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Every A24 Horror Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

Published 1 week ago22 minute read

The independent production company has developed a reputation for releasing a wide variety of widely acclaimed films, but A24 horror movies remain a highlight for the company. It’s unlikely that any company can claim to have had a bigger impact on the horror genre in the past decade than A24. After putting its name on the map in the 2010s, A24 went on to release several different movies each year, but it remains mostly known for its contributions to the horror genre.

, such as Hereditary, Midsommar, and The Lighthouse. A24 horror movies have revolutionized the horror genre in the post-2010 years, bringing a new era to horror and introducing social and cultural themes that are highly relevant to modern society. When it comes to A24 horror movies, they specialize in both smart and high-brow films as well as bizarre stories that most production companies would never touch.

False Positive
ScreenRant logo

5/10

June 25, 2021

92 minutes

John Lee

Ilana Glazer, John Lee

After difficult struggles with fertility, loving couple Lucy (Ilana Glazer) and Adrian (Justin Theroux) seem to have finally found their potential savior in the charming and world-renowned reproductive specialist Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan). But as their dreams come true and hope transforms into happiness, cracks appear in the façade of normalcy, sending the now-expectant mother into a spiral of suspicion that threatens her grasp on reality.

It's rare to see A24 horror movies called flat, but one of its most widely derided outings came in the form of 2021's False Positive. . Released directly on Hulu, False Positive at first seems like it might be a modern riff on Rosemary's Baby. While elements of that are certainly present, the real truth behind Lucy's (co-writer and star Ilana Glazer) engineered pregnancy is arguably even more disturbing.

Glazer does well in her role, as does Justin Theroux as her husband, and Pierce Brosnan as the malevolent fertility doctor. Unlike most of A24's horror offerings, though, False Positive feels much more derivative of past genre entries, and its story isn't brought to a fully satisfying conclusion. Its Rotten Tomatoes rating is a low 47%. While still interesting, it falls short of the rest of the A24 horror genre offerings.

Sebastian Stan from A Different Man, Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Tuesday, and Mia Goth from MaXXXine

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The wildly consistent and popular production/distribution company A24 has several very exciting projects set for wide release in 2024.

tusk
Tusk

September 6, 2014

101minutes

Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith

Yoga Hosers

When Wallace Bryton interviews an eccentric old sailor, Howard Howe, for his podcast, the old man tells him of a walrus named "Mr. Tusk" who once saved his life. Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there, as Howard's obsession with Mr. Tusk means he has some disturbing plans for Wallace.

Written and directed by renowned filmmaker Kevin Smith, Tusk follows an American comedy podcaster as he travels to Canada for an interview. He quickly becomes the victim of a mad scientist desperately trying to recreate his walrus friend by mutilating people and stuffing them into a walrus suit made of human skin. Kevin Smith’s mind-boggling offering to the horror genre has such a .

The movie almost could have worked well as a serious horror movie or even a compelling episode of a show like Criminal Minds with Cronenberg-like body horror. What resulted was something very polarizing, although Tusk did receive some decent reviews, with critics praising its atmosphere and visuals. It just took many Kevin Smith fans by surprise, thanks to the bizarre take on the genre.

Slice 2018 Movie Poster
Slice

September 10, 2018

83 Minutes

Austin Vesely

Austin Vesely

Slice is a 2018 horror-comedy film directed by Austin Vesely. It stars Zazie Beetz, Chance the Rapper, and Joe Keery. The plot revolves around a small town dealing with a series of murders targeting delivery drivers, with suspicions turning to supernatural elements including ghosts and a werewolf. The film blends humor with horror as the town's eccentric characters come together to solve the mystery.

A horror comedy set in a small town where humans and supernatural beasts like ghosts, witches, and werewolves live together in semi-harmony, the A24 horror movie Slice follows a series of murders that take place at the local pizza shop as their delivery drivers are killed off one by one. When it is discovered that the pizza shop was built on a mass grave in a town that is home to 40,000 ghosts, the employees learn the previous tenants were also victims of murders and set out to solve the crimes.

The , delivering a silly and thoroughly enjoyable experience as Zazie Beets and Chance the Rapper try to track down the killer and bring them to justice. Reviews were average to low, with the positive reviews saying it was "schlock," but still highly original, which goes a long way in horror movies of this type.

The Blackcoat’s Daughter
The Blackcoat's Daughter

September 30, 2016

93 minutes

Osgood Perkins

Girls Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton) are left alone in a Bramford prep boarding school during the winter holidays when their parents mysteriously fail to pick them up. While they experience increasingly strange events at the isolated school, the film shows another story - that of Joan (Emma Roberts), a troubled young woman on the road who, for reasons unknown, needs to get to Bramford as quickly as possible. As Joan gets closer to the school, Kat is tormented by increasingly horrifying visions.

A girls' boarding school closing down during winter break sees two young women left behind while another girl leaves the hospital on her way back to the same boarding school in The Blackcoat’s Daughter. The film is a complicated one, splitting between the three main characters (Rose, Joan, and Kat), and nothing is as it seems until the final shocking twist of the movie when one of them turns out not to be who they claimed they are.

This supernatural psychological horror film is certainly an underrated pick from A24, but the twist leads to a confusing ending that kept the movie's critical acceptance to remain average. , while negative reviews said it relied mostly on its twist ending. However, critics who liked the movie also point out how the twists were set up, rewarding rewatching the film to see the puzzle coming together.

Life After Beth Movie Poster
Life After Beth

August 15, 2014

89 Minutes

Jeff Baena

Jeff Baena

Life After Beth is a dark comedy released in 2014, directed by Jeff Baena. The film stars Aubrey Plaza as Beth, who unexpectedly returns from the dead, and Dane DeHaan as her grieving boyfriend, Zach. As Zach tries to navigate the complexities of rekindling a relationship with his resurrected girlfriend, he discovers unforeseen challenges and complications. The film explores themes of love, loss, and the unexpected consequences of second chances.

, Life After Beth usurps classic zombie lore when a young man whose girlfriend has just passed away discovers that his deceased lover has come back from the dead, with no memory of her death. Unfortunately, though she seems just fine at first, she soon begins to undergo a terrifying transformation. While Life After Beth has its campy, comedic moments, a lesser film dealing with the same story material might have veered too far into the ridiculous.

This A24 horror movie is essentially a ghoulish twist on 500 Days of Summer, which, surprisingly, works quite well. While Life After Beth did not receive the best reviews, it . The cast was a big reason for the movie's success, especially Aubrey Plaza's performance as Beth and both Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly's turns as her hapless parents trying to hide and protect their daughter from the outside world.

Hole in the Ground Movie Poster
The Hole In The Ground

January 25, 2019

90 Minutes

Lee Cronin

Lee Cronin, Stephen Shields

The Hole in the Ground is a 2019 horror film directed by Lee Cronin. The story follows Sarah O'Neill, played by Seána Kerslake, as she and her young son Chris attempt to build a new life on the fringes of a rural town. Their lives take a dark turn after they encounter a mysterious sinkhole, leading Sarah to suspect that her son may not be who he appears to be.

The Hole in the Ground follows a young mother, Sarah, and her son, Chris, as they move to a new town. But, when Chris goes missing in the forest one night, he returns only to start acting strangely, leading Sarah to believe he isn’t her son at all. This suspenseful Irish horror film has some great set pieces in the underground cave and serves as one of the few decent horror films about an actual mythical changeling.

Lee Cronin, who went on to direct the critically acclaimed Evil Dead Rise as his first major studio film after this A24 release, showed his promise with this film.

However, some have criticized The Hole in the Ground as a bit bland and one-note, especially compared to some of A24's other horror movies. Despite this, . Lee Cronin, who went on to direct the critically acclaimed Evil Dead Rise as his first major studio film after this A24 release, showed his promise with this film. The film remains mostly underrated and unseen by cinephiles, but it is a promising start for the filmmaker.

Enemy

February 6, 2014

91 Minutes

Denis Villeneuve

José Saramago, Javier Gullón

Enemy is a psychological thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Jake Gyllenhaal in dual roles as a college professor and his exact look-alike. The narrative follows the professor's unsettling journey as he discovers his doppelgänger and becomes obsessed, leading to a series of surreal and tense encounters. With a mysterious atmosphere and thought-provoking themes, the film explores identity and the subconscious.

The first of A24’s horror movies, Enemy is a surrealist thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam Bell and Anthony Claire. The film follows a schlubby history teacher, Adam Bell, as he discovers a minor actor who looks exactly like him. An adaptation of Jose Saramago’s award-winning novella The Double, , and some feel it is one of the more underrated movies of the 2010s.

and keeps the audience guessing. That said, the ending falls flat, making Enemy a confusing cinematic experience overall. Still, fans who have gotten to know Villeneuve, thanks to movies like Dune and Blade Runner 2049, should check this out. It is evidence that big things would come one day for the director, and it is also proof that A24 helped discover some of today's most innovative and brilliant filmmakers, offering a glimpse into the genesis of their careers.

Beau is afraid movie poster 2
Beau Is Afraid
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7/10

April 21, 2023

179 minutes

Ari Aster

Ari Aster

Beau Is Afraid (formerly known as Disappointment Blvd.) is a new supernatural horror/comedy film from Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar.) Joaquin Phoenix stars as the titular Beau in his older years, as a young man with a strained relationship with his mother. After her death, his return home is marked by strange supernatural occurrences.

Ari Aster made his name with A24 horror movies, as he directed two of the best of all time with Hereditary and Midsommar. However, some felt there was a step down with his 2023 release, Beau Is Afraid. The movie stars who is supposed to take a flight to see his mother but is scared to leave his apartment. When he finally sets out for the trip, everything that could go wrong does, and he ends up abducted by a couple who won't let him leave.

The movie is an abstract look at Beau's mental struggles and a meditation on how self-doubt, fear, and anxiety can almost drown a person if he goes untreated. However, , with many people dismissing the themes and claiming Aster made a self-indulgent and overstuffed film. Phoenix picked up a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.

Men
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6/10

May 20, 2022

100 minutes

Alex Garland

Alex Garland

From director Alex Garland comes Men, a horror film that follows a woman named Harper who seeks a place to rest and recover after being widowed. Arriving at a comfortable and sleepy British village in the country, she expects to find what she needs. What she finds, however, is a disturbing nightmare filled with strange men that seem to be stalking her - and are somehow unearthing painful memories of her past.

The A24 horror movie Men follows the young widow Harper (Jessie Buckley), who decides to take a trip to the English countryside. However, upon her arrival, it seems like someone — or something — is stalking her. Filmmaker Alex Garland (Ex Machina) helmed the movie, and it opened to middling reviews, but there were many positives about Men. The cast wove an intriguing story, and its voyeuristic tone crescendoed into a frenzy leading up to the climactic finale.

That said, , and it was so symbolic that casual audience members had a difficult time deciphering its meaning. Despite this, it won Best Effects at the British Independent Film Awards and both Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear earned nominations at the Critics Choice Super Awards. This was a case where it wasn't Garland's magnum opus, but it did give the filmmaker a chance to do something subversive and innovative, thanks to the brain trust at A24.

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Lamb

October 20, 2015

93 minutes

Ross Partridge

Mel Eslyn, Taylor Williams

Lamb, based on Bonnie Nadzam's novel, follows David Lamb as he navigates personal turmoil after his marriage's end and his father's death. Seeking redemption, he forms an unexpected bond with an eleven-year-old girl, Tommie, taking her on a transformative road trip from Chicago to the Rockies.

Released in 2021, Icelandic horror film Lamb is one of A24's weirder efforts. Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason star as they call Ada, after one of their sheep gives birth to her. As one might expect, this odd arrangement quickly devolves into mania, leading to the eventual reveal of just what exactly fathered Ada.

While considered a bit too strange for its own good, and has deservedly earned widespread acclaim. Iceland submitted for consideration to the Academy Awards, but it was not chosen as a finalist for the award. The only big problem with the film is that many critics and audience members found the subject matter a little too abstract and obscure, but the people who enjoyed Lamb admire it for those same reasons.

Y2K 2024 Film Poster
Y2K
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4/10

March 9, 2024

93 Minutes

Kyle Mooney

Evan Winter

On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy.

In 2024, director Kyle Mooney set out to create with the movie Y2K. The film is based on the entire belief that computer systems would crash when the year 2000 arrived thanks to many operating systems not being set up to understand the difference between 1900 and 2000. People believed it would shut down computers, planes would fall from the sky, hospitals would go black, killing patients, and the world would descend into chaos.

Out of these fears, Mooney created a horror-comedy where the end did come, but in a different way. Computers and electronics became sentient and started killing humans, almost like the cult classic Maximum Overdrive. , the film is a comedic look at an apocalyptic scenario. However, it was still one of A24's mid-range films, according to critics, although it was certified fresh at Rotten Tomatoes.

Bodies Bodies Bodies Key Poster
Bodies Bodies Bodies
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7/10

August 5, 2022

95 minutes

Halina Reijn

Sarah DeLappe, Kristen Roupenian

Bodies Bodies Bodies is a comedy/horror/thriller from 2 AM. When Bee (Maria Bakalova) travels to a hurricane party with her girlfriend Sophie (Amanda Stenberg), they find themselves surrounded by affluent 20-somethings with very different world views. When the party finally kicks off amidst the coming storm, the debauchery leads to a game of "Bodies Bodies Bodies." However, when a power outage occurs during the game, and a murder occurs in its stead, the party takes a turn for the deadly.

Bodies Bodies Bodies sees an ensemble cast in their early 20s planning a hurricane party at a remote mansion. However, just as the party gets going, people start getting picked off one by one. Bodies Bodies Bodies did fairly well in terms of reviews, as the current Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 85% for critics and 69% for audiences. The horror/comedy, and its wit is razor-sharp.

However, some critics didn't feel the same. , and the sluggish setup didn't do Bodies Bodies Bodies any favors. With that said, it was a popular movie for many fans and gained an even bigger audience when it hit streaming, with praise going to its cast, including a surprisingly entertaining Pete Davidson. The film attempted to satirize the upper class, but it didn't always hit on those criticisms and was mostly praised for its slasher aspects.

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Climax

September 19, 2018

97 minutes

Gaspar Noé

Gaspar Noé

Édouard Weil, Richard Grandpierre, Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Eddy Moretti

Climax is a 2018 film directed by Gaspar Noé, featuring a dance troupe whose rehearsal descends into chaos and horror after they unwittingly consume drug-laced sangria. As tensions rise, the group struggles to survive the night and uncover the person responsible for the spiked drink in an isolated setting.

, Climax, features innovative filmmaking techniques, professional dancers with no acting experience, and a surreal, dreamlike quality that makes the whole movie feel unlike anything viewers have seen before. The story follows a dance troupe throwing a post-rehearsal party only to discover that someone has spiked their punch with LSD. What follows is a chaotic, horrifying mess of people trying to cope as they all descend into a highly agitated mental state.

The resulting film is unique, especially among A24 horror movies, but it's truly an exceptional horror experience highlighting the terrors of real life. and was honored at several European film awards ceremonies. While the cast received praise and the director's style was recognized, the movie's over-reliance on violence was often the main critique against its status among other A24 films.

Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed looking intense in Heretic

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Into the Forest

June 3, 2016

101 minutes

Patricia Rozema

Aaron L. Gilbert, Elliot Page, Niv Fichman, Kelly Bush Novak, Sriram Das, Steve Shapiro, Margot Hand, Adrian Love, Jason Cloth, Steven Thibault, Kelly Morel, Allan J. Stitt, Haroon Saleem

Into the Forest, released in 2016, is a post-apocalyptic drama featuring two sisters living in isolation within an ancient forest. As society collapses around them, they must contend with external threats and personal challenges, including rumors of impending doom, intruders, disease, loneliness, and the struggle to survive.

Following two sisters living in a remote home in the woods, Into the Forest explores the themes of family, survival, and making the most out of what you have. Into the Forest takes place in the near future, starring Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood as two young adult sisters, and Callum Keith Rennie as their father, who has moved them into the wilderness in a home he’s built by hand.

The movie is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and atmospheric look at family and survival, and drives home A24's signature style — nicely crafted, slow-burn horror.

But, when a massive, continent-wide power outage leads to a region-wide technological collapse, the siblings have to overcome and survive on their own with only each other. The , and drives home A24's signature style — nicely crafted, slow-burn horror. As an early A24 film release, it has since become mostly forgotten, although critics praised Page and Wood for their performances.

The Monster 2016 Movie Poster
The Monster

November 11, 2016

91 Minutes

Bryan Bertino

Bryan Bertino

The Monster is a horror film directed by Bryan Bertino. Released in 2016, the film follows a mother and daughter, played by Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine, who encounter a terrifying creature after their car breaks down on a secluded road. As they struggle for survival, they must confront their fractured relationship while grappling with the relentless menace outside.

The Monster centers on a mother and daughter stranded on a remote forested road when their car breaks down during a journey to go visit the daughter’s father. However, as the pair waits for a tow truck and ambulance, they begin to realize that they’re not alone out there in the woods as a large black dog-like creature begins to hunt them.

The poignant and heartbreaking depiction of the abusive yet codependent relationship between the mother and daughter is echoed by the monster as they have to overcome their difficulties to survive the night. The movie received critical praise, sitting at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. , praising the atmosphere and the two-actor performance from Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine, who had to carry the entire film on their shoulders.

It Comes at Night

June 9, 2017

97minutes

Trey Edward Shults

Trey Edward Shults

Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, It Comes At Night is a Psychological Horror film starring Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbott. The 2017 release chronicles the fate of a family that attempts to hide in the woods away from society when the world is overtaken by a deadly virus.

It Comes at Night is a post-apocalyptic horror movie about . However, when the family's patriarch discovers a man breaking into their house one night in search of water, the two families end up joining forces to survive, only to discover that the real horror comes from within.

The movie is filmed beautifully and as well as a timely message. Critics praised the movie, pointing out its bare-bones story and ability to create scares based on what isn't shown on the screen. Young star Kelvin Harrison Jr. also picked up a nomination for Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Independent Film Awards. It Comes at Night became one of A24's most popular films thanks to its life on Netflix, where many people rediscovered it.

X
ScreenRant logo

7/10

March 18, 2022

105 minutes

Ti West

Ti West

Director Ti West presents X, a horror slasher film set in 1979 in rural Texas that follows a group of amateur filmmakers attempting to shoot a pornographic film.

One of the most successful A24 horror movies is the Ti West film X. A , X follows a group of people trying to make a porn movie in rural Texas during the '70s. After finding a farmhouse owned by an elderly couple, the group starts getting killed off one by one. X featured a remarkably strong cast, with familiar faces like Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Brittany Snow in the ensemble effort.

X has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

X's only problem is that it's perhaps too on the nose. Despite opening to positive reviews, some critics found X to be hampered rather than helped by its self-awareness of the slasher genre, and unfortunately, some of the tropes satirized a little too well. However,, who pulled double-duty with two roles, and it picked up a sequel just months later. Mia Goth went on to make two more movies in the franchise, Pearl and MaXXXine, proving her performance here was just a harbinger of things to come.

Talk to Me Poster
Talk to Me
ScreenRant logo

7/10

July 28, 2023

94 minutes

Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

Bill Hinzman, Danny Philippou

While trying to cope with the death of her mother, Mia (Sophie Wilde) becomes enthralled with an embalmed hand that can conjure spirits. While Mia and her group of friends get a thrill out of communicating with spirits, things go too far when Mia doesn’t close the door to the other side.

A24's 2022 horror movie Talk to Me took the demonic possession, slasher movie genre and turned it on its head. This was slightly surprising since the directors, Australian brothers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou, were mostly known as YouTube shock content creators before making this movie. What resulted was a film that was . The movie focuses on a severed arm that teens believe will allow them to talk to the dead if they grasp its hand.

The problem is that this is true and if someone holds it too long, the dead has the chance to connect to the host and take control of them. When youngsters who use it at a party start ending up dead, it is clear one of them has brought the dead to this side. What makes the movie even more impressive is the Talk to Me ending, which sets up a possible sequel.

In Fabric
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5/10

December 6, 2019

118 minutes

Peter Strickland

Peter Strickland

In Fabric is a British horror comedy directed by Peter Strickland. The film centers on a cursed dress that passes through the hands of various owners, bringing misfortune and chaos into their lives. Set against the backdrop of a peculiar department store, the narrative explores themes of consumerism and obsession, blended with an eerie and surreal atmosphere.

In Fabric is an extraordinary A24 horror movie — a comedy ghost story by Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio, Duke of Burgundy) that follows the journey of a cursed dress as it travels from person to person. , featuring synth music, surreal imagery, and bright, giallo-esque colors.

While much of In Fabric is horror, it does smartly interject some comedy to play up the idea of the haunted dress, and the whole movie works together beautifully. The movie has a high and was named one of the best movies of 2019 by Sight & Sound. Critics praised the film, saying it delivered a dry wit in surprising ways and had a warped and twisted sense of humor that was unlike anything in the horror genre at that time.

MaXXXine Film Poster
MaXXXine
ScreenRant logo

8/10

Release Date
July 5, 2024

Runtime
103 Minutes

Director
Ti West

Writers
Ti West

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break, but her rise to stardom is jeopardized by a mysterious killer targeting starlets. As the body count rises, secrets from Maxine's past threaten to surface, intertwining her quest for fame with a deadly game of survival.

The neon-drenched third movie in Ti West's X series, MaXXXine finds Mia Goth reprising her role as Maxine Minx, the lone survivor of the first film. Having worked in the porn industry, Maxine is now trying to make it as a mainstream movie star. As she navigates the seedy world of Hollywood in the '80s, Maxine finds herself targeted by a brutal killer.

While MaXXXine has a soundtrack full of '80s bangers, and it's definitely the loudest and most maxxximalist of the X movies, it's uneven tone was dinged by critics, who all agree that it's the weakest of West's A24 movies. But audiences were a bit more forgiving, and MaXXXine is the highest-grossing X movie to date, raking in $22 million at the worldwide box office. Goth is still captivating as ever, earning her crown as Hollywood's reigning scream queen.

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