Here are the best underrated A24 movies including critically acclaimed, cult favourites and overlooked gems.
WYALAN star rating explained:
- 5 stars – Highly enjoyed and would highly recommend as a must watch
- 4 stars – Enjoyed and would watch again in the future
- 3 stars – Glad I watched it once, but I’ll probably never watch it again
- 2 stars – Watched to the end, but I wouldn’t watch it again
- 1 star – DNF (did not finish)
Acclaimed
Krisha (2016) – [Drama/Family/Experimental]
For fans of: A Woman Under the Influence, Mass, The Celebration
Trey Edward Shults’ debut stars his real-life aunt in a raw portrait of a recovering addict returning home for Thanksgiving. Shot in just nine days, the film premiered at SXSW and earned critical acclaim for its emotional precision. The tension builds in real time, with devastating intimacy.
Locke (2014) – [Drama/Thriller/Minimalist]
For fans of: Phone Booth, Buried, The Guilty
Tom Hardy commands the screen alone in a car for 85 minutes, navigating a personal and professional crisis via phone calls. Directed by Steven Knight, the film is a masterclass in restraint and character study. Critics praised Hardy’s performance, but it remains underseen.
Gloria Bell (2019) – [Drama/Romance/Late-Life]
For fans of: 45 Years, Enough Said, The Wife
Julianne Moore stars in Sebastián Lelio’s English-language remake of his own film Gloria, portraying a woman rediscovering love and independence. The performance is luminous, the tone bittersweet. Critics praised its emotional nuance, though it slipped under the radar.
Obvious Child (2014) – [Comedy/Romance/Coming-of-Age]
For fans of: Frances Ha, Knocked Up, The Big Sick
Jenny Slate stars in Gillian Robespierre’s Sundance breakout, blending abortion, romance, and stand-up comedy. The film was praised for its honesty, humour, and feminist perspective. Slate’s performance is raw and magnetic.
The End of the Tour (2015) – [Drama/Biopic/Dialogue]
For fans of: My Dinner with Andre, Capote, Sideways
Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel star in this adaptation of David Lipsky’s interview with David Foster Wallace. Directed by James Ponsoldt, the film is intellectually rich and emotionally layered. Critics praised its performances and philosophical depth, but it remains a sleeper.
The Humans (2021) – [Drama/Family/Psychological]
For fans of: August: Osage County, Mass, The Father
Stephen Karam adapts his Tony-winning play into a claustrophobic Thanksgiving drama starring Richard Jenkins, Beanie Feldstein, and Steven Yeun. The apartment creaks, the tension simmers, and the emotional weight builds. A24’s first film shot in 4:3, it earned quiet praise.
Showing Up (2023) – [Drama/Art World/Character Study]
For fans of: Paterson, Synecdoche, New York, Frances Ha
Kelly Reichardt’s latest stars Michelle Williams as a sculptor preparing for a show while navigating daily distractions. The film premiered at Cannes and was praised for its observational tone and dry humour. Art and life blur in subtle, textured ways.
More best A24 lists:
Best A24 Films ~ Best A24 Shows ~ Best A24 Horror Movies ~ Best A24 Romance Movies ~ Best A24 Documentaries ~ Best A24 Comedy Movies ~ Best A24 Thriller Movies ~ A24 Drama Movies ~ Best A24 Sci-Fi Movies ~ Best A24 Coming Of Age Movies
Cult Favourites
The Death of Dick Long (2019) – [Dark Comedy/Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Fargo, The Greasy Strangler, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man) directs this small-town mystery about a man who dies under bizarre circumstances. The humour is pitch-black, the twists genuinely surprising. Sundance-premiered and quietly adored by genre fans.
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2018) – [Drama/Mystery/Literary]
For fans of: The Secret Window, The Butterfly Effect, The End of the Tour
Logan Lerman plays a reclusive author whose life unravels across three timelines, haunted by fame and tragedy. Directed by Shawn Christensen, the film divided critics but found a niche audience drawn to its melancholic tone. Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler add emotional weight.
The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017) – [Drama/Western/Justice]
For fans of: True Grit, The Assassination of Jesse James, Hostiles
Bill Pullman stars as a loyal sidekick seeking justice after his partner is murdered. Jared Moshe’s western is elegiac, character-driven, and steeped in frontier melancholy. The film premiered at SXSW and earned praise for its throwback tone.
The Monster (2016) – [Horror/Creature/Drama]
For fans of: The Babadook, A Quiet Place, The Relic
Zoe Kazan plays a mother stranded with her daughter on a forest road stalked by a beast. Bryan Bertino’s emotional horror blends creature terror with family trauma. Underseen but deeply affecting.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017) – [Horror/Psychological/Slow-Burn]
For fans of: The Others, Saint Maud, The Innocents
Oz Perkins’ wintry boarding school chiller stars Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts in a story of isolation and dread. The film gained cult status for its atmosphere and ambiguity. A haunting score and elliptical structure deepen the unease.
Life After Beth (2014) – [Comedy/Romance/Zombie]
For fans of: Warm Bodies, Shaun of the Dead, Dead Alive
Aubrey Plaza returns from the dead in this romantic zombie comedy directed by Jeff Baena. Dane DeHaan plays her grieving boyfriend as things spiral into undead absurdity. The tone is offbeat, the humour macabre.
Under the Silver Lake (2019) – [Neo-Noir/Surreal/Conspiracy]
For fans of: Inherent Vice, Mulholland Drive, The Big Lebowski
Andrew Garfield wanders Los Angeles in search of a missing woman and a hidden code beneath pop culture. David Robert Mitchell’s divisive follow-up to It Follows premiered at Cannes and built a cult following. The rabbit holes are endless.
Men (2022) – [Horror/Allegorical/Surreal]
For fans of: Mother!, The Wicker Man, Possession
Alex Garland’s folk-horror descent stars Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in a village of uncanny menace. Visually bold and thematically divisive, it premiered at Cannes and sparked intense debate. The final act is unforgettable.
Overlooked Gems
The Captive (2014) – [Thriller/Psychological/Drama]
For fans of: Prisoners, Mystic River, The Pledge
Ryan Reynolds plays a father searching for his kidnapped daughter in Atom Egoyan’s icy thriller. Cannes-premiered but received mixed reviews. The tension is slow, the atmosphere chilling.
Ginger & Rosa (2013) – [Drama/Coming-of-Age/Political]
For fans of: Atonement, Lady Bird, The Diary of Anne Frank
Elle Fanning and Alice Englert play inseparable friends in 1960s London, torn apart by politics and betrayal. Directed by Sally Potter and praised for its emotional complexity. Timothy Spall and Annette Bening round out the cast.
While We’re Young (2015) – [Comedy/Drama/Satire]
For fans of: Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale, The Meyerowitz Stories
Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play a middle-aged couple drawn to a younger, hipper pair played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. Noah Baumbach’s generational satire skewers authenticity, ambition, and aging. The laughs are sharp, the discomfort real.
The Lovers (2017) – [Drama/Romance/Comedy]
For fans of: Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Winger and Tracy Letts play a married couple rekindling romance while cheating on each other. Azazel Jacobs directs with dry wit and emotional restraint. The film was praised for its performances and tonal balance.
Woodshock (2017) – [Drama/Experimental/Grief]
For fans of: Upstream Color, Antichrist, The Beach
Kirsten Dunst stars in this dreamlike descent into grief and altered perception, directed by fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The visuals are hazy, the narrative elliptical. Critics were split, but its aesthetic remains singular.
The Sea of Trees (2016) – [Drama/Spiritual/Grief]
For fans of: The Tree of Life, The Fountain, A Ghost Story
Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe star in Gus Van Sant’s meditative drama set in Japan’s Aokigahara forest. The film explores loss, redemption, and existential crisis. Though divisive at Cannes, it found a quiet audience.
Into the Forest (2016) – [Drama/Post-Apocalyptic/Survival]
For fans of: Leave No Trace, The Road, Z for Zachariah
Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood play sisters surviving in isolation after a global blackout. Patricia Rozema’s film is intimate, tense, and emotionally grounded. Underappreciated but quietly powerful.