The Lore of A24
It’s hard to believe how ubiquitous A24 has become in such a short amount of time.
The company started out in film distribution, founded by entertainment veterans, Daniel Katz, David Fenken and John Hodges in 2013. At first, distributing polarizing or critically panned independent movies such as The Bling Ring and Spring Breakers, the A24 of today is a powerhouse prestige film and TV production company with an influential and growing brand.
A24’s brand as the cool, young, quirky, hipster answer to mainstream entertainment was not by accident. I wanted to unpack exactly how they managed to take on the multi billion dollar film industry to carve out a unique lane for themselves.
First, we need to break down some basics. A24 started off simply a distributor of films. Meaning that the company would buy up completed films made by another production company then put it out in theaters/streaming/on demand etc.
A production company is the one that funds the making of a film.
Oftentimes it’s common to hear on social media that something “looks like an A24 film” or that “all A24 films look the same”. Well what exactly is an “A24 film”? Especially when so many that carry the A24 logo aren’t even made by them?
Their first big success as a company was in 2016 with their first in house production, Moonlight. Barry Jenkins' sensitive, evocative film about a black gay boy coming of age in Florida was a sleeper hit. With a relatively unknown main cast and director, Moonlight went on to gross $65 million on a paltry $1.5 million budget and won Best Picture at the Oscars. So are coming of age indies A24’s brand? With films like Lady Bird, Lean on Pete, Eighth Grade and more, some of their most popular films from the company fit this genre. But at the same time youth centered independent films are nothing new to the world.
Maybe an A24 film are films from fresh and unknown filmmakers? A24 was instrumental in launching directors like Greta Gerwig, The Safdie Brothers and Lulu Wang to the mainstream. But as time goes on they’ve started upping their budgets and bigger and more prolific names are choosing A24 as their production company.
So what does unite their films?
Do A24 films have an aesthetic?
No, but their company does.
After you watch an A24 movie, you can hop over to their website and find yourself confronted with a sleek, minimal and tastefully laid out page. Their website feels like an iPhone, smooth and easy to use, and ready for tech savvy Gen Z and Millennials to explore.
Their social media is the same, artfully curated film stills intermixed with more idiosyncratic content that keeps their feeds looking less like ads and more like a director’s mood board.
A24 even has a podcast where two public figures get together and discuss art, life and culture. Many of the guests on the podcast haven’t even done any work on an A24 film, such as Lorde or Nick Kroll, they’re just popular celebrities amongst A24’s core demographic.
I think the holy grail of the A24 brand is their merchandise store. There isn’t anything quite like it. You can buy branded apparel, screenplay books of their films, zines, posters, quirky collectibles and more. And all of it fits the sleek, minimal style that A24 is becoming known for.
The curious thing about their merch is how much of it isn’t associated with their films but just has the A24 logo on it. If it isn’t clear by now the company wants you to recognize their name just as much as you recognize their content.
There are dissenting opinions on A24 as a company amongst film fans. When I interviewed aspiring filmmaker Amin on her thoughts about them, our discussion kept coming back to their inconsistencies. As the years go by, it does feel like they only choose one or two big event films of the year to focus their marketing efforts on and other films get lost by the wayside. We mention one of our favorites of 2022, After Yang, that had an unceremonious dump on Showtime streaming after its buzzy Sundance and Cannes premieres. It felt like a slap in the face while we saw less regarded films of the year get theatrical releases and more social media marketing. At the same time, Amin can’t lie and say it still wouldn’t be a dream to eventually work with them, as they still fund and distribute a relatively diverse slate every year.
Aspiring actress Kaila had similar sentiments as well during our discussion. At times she feels like their attempts to be a brand loses the original vision of their company. We also noted together how older actors have been using A24’s street cred amongst the youth to give their careers a second lease on life. No better example than Adam Sandler in 2019’s Uncut Gems. The anxiety-inducing gambling drama gained rave reviews for Sandler’s lead performance and led the film to A24’s highest box office gross to date.
It’s roles like that one and Zendaya’s turn in the A24 produced TV show Euphoria that have helped actors shed preconceived notions. For Zendaya, she went from Disney teen to serious ingenue and Adam Sandler reminded the public that he can do more than his low brow comedies.
Talking to self-proclaimed A24 superfan Miya, I got more insight into what attracts people to the company. Her first A24 film was Moonlight and it changed her entire perception of cinema. From there, she started watching all their films and she loved how it seemed like any type of film or genre could be an A24 film. She even owns around $500 worth of their merch (I was a bit horrified as she kept listing and pulling more and more items out during our Zoom call, I can’t lie). She says most of it is well made and aesthetically pleasing to own. Miya is even part of A24’s subscription service.
When they announced this subscription, I personally thought it sounded like a cheap money grab, but Miya finds it useful for discounts, access to archive merch and other perks.
Having an immersive off screen experience for independent films feels revolutionary in a way. If fans of blockbuster franchises can proudly display and collect their chosen love why can’t cinephiles? Is there really a difference between owning a Harry Potter scarf or a Star Wars lightsaber with owning an Everything Everywhere All At Once shirt?
A24 even does the occasional in person events to further the experience like outdoor screenings and pop up shops .
When talking to Anweih, a casual film consumer, her opinions on A24 revealed the most to me. When I asked her to describe what an “A24 film” is to her, she said she thinks of independent films that focus more on “cinematography, not plot” and that they tend to be on the “darker and grittier” side. She cites films like Moonlight, Waves, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Uncut Gems that she liked and found fit this style. I even asked her if she could name any other independent film distributor or production company and she couldn’t and said it’s their branding that makes them stand out to her even as a non-cinephile.
It’s fascinating to hear Anweih’s thoughts because when she describes these traits she finds in A24 films because to someone really into film, a movie like Lady Bird and Bodies Bodies Bodies don’t really seem similar. But it clicks to me that there isn’t one style of A24 films but that A24’s has successfully rebranded the concept of independent cinema to their company.
Now for older, hardened cinephiles the thought may seem absurd, there’s a whole world of cinema outside of one American company’s small output but A24 is an easy gateway into non mainstream film. Gritty storylines and beautiful cinematography are dime a dozen amongst indie films, I’m sure if I told some unsuspecting person that Madeline’s Madeline or Sound of Metal were made by A24 they wouldn’t even question it. But that’s the brilliance of their marketing. If you only watch a handful of movies a year and most of them are studio pictures, I can see how something off the beaten path could look to more casual viewers.
While an A24 film can be a variety of genres and styles, it would be foolish to not point out that there is a certain level of curation to their content. A24 hardly distributes animated films, period pieces, hard comedies or international features. And while every film doesn’t look the same, most of their films have a strong visual identity, perfect for sharing on social media.
A24 is a pretty innovative company and it's attempts to bring a different kind of film to young audiences is admirable. On the flip side, it can feel like people choose to attribute the films to the brand itself and it can minimize or even flat out erase the actual filmmakers behind their great work.