“You know a movie is gonna be good when you see A24,” one TikTok user comments. Social media audiences have unanimously reinforced A24’s brand recognition as a household name, highlighting an association with top-tier movie production and audience response. Within the past decade, A24 has evolved from a minor indie-film company into a major entertainment distribution company synonymous with cinematic and cultural innovations. But, how has A24 cultivated this widespread reputation?
“Everyone raves about A24 productions. A24 this, A24 that, but it’s silly the way no one is exclaiming for Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal Pictures, or any other entertainment company like that,” another TikToker laughs. With A24’s audacious reputation on top of revolutionizing film production, how does A24 sustain its cult-like following and a seemingly separative conglomerate identity?
The simple answer? Through A24’s strategically tailored operations to marketing and audience appeal. “They have good taste in movies. They’re good at picking directors to work with, at buying movies when they buy movies… they, more than anyone else, are a triumph of branding,” Alison Willmore, a film critic for Vulture Magazine, comments.
In 2022, A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once hit theater-wide releases globally. The film — intensely exploring identity, family, and the American dream alongside thrilling, emotional, and humorous theatrical components — captivated worldwide audiences, grossing over $110,000 across box offices. However, EEAO was not an A24 “one-hit wonder.” Long before the production of Everything Everywhere All At Once, A24 had already established a legacy for reshaping cinematic landscapes across filmmaking and audience reception, with EEAO film as just one of its many notable successes.
Alongside major breakthroughs in box office success, A24’s operations as a major entertainment distributor extend beyond film and director acquisitions. Instead, A24 incorporates an experiential, cinematography-specific intimacy and intention, bridging appeals from long-time cinephiles and introductory audiences. “A24 uniquely blends big budget studios with typically more independent type films.” Mr. Stott, a teacher at Wilcox High School and film enthusiast, expresses a similar consensus towards A24’s cinematography styles, contrasting the broader film industry. “In general, in the last 20+ years, more particularly in the last 10 years, there has been an oversaturation of Marvel movies and sequels — redoing movies. A24 seems by far the most innovative, especially for a bigger studio.”
Before Everything Everywhere All At Once, A24 had already established associations with groundbreaking film narratives. From Ex Machina’s radical juxtapositions between robotic centricity and humanity to Hereditary and Midsommar redefining psychological horror, and Lady Bird’s intimate coming-of-age, A24 accomplishes a vivid portrayal of ambitious cinematography and emotional impact without submission to narrow commercial formulas. A24’s commitments to reconstructive storytelling have spotlighted associated directors like Greta Gerwig and Ari Aster. Alongside A24’s foundations among the broader film landscapes, these filmmakers have utilized audience reception to embed “indie” sensibilities among mainstream film appeals.
A24’s ambitions, centered around creating and sustaining independent filmmaking legacies, persist into contemporary and future filmmaking timelines. Ongoing projects preserve an essence of tradition and legacy while developing unconventional narratives, ahead of current film landscapes.
The entertainment distributor’s 2024 production, Queer, began nationwide releases in mid-December. Since its release, audiences have become captivated by its “disembodying” and “absolutely transcendent” creative direction through cinematography and storytelling. Beyond the revolutionary plot sequence, Queer’s cast especially reinforces A24’s branding: the intersection of industry legacy and innovation. Queer’s cast features Drew Starkey, notable for his role in the 2020 TV series Outer Banks, and Daniel Craig, universally known for his role as the title character in the James Bond 007 movie series. “It’s interesting when you have somebody like Craig who you have a history with and especially when you put them in something so different from what they’ve done, you’re surprised and intrigued,” Mr. Stott comments on an industry shift, pushing boundaries beyond cast selections and ultimately leaving lasting impressions on audiences. “You have so much buy in the history, especially for someone like him who’s played Bond, it kinda makes you think or challenge your thoughts about someone.” A24’s productions have become the epitome of thought-provocation by altering industry narratives dramatically. This studio marks the beginning of more experimental creative directions, pioneering a fixation for the art without costing commercial success.
