save his brother. Its kinetic style and moral ambiguity earned it cult status and critical acclaim.
The End of the Tour
David Foster Wallace’s final book tour becomes the backdrop for a quiet battle of intellect and insecurity. Jason Segel surprises with a deeply empathetic portrayal of Wallace, while Jesse Eisenberg plays Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky. Directed by James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now), the film is a thoughtful meditation on fame, writing, and loneliness.
First Reformed
Ethan Hawke plays a tormented pastor spiralling into despair in this austere, haunting drama. Written and directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), the film explores environmental collapse, spiritual crisis, and moral reckoning. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars and praised for its uncompromising vision.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler delivers a career-redefining performance as a manic jeweller addicted to risk and chaos. Directed by the Safdie Brothers, the film pulses with anxiety, neon, and nonstop momentum. Though snubbed at the Oscars, it won Best Actor from the National Board of Review and became an instant cult classic.
The Disaster Artist
The making of the cult classic The Room becomes a comedy of ambition, delusion, and friendship. James Franco directs and stars as Tommy Wiseau, with Dave Franco and Seth Rogen rounding out the cast. Based on Greg Sestero’s memoir, the film won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and became a meta-hit among cinephiles.
The Lighthouse
Isolation, madness, and maritime myth swirl together in this black-and-white fever dream. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe go toe-to-toe in performances full of salt, spit, and Shakespearean rage. Directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Northman), the film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Joel Coen’s solo directorial effort strips Shakespeare down to its starkest bones. Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand deliver commanding performances in a minimalist, expressionist adaptation. The film earned three Oscar nominations and was praised for its visual boldness and haunting atmosphere.
Hereditary
Grief turns grotesque in Ari Aster’s debut horror film, which stars Toni Collette in a performance that many felt deserved Oscar recognition. As a family unravels after a tragic loss, supernatural forces and buried trauma collide. The film helped redefine modern horror and launched Aster’s career as a genre auteur.
Pearl
Mia Goth delivers a twisted, Technicolor performance in this horror prequel to X. Directed by Ti West, the film channels The Wizard of Oz and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? into a tale of ambition and madness. Goth’s monologue became an instant horror classic.
The Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson trades charisma for raw vulnerability in this biopic about MMA legend Mark Kerr. Directed by Benny Safdie, the film explores addiction, fame, and the brutal toll of combat sports. It’s one of A24’s most muscular and emotionally charged dramas.
Locke
Tom Hardy carries this entire film from behind the wheel of a car, unravelling his life over a series of phone calls. Written and directed by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders), it’s a minimalist thriller with emotional heft. The film was praised for its tight structure and Hardy’s magnetic performance.
The Spectacular Now
Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley star in this refreshingly honest teen romance that avoids clichés and embraces emotional complexity. Directed by James Ponsoldt, the film adapts Tim Tharp’s novel with sincerity and nuance. It helped launch Teller’s career and remains a standout in A24’s early catalogue.
Heretic
Two Mormon missionaries enter the home of a charming recluse, played by Hugh Grant in full sinister mode. What begins as polite conversation turns into a theological trap, with psychological horror replacing jump scares. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), it’s a slow-burn thriller with sharp teeth.
20th Century Women
Annette Bening anchors this nostalgic ensemble piece set in 1979 Santa Barbara. Directed by Mike Mills (Beginners, C’mon C’mon), the film also stars Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning in a story about motherhood, feminism, and generational change. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
Red Rocket
Simon Rex gives a revelatory performance as a washed-up adult film star returning to his Texas hometown. Directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Tangerine), the film mixes humor and discomfort in equal measure. A Cannes selection, it’s a bold character study with razor-sharp social commentary.
Saint Maud
Faith and fanaticism blur in Rose Glass’s debut horror film, which stars Morfydd Clark as a devout nurse descending into religious mania. The film earned multiple BAFTA nominations and was praised for its psychological intensity. It’s a chilling portrait of isolation and spiritual obsession.
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