A24’s Tight Lens on Today’s Film Culture
A24. To an everyday consumer of films, this collection of a letter and numbers may sound like “just another run-of-the-mill film production and distribution company with a niche,” but to an enthusiast of films, it is a beacon of light shining above the film industry as a whole. A24’s films deliver the exact same cinematic catharsis that I want my audience to encounter when I begin to release films of my own. A particular belief I stand by is that if a filmmaker puts their heart and soul into their art and can make their audience emotionally connected to experiences that their characters are undergoing, good or bad, that’s the most powerful thing in the world, especially in today’s realm of film culture.
So, how does A24’s tight lens impact today’s film culture? In the climate of what seems like never ending superhero movies, A24 has shown itself to be somewhat of a catalyst for an entirely new wave of films. The studio tends to distribute content that viewers most likely wouldn’t have the chance to discover otherwise. A24 takes films that we would have to see at smaller film fests in our collective states and presents them in a mainstream manner.
After its establishment by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges in 2012, A24 has produced a plethora of content. Its catalog consists of a wide array of genres, from side splitting comedies (Never Goin’ Back, Laggies) to heart-rending dramas (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Moonlight) all the way to grim horror flicks (The VVitch, Midsommar).
Back in 2013, A24 acquired its first theatrical release, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, but the first A24 film I ever had the chance of experiencing that would without a doubt make waves for the then newly established company was Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers (yes, this is the same guy who wrote the controversial screenplay for the cult film, Kids back in 95’). Spring Breakers depicts the chronicles of undergrads Candy, Faith, Brit and Cotty who are shy of the money they require for a spring-break trip. Starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Gucci Mane, this provocative, drug-filled crime drama essentially awarded A24 its reign over today’s film culture in the U.S..
Unlike other film companies that prefer to spend upwards of millions on physical advertising, A24 takes a different route with its marketing funds and targets its audiences directly through social media in order to allow the news about upcoming films to spread by word of mouth. In recent years, A24 has generated an undeviating cult following, each film gaining more traction than the last. As the company proceeded to obtain 25 Academy Award nominations, there was obviously no question about the potential of developing a more mainstream audience. If one were to ask anyone who remotely follows A24’s content what they believe to be its most famous work, the answer would most likely be Moonlight.
Directed by Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk, Charm City Kings), Moonlight absolutely tugged at the heartstrings of millions with its down-to-earth storyline about Chiron, a gay black man’s journey from childhood to adulthood with the love and solice from his community. With an astonishing fusion of the film’s writing, cinematography, score and overall emotion portrayed by the phenomenal actors, the true impact of Moonlight was immediately understood during one of the most noteworthy moments in award show history for black and LGBTQ+ cinema. Moonlight practically snatched the Oscar for Best Picture away from La La Land. Absolutely legendary.
Challenging the status quo in the U.S. was simply not enough for the lionhearted studio. This was further proven during the summer of 2019 which was a truly spectacular point for A24 and the film genre of horror in general with the highly anticipated daylight horror film Midsommar. Directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons), Midsommar portrays the gruesome chronicles of a couple who travels to Sweden to visit their companion's rustic old neighborhood for its legendary midsommar celebration, however what starts as a pure retreat rapidly deteriorates into an undeniably vicious and strange rivalry on account of an insidious cult. This controversial film’s dazzling performances, macabre cinematography and mind-altering ending earned this indie film a whopping 47 million at the box office.
In terms of the creative culture associated with the company, it seems as though A24, being the permissive and independent brand that it is, conquers in the realm of creative autonomy. A24 doesn’t stick to just one or two types of films. With every release comes a Russian roulette of multiple genres. This perk is what a substantial amount of aspiring writers and directors are intrigued by when writing or shooting their debut film or pilot. Over the years, there has been quite a profusion of online videos dedicated to the aesthetic, style and nature of A24 films from “How to Make an A24 Movie” to A24 tier lists.
Additionally, A24 is accredited for its contributions to television as well as cinema. Airing in spring of 2014, USA Network’s Playing House was the starting point of A24’s current television era. Since then, the studio has produced and distributed multiple shows including Ramy on Hulu, Comrade Detective on Amazon Video and HBO’s Emmy nominated teen drama, Euphoria which just so happens to be a U.S. adaptation of the Israeli series of the same name.
When the creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation, The Wizard of Lies), wrote the pilot for the series, little did he know that he would soon compose a symphony of art that would speak directly to Gen Z. Starring Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, and Storm Reid, A24’s Euphoria follows a group of teens who are all trying to cope with the adversities in the world and maintain their personal lives at the exact same time. The show tackles topics including drug addiction, mental illness, dating violence, sexuality, and identity. It is a brilliant take on the lives of Gen Z in America. Although controversy has been sparked by some audiences about the subject matter for a teen series, the show instantly took off. The euphoric blend of the beautiful cinematography, empathetic writing, and intoxicating score produced by Labrinth, was more than enough to keep audiences captivated even long after the finale which aired in August of 2019.
Although A24 may have a tremendous following, with every company comes its critics. Along with praises, A24 has also encountered its share of harsh critiques, most of which consists of the studio being vastly overrated, but that hasn’t stopped the ever-growing company from becoming somewhat of an ultra-modern Miramax and continuing to give voices to indie directors/writers who have captivating stories to tell. The positive effects that A24 has and more than likely will continue to have on today’s film culture as an indie studio is currently unmatched. It has become a film lover’s safe haven that is audaciously basking in eccentricity and authenticity. Its genre bending films and shows are steadily becoming more popular than ever, gaining more fans as each project is released. In essence, A24 has had its foot on the gas since the very beginning and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping.
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Image Credit: Thumbnail Image Still, Image 1 Michael Muller, Image 2 David Bornfriend, Image 3 Still