A24 began in 2012 as a small New York distributor, and it has grown into a name people look for on a poster. Its films range from tearful coming-of-age stories to horror that lingers for days. The ten below are arranged by release date rather than quality, so start wherever your mood points you.
1. Ex Machina (2015)
Alex Garland made his directing debut with this sci-fi thriller about Caleb, a young programmer who wins a week at his boss's remote estate. His job is to judge whether Ava, a humanoid robot, has real intelligence. The cast is tiny and the action stays in a few rooms, and that closeness keeps every conversation tense. It won the Oscar for visual effects, yet the story never gets buried under them.
2. Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins follows Chiron, a boy growing up in Miami, through three stages of his life. Each chapter has a different actor and a different texture, but the character stays recognisable throughout. The film is quiet and patient, and it says a lot through glances. It became A24's first Best Picture winner, and it pays off for anyone willing to sit with it.
3. Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig's first solo directing effort follows a Sacramento teenager who wants out of her hometown and keeps clashing with her mother. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf make those arguments feel painfully real. The humour lives in small, specific details. You may find yourself calling a parent once the credits roll.
4. The Florida Project (2017)
Sean Baker sets this one in a budget motel near Walt Disney World, mostly through the eyes of six-year-old Moonee and her summer of mischief. Willem Dafoe plays the manager who quietly looks out for the people living there. The bright colours and kid's-eye view make the grown-up troubles at the edges hit harder than you would expect.
5. Hereditary (2018)
Ari Aster's first feature begins with a family grieving a grandmother and slowly slides into something far worse. Toni Collette plays the mother, and her raw performance is why the film hurts as much as it frightens. The fear builds slowly. It works best in a dark room with your phone put away, and the less you know beforehand the better.
6. Eighth Grade (2018)
Comedian Bo Burnham wrote and directed this portrait of Kayla, a shy thirteen-year-old in her last week of middle school. Elsie Fisher gives her an awkwardness that feels lived in. Kayla posts hopeful videos online while barely speaking in the hallway. It is funny and uncomfortable, often in the same scene, and parents and teenagers may take away very different things.
7. The Lighthouse (2019)
Robert Eggers puts two keepers, played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, on a remote New England island in the late 1800s. It was shot in black and white in a nearly square frame, which makes the space feel cramped and strange. Think sea story crossed with fever dream. It is odd in the best way, and you will probably want to talk about it afterward.
8. Uncut Gems (2019)
Josh and Benny Safdie follow Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler played by Adam Sandler, who cannot stop placing risky bets. The pace is a sprint, with overlapping dialogue and pressure that never lets up. Sandler shows a side rarely seen in his comedies. Watching it feels like holding your breath for more than two hours, so plan something calm for afterward.
9. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known together as the Daniels, this stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn, a laundromat owner facing a tax audit who gets dragged into the multiverse. It packs in martial arts, absurd comedy and a moving story about a mother and daughter. Somehow it all holds together. It went on to win Best Picture at the 2023 Oscars.
10. Past Lives (2023)
In Celine Song's debut, Nora and Hae Sung are childhood friends in Seoul who lose touch when her family emigrates. Years later they meet again in New York. Nothing flashy happens. The film simply asks about the lives we might have led and the people who stay with us. Song drew on her own experience, and it shows in the small details. Bring tissues.
Taken together, these ten show that A24's appeal is less about one house style and more about filmmakers given room to be themselves. Pick the one that suits tonight and see where it takes you.
