Ive watched this particular studio grow from distributing esoteric and little known horror films to probably the most well known "small" movie studio. To something every mid 20s person knows about and enjoys.
I think there's some really great and unique films that come out of A24 (also some hot pretentious garbage).
I also think sometimes the early-mid20s something primary fanbase can be a little fart huffy and think they have supeiror tastes because they primarily watch A24 films.
Idk I love and hate A24 at the same time and it's always better than marvel.
Edit: Yes I'm aware this is probably an unpopular opinion on this site. But it's entertainment media, that's allowed.
I'll take pretentious garbage that was an earnest attempt at making a good film over garbage by design. Can't have the gems without the rough.
I can't believe someone used the same words "earnest attempt". Definitely earnestness is a quality I've come to appreciate more, there is something super hipsterish about qualifying what experiences are "authentic" and which aren't, and I understand this also, but tbh appreciating movies for being honest to their vision gave me a super positive outlook on movies in general whereas I was petty and pretentious in an angry video game nerd kinda way before.
I'll take neither. I don't watch marvel movies, not going to waste my time with something like "Tusk" either.
I just don't like fart huffing. Cape shit is the other side of that terrible coin.
I'm not saying you have to watch them, only that they are an unavoidable byproduct of the process of creating interesting films. Not accepting this makes you this guy unironically.
What did they mean by this? I don't mind Hbomberguyguy at all.
Fwiw I usually don't need to be forced to watch an A24 film. Half the time I genuinely like their films, I've tried watching St Maud with my brother (who is about as mainstream as it gets, pretty vain, sports loving type who primps himself) and when it was over he turns to me and says, 'that was weird as hell, I didn't like it'.
So they are definitely courting a certain demographic, that resonates with me half the time and misses the other half of the time.
I mostly watch older films, so I haven’t seen enough A24 whatnot to speak to their merits or drawbacks directly, but you’re touching on an underrated pleasure here - how much of a joy and what an incredible convenience it is to be able to trust a publisher, a label, or a studio to consistently put out interesting art, whether it’s because of a distinct house style, an editor with great taste, or both.
It's a distinctive house style. They're more a production company than anything but they pick mostly stuff you would expect a david Lynch fan to enjoy for the most part so they have this whole image. We, they throw money at good movies generally so good on em.
Yeah that's all nice and good until some bougie white hipster throws an "A24 themed costume party". And then it just becomes another I "I am the brands I consume" joke. (100 dollar hoody, 30 dollar keychain all for sale on A24)
It's over hyped. I'm not saying it's bad, but it doesn't have anywhere near the consistency certain crowds seem to think it does.
Idk I hate pretentiousness and consumer culture. Both of which A24 seems to attract like flies to shit.
I do get what your saying, I don't think A24 is that though.
I simply just don't care what other people are doing in their free time
Don't worry about it. That stuff will blow over. The movies will last.
Basically, my approach to A24 films is watch the ones with an imdb score of 7 or higher, or if I get a recommendation. Easy way to avoid the shitty ones
There's fewer and fewer film companies these days that try to put out things that are unique and different, so I appreciate that they're there.
I'll Take them over marvel any day. Just am wary of the hipsters that praise the fuck out of the movies, it's getting... Exhausting.
is it exhausting cos they're not liking it in the right way or...? like the complaint here seems to be that you feel mentally burdened that the thing you liked first is now popular lol
or is it the idea of anything being too well liked?
It's that it's too well liked at the expense of other people's tastes kind of being put down.
For example some guy on twitter:
'A24 caters to those of us who have a more refined taste in film anyways, if you don't get it that's on you'
‘Marvel caters to those of us who have a more refined taste in film anyways, if you don’t get it that’s on you’
OP, you don't hate arthouse or indie or whatever, you hate this kind of Twitter reply guy. That's entirely justifiable.
IDK if you don't like the films that come out of a studio don't watch them. If they're not problematic you don't really need to have an oppositional dialogue about your choice go watch something else or hang out with your friends or something.
I'll be honest your post has an air of not wanting to like a popular thing so you can stake out your tastes as unique. I think not liking something because it's popular is equally as lame as liking something because it's popular - either way you're looking to the crowd to define your engagement.
Wut lol?
I don't like it because it attracts the exact type of people you described. I love Nintendo and Batman graphic novels, if I wanted to be unique I'd drop every single hobby I have and start collecting stamps.
No, I had a feeling I'd be accused of this and. I'm actually more against Film elitists who think watching arthouse films makes them better than the guy who enjoyed Avatar or something (though I admittedly hate Marvel films).
They're not really popular enough to even be considered "popular" they're just popular enough that I find the fart huffing surrounding them to be somewhat irritating? I don't like snobs or elitists of any kind.
Either you don't like the movies, which is fine, or you like the movies but don't like certain people who like them. If it's the latter like, who cares dislike those people and enjoy your movies. If it's the former then just go live your life enjoying the movies you like. I really struggle to see why you care that certain people like the movies "too much" and what that has to do with you.
Because I run in certain circles online where I discuss film, and I encounter Film Snobs and A24 obsessors quite often (lately the two seem to be hand in hand). It's not like world ending for me or anything, it's just a minor irritation that I was venting about. I'm not like "something must be done about these folks" and I don't go to sleep seething about them.
I'll still keep watching the films (provided they're good) but for me yes, the cult surrounding this distribution company does irritate me sometimes. I grew up lower middle class and blue collar, so any kind of snobbery has always bothered me.
Hopefully that's fair enough. It's the best way I can explain it, and have no Ill will towards any of you who may venerate this particular distribution company.
your post has an air of not wanting to like a popular thing so you can stake out your tastes as unique
online-leftism.txt
Death to America
I typically enjoy the movies that come out of it, though in all honesty I think the last year or two have seen more duds than any others. As for the other stuff... I don't think we should really evaluate a studio based on its brand and who it tries to appeal to. What matters more is the finance behind it, what is the model that allows A24 to put out weirder or more unique movies than Disney or Universal or whatever, and is that changing? Last year, they got a 255 million dollar investment and took the guy behind it on board. They are set to release a huge Civil War epic by Alex Garland pretty soon. When you make movies like that, expensive, large-scale movies instead of off-beat character-focused stories, you need a lot of cash. And people who are likely to provide you with that kind of cash usually want to have a say in where their money goes (e.g. compare Eggers' movies produced by A24 at the height of their independence, and The Northman). I think that the next couple of years will see A24 become less of an indie darling and more of a normal studio like Searchlight, not overnight and not immediately on the same level, but it's hard to see how the things they've become known for can fit with their new ambitions and the model that they require.
Probably the best response I've gotten in this thread, thanks.
I'm going to bed, I really hope too many people don't rip me a new one for shitting on A24.
It sounds like you are trying to out fart smell the fart smellers.
This independent production company reads scripts and selects ones that they think might be good investments for awards or the growth of the company. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss. They do not have creative control over these movies. They give writers and directors opportunities to make things that wouldn’t otherwise be made. They have made 300+ movies and I don’t think you can realistically say they all fall under a singular aesthetic beyond original scripts and award potential based on the script.
It sounds like you are trying to out fart smell the fart smellers.
Be nice.
Fair assessment, but we need to get over hating things because other humans like them.
I absolutely agree, but I think OP was being more nuanced than that
I feel mighty indifferent about A24 tbh but I love pretentious garbage, provided there's some earnest attempt at actually trying to convey some sort of vision and not just trying to shove product in my mouth. Also un-pretentious garbage for similar reasons. That being said I haven't watched a lot of movies these past few years and I'm going to try to watch more.
They're a distribution and production company, not a studio. They fund and help distribute independent films. They do have a certain choice of what they pick up as far as productions go, so I do get what you're saying.
On the whole, it's absolutely my fucking jam. I think there's an image of an A24 fan boy that wants to be Ryan Gosling or whatever, but they consistently put out stuff that is up my alley, most of my favorite films of the last few years were released by them and I do subscribe to them on YouTube and will check out trailers for whatever they're putting out. They've had a few stinkers but generally what they release lines up with my tastes and I've discovered quite a few filmmakers through checking some of their stuff out on my faith that their releasing it means I'll probably at least enjoy it.
If it's your taste that's fine. I find myself at about 50/50 with them and usually I'll like an A24 movie over the Cape shit flavor of the month.
I just can't stand the crowd that has attached itself to this particular company. They kind of somewhat ruin it for me I guess?
I'll always at least check out a new A24 horror film, but the saying that A24 means "A 24 year old will think this is the best movie ever" sometimes rings true with me.
They are truly a double edged sword for me. The duality of movies as it were.
Being attached to a company for any reason aside from reliability is weird. I have a switch and not an Xbox or Playstation cause it's cheaper and I grew up with a SNES, so my tastes in games are generally nintendo first parties on occasion but mostly pick up and play indie games. I sure as fuckndidnt get a wiiu though and didn't get a wii until smash came out and it was worth it. Kinda similar with A24 except without the childhood thing aside from enjoying similar movies growing up cause my parents didn't really judge stuff by content but by whether it seemed like dreck or not. So weird artsy horror has been my shit for a while and they put out Uncut Gems and some other non horror that's been pretty rad.
It just doesn't really bother me if hipster weirdos in their 20s like something i like cause I'm in my 30s and have been a DIY punk rocker and therefore a hipster to hipsters since my teens. This just means I'm still somewhat current.
I should maybe add, I'm exactly the guy and an A24 Guy probably wants to be superficially. Conventionally attractive early 30s mas looking and cool as fuck in the way Joy Dividion and Twin Peaks are cool. I just make food and like cool music, dressing spiffy and and whatever anyway.
It’s the Marvel franchise of being the anti-Marvel. A24 exists due to Marvel.
Pretty much. It's starting to get pretty bad itself with all the people sporting A24 gear (which is extremely expensive btw). Not really different from marvel hawking Ironman shirts
Honestly the Iron Man shirts are better. Iron Man is a character and has been in stories. A24 is a company/brand
I have no interest in anything more than even remotely artsy-fartsy :shrug-outta-hecks: but I'm glad they're exist and making different stuff anyway
I remember Riff Raff being super pissed about his unofficial portrayal lmao
its just a production company. the posturing into a brand like it has is a bit unusual in the industry (no one's out here going to see a movie because mgm produced lmao), but i wouldn't even say they have any better quality than other producers. they're geared toward a sort of film, if you like that kind of movie you'll see stuff they produced a lot.
another example would be janus films, if you spend any time watching foreign films in the US they're plastered on everything---that doesn't mean they have unusual taste & selection, its just their fucking wheelhouse they distribute critically acclaimed stuff that's too foreign for bigger distributors
so yeah, i agree, they put their money in nice slop, but also people who identify with the brand fundamentally misunderstand the role of producers and are extremely dorky.
but i'll even go out on a limb and say A24's success is probably not good. concentrating that much money into one 'indie/arthouse' company just recreates the conditions for why it existed in the first place, a major producer gatekeeping & extorting small projects. also since they distribute theres that additional layer of monopoly
