Hi Rodeo! I’m Frank. I’m Tyler’s cousin and a filmmaker in Orlando Florida.
I wanted to chime in and just say I totally get what you’re saying about A24 films. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea. there are some A24 films that I absolutely adore, and others that I absolutely loath (Personally). I’m curious which films you saw?
One of the reasons A24 is a divisive company amongst general audiences, while being praised by filmmakers is due to their business model. If you don’t know it, I’ll give a brief explanation.
A24 began solely a distribution company. Instead of making films, they started bidding and buying films from independent film festivals. They sought after unusual, artistic films that most other studios wouldn’t seek out, as a means to give independent filmmakers a platform, while also making their catalogue vastly different than what other company’s were producing.
They’ve since begun actually producing films for their more successful filmmakers (Robert Eggers for example) and paying for them to make whatever kind of films they want.
It is A24’s philosophy, that giving filmmakers The resources and the creative freedom to make whatever movie they want, without interference, leads to great movies with greater financial success.
This has led to a new renaissance in the independent film industry as of late (love to see it) where filmmakers don’t feel as pressured to make what is considered a conventional movie. We can get weird, and we looove that.
Point is, it’s my belief that the hype around A24 and its movies do not come from every film being a banger, but rather its choice to allow artists to be artistic in their craft.
With that said, I’ll recommend my favorite A24 films, with brief reviews on them.
Uncut Gems: The first A24 film I watched in theaters. I love this movie because of the stress it impresses upon me. I am not a gambler, and I do not like to gamble. However, Uncut Gem’s forced me to experience the “Gambler’s High” and brilliantly punishes you for it, just as Sandler’s character is punished throughout the movie. (Also Adam Sandler can ACT man.)
The Lighthouse: As a Horror fan, there is no better depiction of madness than Robert Egger’s ‘The Lighthouse’. It’s bizarre, it’s unsettling, and it’s oddly funny.
The Green Knight: A charming film with great cinematograph, great performances, and creative storytelling. impressive for an adaptation of the shortest story in the Roundtable ethos of King Arthur.
if you’ve seen any of these films I’d like to know what you thought of them. and if you haven’t, please do! And come back to tell me what you thought.
Welp, thats a lot of words I’ve now typed for almost half an hour. Take a shot every time I said “A24” 😂 Thank you for your time, hope this helps clarify the “big deal” of A24. cheers!