Arguably, no indie movie studio has ever had a rise in popularity and mainstream relevance as meteoric as A24’s. This NYC studio was founded in 2012, and since then, they have been picking up and distributing some of the freshest, most creative, most exciting films current audiences have access to. They have explored a wide array of genres, but there are a few that tend to be their favorites — one of the main ones being the thriller.
Some ofthe best thrillers of the past decadeare A24 films. From chilling horror thrillers likeThe Killing of a Sacred Deerto more experimental, genre-bending outings likeThe Lighthouse, the studio’s best movies in this genre have proven that filmmakers,with enough originality and creative freedom, can expose modern audiences to entirely new, nail-biting forms of suspense.
10’Pearl' (2022)
Directed by Ti West
ThoughTi West’s latest,MaXXXine, has been disappointing to a few fans,Pearlis one ofthe best middle movies in trilogiesfrom recent years. Part slasher, part suspenseful character study, it’s about a young woman from 1918 on the brink of madness. Her pursuit of stardom is a desperate attempt to escape her environment of isolation, toil, and lovelessness.
Some may say thatMia Goth’s terrifyingly passionate and energetic performance is the film’s biggest strength. Others may point to West’s vibrant direction and his beautiful Technicolor palette. Something is certain,and that’s thatPearlis a film as eerie as it is absorbing and as tense as it is unafraidto dive headfirst into its protagonist’s twisted psyche.
Watch on Amazon Prime
9’Civil War' (2024)
Directed by Alex Garland
For years,Alex Garlandwas best known for his work as a talented screenwriter. After A24 bet on his bold directing debut in 2015, though,he proved to be just as gifted when sitting in the director’s chair. He confirmed that with his fourth and most recent outing:Civil War, a tense political thriller that follows a team of war journalists as they journey across a dystopian United States, racing against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
This might just be one ofthe best movies about fictional wars. Garland is uninterested in making heated political statements. Instead, his film is a gut-wrenching exploration of the destructive power of social division, the importance of war journalists, and the incomparable power of the image. Seething with repressed suspense all the way until the explosive third act,Civil Waris as nail-biting as thrillers come.
8’Good Time' (2017)
Directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
For dizzyingly chaotic movies that put extraordinary performances front-and-center, one needn’t look further than aSafdie brothersmovie. Benny and Josh had made four features before they releasedGood Time, but it was this A24 release that reallyput them on the map. In it, a young man embarks on a twisted odyssey through NYC’s underworld after a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison.
Sporting one ofRobert Pattinson’s best and most iconic performances,this heist thriller is a unique and visually distinctive directorial achievement drenched in beautiful neon lightsand neverending tension. Far from simply offering cheap genre thrills, though, the movie goes deeper with a frantically-paced narrative about love and how it blurs the boundaries of violence, criminality, and the right-wrong duality.
7’The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (2017)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Breaking into the indie scene in 2009 with his third feature film,Dogtooth,Yorgos Lanthimosis definitely one of Greece’s most original filmmaking offers. Of the manyoutstanding and delightfully bizarre filmsthat Lanthimos has put out,The Killing of a Sacred Deeris many people’s favorite. It’s about Steven, a charismatic surgeon who’s forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart.
A24 is never afraid to bet on deeply disturbing thrillers that are glad to get extremely dark with extreme gusto. That’s pretty much Lanthimos in a nutshell, andKilling of a Sacred Deeris no exception.Colin Farrell,Barry Keoghan, andNicole Kidmando a terrific job of elevating a brilliantly absurdist script that explores the concepts of justice and fate in fascinating ways.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
6’Locke' (2013)
Directed by Steven Knight
Lockewas one of A24’s first-ever movies, and it remains one of their most unique. In it,Tom Hardyplays the only character that’s seen on screen, a successful construction manager and loving family man whose carefully cultivated existence is threatened through a series of phone calls he conducts while driving. Some may struggle to call it a thriller, but while it isn’t composed of high-speed chases and spine-tingling sequences,this psychological drama offers some of the most intimate character-focused suspense in its distributor’s whole catalog.
Hardy is phenomenal in the lead role, effortlessly carrying the film in one of the few roles that allows audiences to see his face in its full splendor for extended periods of time. One ofthe actor’s most rewatchable movies,Lockeis a masterclass in one-location filmmaking. Locke’s car serves as both the backdrop and the deuteragonist in a profoundly existential story about the cycle of life and death.
5’Uncut Gems' (2019)
IfGood Timeput the Safdies on the map, thenUncut Gemswas the film that brought them into the mainstream. StarringAdam Sandlerin one of the many roles that have shown the world what he’s capable of in the hands of a good director, the movie is about a New York jeweler who, with his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, risks everything in the hope of staying afloat.
Uncut Gemsis easilyone of A24’s best movies,mixing tension and humor in an uncomfortably intimate character studythat is, to say the very least, an emotional roller coaster through and through. It’s loud, it’s violent, it’s chaotic, and it’s definitely not for everyone; but those willing to be patient with the Safdie brother’s idiosyncratic style will be treated to a thriller that won’t let them breathe for a single moment. Isn’t that what the genre is all about?
Uncut Gems
4’Enemy' (2013)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve, director of some ofthe greatest Canadian films ever made, is one of the most versatile directors working today. He can be the king of blockbusters with movies likeDune: Part Two, as well as an indie darling with often-misunderstood masterworks likeEnemy. Terrifyingly surreal, it’s about a man who seeks out his exact look-alike after he spots him in a movie.
Jake Gyllenhaalis amazing in the lead role(s?), but it’s Villeneuve’s impeccable direction andJavier Gullón’s exceptional script that really make the movie shine.This cult classic is subtle and nuanced, and probably not what fans of Villeneuve’s more traditional work might be expecting; but it’s worth every bit of deep thinking that its narrative demands. Its suspense feels organic and elaborate, and that makes it all the more horrifying.
3’Ex Machina' (2014)
Civil Waris amazing,but most A24 fans will agree thatEx Machinaremains Alex Garland’s magnum opus as a director. In it, a young programmer (played by the criminally underappreciatedDomhnall Gleeson) is selected to participate in an experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I. (played byAlicia Vikanderin what might just be the role of a lifetime).
As chillingly suspenseful as it is playfully self-aware, and as intellectually complex as it is entertained with toying with sci-fi tropes,Ex Machinais easily and by farone of A24’s best sci-fi outings. As slick and layered as its A.I. deuteragonist, the film confines its story to a small space populated by only a handful of characters. The result feels personal, intelligent, and incredibly entertaining.
Ex Machina
2’First Reformed' (2017)
Directed by Paul Schrader
The legendaryPaul Schraderis mainly known as a screenwriter, author of some ofthe best scripts ever written for film. On numerous occasions, however,he has also proved to have tremendous amounts of talent as a director. Case in point:First Reformed, a highly spiritual psychological thriller about the minister of a small congregation, who grapples with growing despair brought on by personal tragedies and worldly concerns.
Richly philosophical and full of the narrative complexity that only Schrader seems to be capable of,First Reformedis a gripping character study bolstered by a pair of tantalizing performances byEthan HawkeandAmanda Seyfried. Its thriller elements are powerfully understated, allowing its themes of religion, environmentalism, and suffering to stand on their own two feet.
First Reformed
Watch on Kanopy
1’The Lighthouse' (2019)
Directed by Robert Eggers
Starting with his terrifying debut,The Witch,Robert Eggerssoon turned into one of the most exciting voices working in the film industry today. He cemented that title withThe Lighthouse,a movie that defies genre conventions. Part horror thriller, part dark comedy, part homoerotic drama, it’s about two lighthouse keepers trying to maintain their sanity while working on a remote New England island in the 1890s.
This is one ofthe best arthouse movies for beginners, offering a challenging tone and surrealist imagery, as well as a story that’s relatively easy to follow and an ending that’s nothing if not satisfying.Robert PattinsonandWillem Dafoeare both brilliant and mystifyingly amusing in the lead roles, and Eggers’s flawless directing results in a movie that looks great, sounds great, flows great, and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the entire runtime.
