If you have spent any time browsing movie recommendations online, you have probably seen the name A24 pop up everywhere. Since its founding in 2012, this independent studio has built a reputation for releasing some of the most talked-about films of the past decade. From genre-defining horror to deeply personal dramas, A24 has a catalog that appeals to almost every kind of movie watcher.
Our team has spent months watching, rewatching, and debating the best A24 movies ranked from top to bottom. We considered critical reception, audience scores, cultural impact, and our own personal experiences to put together this definitive list. Whether you are a lifelong cinephile or someone just dipping their toes into independent cinema, this guide will help you find your next favorite film.
Below you will find our top picks, a complete ranked list of 20 essential A24 films, genre breakdowns, hidden gems, and answers to the most common questions about A24 movies. This is the best A24 movies ranked list you will need in 2026.
Table of Contents
Top 10 A24 Movies Quick Picks
Here are the 10 best A24 movies ranked by overall quality, critical reception, and lasting cultural impact. These are the films that define what A24 does best.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) – Directed by Daniels – Tomatometer: 93%
- Moonlight (2016) – Directed by Barry Jenkins – Tomatometer: 98%
- Midsommar (2019) – Directed by Ari Aster – Tomatometer: 83%
- Hereditary (2018) – Directed by Ari Aster – Tomatometer: 89%
- Past Lives (2023) – Directed by Celine Song – Tomatometer: 96%
- Lady Bird (2017) – Directed by Greta Gerwig – Tomatometer: 99%
- The Witch (2015) – Directed by Robert Eggers – Tomatometer: 91%
- Ex Machina (2014) – Directed by Alex Garland – Tomatometer: 92%
- Uncut Gems (2019) – Directed by Safdie Brothers – Tomatometer: 92%
- Minari (2020) – Directed by Lee Isaac Chung – Tomatometer: 98%
These 10 films represent the peak of A24’s output and serve as the perfect starting point for anyone looking to explore the studio’s catalog. Each one earned widespread critical praise and built passionate fan communities.
Best A24 Movies Ranked: The Complete List
This is our full ranking of the best A24 movies ranked from number one to twenty. We included a mix of horror, drama, science fiction, comedy, and thriller films to capture the full range of what A24 does well. Each entry includes the director, release year, key details, and why it earned its spot.
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as Daniels), this film is the crown jewel of A24’s catalog. It won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh. The story follows a laundromat owner who discovers she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to save the multiverse.
What makes this film extraordinary is how it balances absurdist comedy with deeply emotional family storytelling. The film earned a 93% Tomatometer score and a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Across Reddit and Letterboxd communities, it is consistently named the best A24 film of all time. I have watched it three times and found new details with each viewing.
The film grossed over $140 million worldwide, making it A24’s highest-grossing release to date. It proved that independent, auteur-driven films could compete at the highest level of commercial and critical success.
2. Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins directed this intimate three-part portrait of a young Black man growing up in Miami, exploring identity, masculinity, and tenderness across three decades of his life. Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture in a moment that became one of the most memorable in Oscar history.
The film holds a stunning 98% Tomatometer score and earned universal praise for its visual poetry and restrained storytelling. Mahershala Ali won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Juan, a drug dealer who becomes an unlikely father figure. Every frame of this film feels carefully composed, with Jenkins using color and light to convey emotion in ways that dialogue alone never could.
Moonlight was produced on a budget of just $4 million and went on to gross over $65 million worldwide. It proved that quiet, deeply personal storytelling could resonate with audiences on a massive scale. This is the film that put A24 on the map as a serious awards contender.
3. Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster’s second feature film is a daylight horror masterpiece. It follows a group of American college students who travel to a remote Swedish village for a midsummer festival, only to discover the community’s terrifying traditions. Florence Pugh delivers a powerhouse performance as Dani, a woman processing grief while her relationship falls apart.
The film earned an 83% Tomatometer score and has developed a passionate cult following since its release. Reddit users consistently rank it as one of A24’s best films, praising its unique approach to horror that operates almost entirely in bright, sunlit environments. I found the film genuinely unsettling in a way that most horror movies never achieve.
Midsommar grossed $48 million worldwide on a $9 million budget. The film’s influence extends beyond cinema into fashion, art, and internet culture, with the now-iconic flower crown becoming instantly recognizable.
4. Hereditary (2018)
Ari Aster’s debut feature redefined modern horror. Toni Collette stars as a mother unraveling after the death of her own mother, as supernatural forces begin to torment her family. The film is a masterclass in building dread, with Aster using slow camera movements, unsettling sound design, and deeply disturbing imagery to create an atmosphere of pure anxiety.
Hereditary holds an 89% Tomatometer score and is frequently cited as one of the scariest movies ever made. Forum discussions on Reddit and Letterboxd consistently place it at the top of A24 horror rankings. Collette’s performance was widely considered one of the greatest snubs in Oscar history, failing to receive a nomination despite overwhelming critical praise.
The film grossed $80 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, proving that A24 could produce commercially successful horror alongside its art house prestige titles.
5. Past Lives (2023)
Celine Song’s debut film is a quiet, devastating exploration of love, fate, and the roads not taken. It follows Nora and Hae Sung, two childhood friends from Seoul who are separated when Nora’s family emigrates to Canada. They reconnect decades later in New York City, and the film captures the bittersweet tension of what might have been.
Past Lives earned a remarkable 96% Tomatometer score and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo deliver performances of extraordinary subtlety. Across forum discussions, users repeatedly describe this film as one of the most emotionally affecting A24 releases.
Made for just $12 million, the film grossed over $23 million and established Song as one of the most exciting new directors working today. It is the kind of film that stays with you for days after watching.
6. Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut is a warm, funny, and painfully honest coming-of-age story. Saoirse Ronan stars as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a high school senior navigating college applications, friendships, and a complicated relationship with her mother in Sacramento, California.
The film holds a 99% Tomatometer score, making it one of the highest-rated films in A24’s entire catalog. It was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Laurie Metcalf delivers an unforgettable performance as Lady Bird’s mother, capturing the specific kind of love that exists between parents and teenagers who are too much alike.
Lady Bird grossed $79 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, proving that character-driven dramedies could find massive audiences. It remains one of the most beloved and rewatchable films in the A24 library.
7. The Witch (2015)
Robert Eggers burst onto the scene with this meticulously researched period horror film set in 1630s New England. A Puritan family is banished from their colony and builds a farm at the edge of a dark forest, where something sinister begins to tear them apart. Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a star-making performance as Thomasin, the eldest daughter accused of witchcraft.
The Witch earned a 91% Tomatometer score and was praised for its commitment to historical accuracy, including dialogue drawn from actual period texts. Eggers builds terror not through jump scares but through an unrelenting atmosphere of paranoia and religious dread. The film’s final scene is one of the most debated endings in modern horror.
Made for just $3.5 million, The Witch grossed over $40 million and launched Eggers’ career as one of the most important horror directors working today. It also established A24 as a major player in the horror genre.
8. Ex Machina (2014)
Alex Garland’s directorial debut is a sleek, intelligent science fiction thriller about artificial intelligence and manipulation. Domhnall Gleeson plays a young programmer invited to the remote estate of his company’s eccentric CEO (Oscar Isaac) to administer a Turing test to an advanced humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander).
The film earned a 92% Tomatometer score and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a remarkable achievement for an independent film. Vikander’s performance is mesmerizing, capturing the ambiguity of whether Ava is truly conscious or simply performing consciousness. Isaac is equally compelling as the brilliant but morally questionable tech billionaire.
Ex Machina grossed $36 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. It remains one of the most talked-about science fiction films of the 2010s and established A24’s reputation for producing intelligent, genre-bending cinema.
9. Uncut Gems (2019)
Josh and Benny Safdie co-directed this anxiety-inducing thriller starring Adam Sandler in what many consider the finest performance of his career. Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a charismatic but self-destructive New York City jeweler and gambling addict who risks everything on a rare Ethiopian opal and a high-stakes NBA bet.
The film holds a 92% Tomatometer score but is infamous for the significant gap between critic and audience reactions. On Reddit, users frequently describe the viewing experience as “stressful” and “overwhelming” in the best possible way. The film’s pacing is relentless, building tension through overlapping dialogue, chaotic sound design, and a protagonist who cannot stop making bad decisions.
Uncut Gems grossed $50 million worldwide on a $19 million budget. Sandler’s failure to receive an Oscar nomination became a major talking point during the 2020 awards season, with many critics calling it the year’s biggest snub.
10. Minari (2020)
Lee Isaac Chung directed this semi-autobiographical story of a Korean-American family moving to rural Arkansas in the 1980s to start a farm. Steven Yeun delivers a quietly powerful performance as the father chasing the American dream, while Yuh-jung Youn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the irreverent grandmother Soonja.
Minari earned a 98% Tomatometer score and was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. The film is gentle, funny, and deeply moving without ever resorting to melodrama. I found the scenes between the young boy David and his grandmother to be some of the most authentic family moments captured on film.
Made for just $2 million, Minari grossed over $15 million and became a touchstone for Asian-American representation in cinema. It proved that small, personal stories could carry enormous emotional weight.
11. The Lighthouse (2019)
Robert Eggers’ second film is a hallucinatory psychological thriller shot in black-and-white with a nearly square 1.19:1 aspect ratio. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe play two lighthouse keepers trapped on a remote New England island in the 1890s, slowly descending into madness. The film draws from Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, and maritime folklore.
It earned a 90% Tomatometer score and was praised for its audacious visual style and the committed performances of its two leads. Dafoe delivers extended monologues in authentic period dialect that are mesmerizing to watch. Forum users on Letterboxd frequently cite this as one of A24’s most visually distinctive films.
12. Eighth Grade (2018)
Bo Burnham wrote and directed this painfully accurate portrait of the final week of middle school. Elsie Fisher stars as Kayla, a shy teenager who makes awkwardly earnest YouTube self-help videos while struggling to navigate the social pressures of adolescence. The film captures the specific anxiety of being thirteen with an honesty that few films achieve.
Eighth Grade holds a 99% Tomatometer score, tying Lady Bird as one of A24’s highest-rated films. Burnham, a former YouTube star himself, brings genuine understanding to the experience of growing up online. Fisher’s performance is remarkable for its raw vulnerability.
13. Room (2015)
Lenny Abrahamson directed this adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel about a young woman and her five-year-old son who are held captive in a small room. Brie Larson won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Ma, and Jacob Tremblay delivers an extraordinary performance as her son Jack, who has never known a world beyond their tiny space.
The film earned a 93% Tomatometer score and was nominated for four Academy Awards. What makes Room exceptional is how it shifts perspective, seeing the world through a child’s eyes and making even ordinary moments feel wondrous. It is one of the most emotionally draining and ultimately hopeful films in A24’s catalog.
14. The Lobster (2015)
Yorgos Lanthimos directed this absurdist dark comedy set in a dystopian world where single people are sent to a hotel and given 45 days to find a romantic partner or be transformed into an animal of their choosing. Colin Farrell stars as David, who escapes the hotel and joins a group of loners in the woods, only to discover their rules are just as oppressive.
The Lobster earned an 87% Tomatometer score and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Lanthimos’ signature deadpan humor and unsettling visual style are on full display. The film is hilarious, disturbing, and surprisingly touching, often in the same scene.
15. The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina delivers a dramatic breakthrough performance in Lulu Wang’s semi-autobiographical film about a Chinese-American family who discovers their grandmother has terminal cancer but decides not to tell her. Instead, they organize a wedding as an excuse for the whole family to gather and say goodbye.
The Farewell earned a 97% Tomatometer score and won Awkwafina a Golden Globe for Best Actress. The film explores cultural differences around death and family with warmth, humor, and genuine emotion. It raised questions about honesty and love that stuck with me long after the credits rolled.
16. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
Dean Fleischer Camp co-created and directed this charming mockumentary about a tiny talking shell named Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) who lives in an Airbnb with his grandmother Connie. A documentary filmmaker discovers Marcel and begins filming his daily life, eventually helping Marcel search for his lost family.
The film earned a 99% Tomatometer score, making it one of the highest-rated films in A24’s entire catalog. What starts as a quirky concept evolves into a deeply moving meditation on community, loss, and belonging. It is the kind of film that catches you off guard with how much it makes you care about a small shell with one eye and shoes.
17. Under the Skin (2013)
Jonathan Glazer directed this unsettling science fiction film starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien entity who drives around Scotland seducing and consuming lonely men. The film is loosely based on Michel Faber’s novel and operates more as an art installation than a traditional narrative.
Under the Skin earned an 80% Tomatometer score and has grown in reputation since its release. Mica Levi’s score is one of the most distinctive and terrifying in modern cinema. The film is visually stunning and deeply unsettling, using hidden cameras and non-actors to create scenes that feel disturbingly real.
18. The Florida Project (2017)
Sean Baker directed this vibrant, heartbreaking film set in a budget motel near Walt Disney World. Brooklynn Prince delivers an astonishing performance as Moonee, a six-year-old girl spending her summer running wild while her mother (Bria Vinaite) struggles to make ends meet. Willem Dafoe earned an Oscar nomination for his role as the compassionate motel manager.
The film holds a 96% Tomatometer score and captures childhood joy and adult hardship with equal skill. Baker shoots the film in bright, candy-colored tones that make the poverty-stricken setting look almost magical through a child’s eyes. It is one of the most visually striking films A24 has produced.
19. Aftersun (2022)
Charlotte Wells directed this deeply affecting debut film about a woman recalling a childhood vacation she took with her father at a Turkish resort. Paul Mescal earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Calum, a young father whose cheerful exterior masks a deeper struggle. Frankie Corio is extraordinary as his daughter Sophie.
Aftersun earned a 96% Tomatometer score and was praised for its restrained, impressionistic approach to memory and loss. The film does not explain itself directly, instead building emotion through small gestures, half-remembered moments, and a devastating final sequence set to “Under Pressure.” Forum users on Letterboxd consistently cite this as one of A24’s most emotionally powerful films.
20. Waves (2019)
Trey Edward Shults wrote and directed this emotionally overwhelming drama about a suburban Black family in South Florida dealing with tragedy and its aftermath. The film is split into two halves, the first focusing on a high school wrestler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) under immense pressure from his father (Sterling K. Brown), and the second on his sister (Taylor Russell) as she tries to heal.
Waves earned an 85% Tomatometer score and was praised for its bold visual style and emotionally raw storytelling. The film uses aspect ratio changes, color grading, and a dynamic soundtrack to mirror its characters’ emotional states. It is an intense, sometimes difficult watch, but one that rewards the effort.
A24 Movies by Genre
One of the reasons A24 has become so popular is its willingness to produce films across every genre. Below is a breakdown of A24’s best movies organized by genre, making it easier to find exactly the type of film you are in the mood for.
Horror
A24 has become synonymous with modern prestige horror. Hereditary, Midsommar, and The Witch form the studio’s horror holy trinity, each directed by a filmmaker who has gone on to become a major voice in the genre. Hereditary delivers pure dread through family trauma and supernatural terror. Midsommar reinvents folk horror in broad daylight. The Witch builds slow-burn period horror with historical authenticity. For those looking for something different, It Comes at Night offers post-apocalyptic tension, and The Lighthouse descends into psychological madness.
Drama
Drama is where A24 built its foundation. Moonlight, Lady Bird, Minari, and Past Lives represent the studio at its most emotionally resonant. These films share a commitment to intimate, character-driven storytelling that trusts audiences to sit with silence and ambiguity. The Farewell, Aftersun, and Waves continue this tradition, each exploring family dynamics from different cultural perspectives.
Science Fiction and Thriller
Ex Machina, Under the Skin, and Annihilation demonstrate A24’s ability to produce intelligent science fiction that prioritizes ideas over spectacle. Uncut Gems stands as one of the most intense thriller experiences in recent cinema. These films challenge viewers while still delivering genuine entertainment.
Comedy
The Lobster offers absurdist dark comedy unlike anything else in cinema. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On provides gentle, heartfelt humor. Eighth Grade captures the painful comedy of growing up. A24’s comedy selections tend to blend humor with deeper emotional undercurrents, making them more rewarding than typical laugh-out-loud fare.
Hidden Gems: Underrated A24 Movies You Might Have Missed
While the films in our main ranking get most of the attention, A24 has distributed dozens of movies that deserve wider recognition. Reddit and Letterboxd users frequently mention several titles as underrated, and we agree with many of their picks. Here are the hidden gems worth seeking out.
Good Time (2017) – The Safdie Brothers directed this frantic thriller starring Robert Pattinson as a bank robber racing through Queens to save his developmentally disabled brother from prison. It is faster and leaner than Uncut Gems, and Pattinson is electric. This film consistently appears in forum discussions as A24’s most underrated release.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) – Joe Talbot directed this poetic, visually stunning film about a man trying to reclaim his childhood home in a rapidly gentrifying San Francisco. Jimmie Fails and Jonathan Majors deliver heartfelt performances. The film captures a specific kind of loss that resonates with anyone who has watched their neighborhood change beyond recognition.
A Ghost Story (2017) – David Lowery directed this meditative film starring Casey Affleck as a ghost who watches time pass in the house where he lived with his wife (Rooney Mara). The film is quiet, patient, and strangely beautiful. It explores grief and the passage of time in ways that feel genuinely profound.
Red Rocket (2021) – Sean Baker directed this darkly comedic story of a former adult film star who returns to his small Texas hometown. Simon Rex gives a career-defining performance as the charismatic but destructive Mikey Saber. The film is energetic, funny, and deeply uncomfortable.
C’mon C’mon (2021) – Mike Mills wrote and directed this warm, black-and-white film starring Joaquin Phoenix as a radio journalist who unexpectedly bonds with his young nephew. The film explores parenthood, childhood, and connection with genuine tenderness and some of the best dialogue A24 has ever produced.
What Makes A24 Different From Other Studios
A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges with a clear mission: to produce and distribute films that traditional studios were ignoring. The company took its name from the Italian highway A24 where Katz had a moment of inspiration, and from the beginning it targeted a specific audience of film lovers who wanted something different from mainstream Hollywood fare.
What sets A24 apart is its approach to filmmaker relationships. Rather than imposing creative controls, the studio gives directors remarkable freedom to pursue their visions. This auteur-driven model has attracted some of the most exciting filmmakers working today, including Ari Aster, Barry Jenkins, Greta Gerwig, the Safdie Brothers, Daniels, Robert Eggers, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
A24 also built its brand through savvy social media marketing and a deep understanding of internet culture. The studio’s Instagram account became a cultural force in its own right, creating shareable content that made A24 films feel like events rather than just movie releases. This approach helped films like Midsommar and Everything Everywhere All at Once build massive word-of-mouth momentum.
The results speak for themselves. A24 has produced multiple Best Picture nominees and winners, launched the careers of dozens of important filmmakers, and created a brand identity so strong that many viewers will watch a film simply because it carries the A24 logo. No other independent studio has achieved this level of cultural cachet in modern cinema.
FAQ
What are the top rated A24 movies?
The top rated A24 movies by critical reception are Moonlight (98% Tomatometer), Lady Bird (99%), Minari (98%), Eighth Grade (99%), and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (99%). These five films represent the highest critically acclaimed releases in A24’s catalog.
What is the best A24 movie?
Everything Everywhere All at Once is widely considered the best A24 movie overall. It won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, earned a 93% Tomatometer score, and grossed over $140 million worldwide, making it A24’s highest-grossing film to date.
What A24 movies won Oscars?
A24 films that won Academy Awards include Everything Everywhere All at Once (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay), Moonlight (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor), Room (Best Actress), Minari (Best Supporting Actress), and Ex Machina (Best Visual Effects).
Which A24 films are considered the best?
The A24 films most commonly ranked as the best include Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight, Midsommar, Hereditary, Past Lives, Lady Bird, Ex Machina, and The Witch. These films consistently appear at the top of rankings across Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Reddit, and Letterboxd.
What are the must-watch A24 movies?
If you are new to A24, start with Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight, Hereditary, Lady Bird, and Ex Machina. These five films showcase the full range of what A24 does best: genre-defying storytelling, auteur-driven vision, and performances that stay with you long after watching.
What is A24’s highest grossing film?
Everything Everywhere All at Once is A24’s highest grossing film, earning over $140 million at the worldwide box office. It significantly outperformed the studio’s previous top earner, Hereditary, which grossed approximately $80 million.
Conclusion
The best A24 movies ranked list in 2026 reflects over a decade of auteur-driven filmmaking that has reshaped independent cinema. From the Oscar-winning triumph of Everything Everywhere All at Once and Moonlight to the genre-defining horror of Hereditary and Midsommar, A24 has consistently delivered films that challenge, move, and surprise audiences.
If you are watching A24 films for the first time, I recommend starting with our top three: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight, and Midsommar. These three films represent the studio at its most ambitious, most personal, and most terrifying. From there, explore by genre or dive into the hidden gems section for something off the beaten path.
A24’s catalog continues to grow each year, with new filmmakers bringing fresh perspectives and stories. The studio has proven that audiences will show up for bold, original filmmaking when given the chance. Whether you agree with every ranking on this list or not, there is no denying that A24 has changed what independent cinema looks like in 2026.