As Harvey Dent once said, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” In the case of A24, the production company used to be an indie filmmaking fan’s dream come true. The studio released some of the most out-there films ever produced, from intense horror classics to modern transgressive classics. Soon, the name A24 became synonymous with quality filmmaking. For an industry so enamored with blockbusters and comic book movies, A24 provided an alternative many filmgoers didn’t even know they craved. Until they didn’t. Too much of a good thing can be detrimental, and A24’s commitment to the unconventional has led some critics to question whether the studio has lost its way.
From Indie Freshness to Predictable Narratives
After watching movies like Dream Scenario or Tuesday, one might be inclined to agree with the above statement. It’s not like they’re bad movies – they’re just “predictable.” Sure, their plots might be bizarre, but we already know they’re going to be a wild ride the second the A24 logo appears on the screen. One could argue that this strangeness has become as derivative as the archetypical structure of mainstream films the original A24 so staunchly opposed.
Things look positively weird for A24’s future. With movies like Death of a Unicorn and The Legend of Ochi on the horizon, it appears there are still a few bizarre movies left in A24’s oven. But here’s the thing: while most of their movies are, let’s say, “unique,” the studio also produces some rather straightforward productions.
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A24’s New Frontier
Documentaries like The Last of the Sea Women rarely get the same attention movies like Queer do – and they’re both produced by A24. People just gravitate towards the studio’s more outlandish projects because they offer a clear alternative to mainstream filmmaking. It’s not like every movie A24 produces is a fever dream – it’s just that their fever dreams are what people want to see in theaters.
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The A24 Genre
The problem comes when A24’s bizarre style becomes a genre by itself. I can’t tell you how many people told me they liked A24 movies like The Babadook or even Nosferatu. None of those movies were produced like A24 – they just look like they were. The studio’s love for the weird has turned it into a one-trick-pony in the eyes of die-hard film fans, even if one look at its production history says they’re just another regular studio.
Naturally, studios will focus most of their marketing resources on the projects they know will sell more tickets. Just as an Avengers film has a better budget than something like Ant-Man, A24 will spend more on selling movies like Civil War than they would ever expend on Dicks: The Musical.
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Staying Weird or Embracing the Mainstream?
The way I see it, A24 has always been a “weird” studio, but they still know very well why they go against the grain. While movies like Y2K or I Saw the TV Glow might seem like A24 is being unique just for uniqueness’ sake, other features like the recently released Babygirl prove their business model focuses more on giving a chance to filmmakers with an uncommon vision. They’re still pretty weird, though.
