Before A24, noone besides cinephiles could have cared less what studio released the film for which they just bought a ticket. But, somewhat slowly and surely, the little indie studio that could has released hit after hit. Now, that doesn't mean they were all financialhits but, more often than not, A24's films either do well with critics, with audiences (given the projects' respective, always small, budgets), or both. Often, it's both.
A24 gives artists more control over their visions. As it turns out, this actually iswhat audiences want over committee-assembled soulless blockbusters with cities falling from the sky. There's something to be said for that, and here's hoping the love for A24 and what it represents continues. At the very least, through 2024, and given the variety of projects they have for this year, it seems a safe bet audiences' interest will remain peaked. Note that only a few A24 films have an official 2024 release date, whereas the rest featured are verysafe bets for a release in this calendar year.
9 Love Lies Bleeding
Mar. 8th, 2024
Love Lies Bleeding
- Release Date
- March 8, 2024
- Director
- Rose Glass
- Rating
- R
Rose Glass's Love Lies Bleeding is one of only two A24 films with a set release date. In this case, it'll be hitting theaters on March 8, and it looks to be another winner for the distributor. The narrative follows Kristen Stewart's Lou, a gym employee who falls for a bisexual bodybuilder (Katy O'Brian, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). But, their romance is going to produce some bloody complications.
The Promising Sophomore Feature From Rose Glass
First and foremost, O'Brian is a talent worth watching. What little heart there was in the near-disastrous Quantamania was the heart that she herself brought via her performance. Plus, with the rest of the cast including the likes of Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, Ed Harris, and Dave Franco, there's an abundance of dramatic and comedic talent. Not to mention, to have a more modernized version of Bonnie and Clyde (not that that's specifically what director Rose Glass is going for) is a fine idea.
8 Civil War (April 26)
Apr. 26th, 2024
Civil War
- Release Date
- April 26, 2024
- Rating
- R
If director Alex Garland's previous films are any indication, Civil War is going to be making viewers think about it long after the credits roll. Frankly, it looks like his most thought-provoking work yet, and timely at that. The narrative takes place in a near future United States, where dictatorship is the name of the game, and civil war is how that power structure is solidified.
A Political Prediction
Even if you just imagine how many feathers Civil War is going to ruffle, it's one of 2024's more exciting films. For obvious reasons, there couldn't be a more timely film than Garland's, and that's a very unfortunate thing to know. Who knows how the political landscape will look by the end of the calendar year, but at least Civil War's financial success is somewhat of a certainty.
Why Alex Garland's Civil War Is Bound to Feel All too Real
7 Tuesday
Release Date TBD
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Tuesday
- Director
- Daina O. Pusic
- Writers
- Daina O. Pusic
Tuesday, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who has reallycome back, thank goodness), already had its debut at the 50th Telluride Film Festival back in September 2023. Much like Louis-Dreyfus' other A24 venture (You Hurt My Feelings), it received positive marks from critics. The off-the-wall narrative follows a mother and daughter as they meet literal death. But, it's not a ghastly figure in a cloak...it's a talking bird.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Venturing Into the Surreal
When a director (in this case Diana O. Pusic) makes their debut with a plot as bizarrely compelling as Tuesday's, you know they're a talent worth watching. Toss in its glowing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's a film worth being excited about. Not to mention, it's supposed to contain some of Louis-Dreyfus' best work to date, which is saying a lot.
6 Sing Sing
Release Date TBD
Sing Sing is a film about the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. In fact, save for two performers, every cast member in Sing Sing is an alumnus of the program. The Colman Domingo-fronted movie premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival back in September, so while it doesn't have an official release date, it's fair to expect this one in 2024.
Another Powerful Performance From Colman Domingo
The true-to-life story behind Sing Sing is heartwarming. Seeing people lost in the world finding themselves (together) even in the darkest of places is endearing. After the year that Colman Domingo has had with the success of The Color Purple, it's hugely exciting to see him lead this new project. Moreover, it guarantees some incredible acting.
5 Problemista
Release Date TBD
Problemista premiered at SXSW all the way back in March 2023, and if it weren't for the SAG-AFTRA strike, it would have premiered the same year. As of now, a 2024 release date has not been confirmed. But, considering it received excellent reviews, there's no reason to expect Problemista to have any trouble securing theatrical screenings at some point this calendar year.
Julio Torres's Highly Anticipated Debut Feature
The second film (and the first of two likely for 2024) produced by Emma Stone and Dave McCary's Fruit Tree banner, Problemista looks to further cement the duo's future as a part of A24. It's a production house that cultivates talent and lets it thrive on its own, and Stone is nothing if not ridiculously talented. Problemista won't make $100 million domestically, but it'll make a dent of some sort. Speaking of talent, it's written, directed, and led by Julio Torres, who is absurdly funny as demonstrated by Los Espookys, so it will be wonderful to finally see his feature-length debut.
4 Janet Planet
Release Date TBD
Janet Planet premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in early September 2023, so its 2024 release is a safe bet. After that screening (not to mention the subsequent one at the 2023 New York Film Festival one month later), it garnered positive critical reviews. So there's nothing holding A24 back from giving this Julianne Nicholson-fronted drama a release in the near future.
A Grounded Family Drama Done Well
A24 has more high-concept movies en route than Janet Planet, but that diversity is what makes it such a wonderful production house. This film will be a low-key family drama, and that's an area where A24 has excelled, just as they have with horror films such as Green Room and The Lighthouse. Plus, Nicholson is a tremendous talent, and not once has she delivered a performance less than magnetic (e.g. in August: Osage County or the terrific new Nicolas Cage film Dream Scenario).
3 I Saw the TV Glow
Release Date TBD
Starring Bill & Ted Face the Music's Brigette Lundy-Paine and Detective Pikachu's Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow is a horror film about the obsession with television. Specifically, the two leads will play teens who develop a friendship over their shared love for a particular program. But, when that program is canceled, what the duo once thought of as their reality starts to morph into anything but.
Perfectly Cast Horror-Comedy
Both Smith and Lundy-Paine can carry a film easily. They alone are reason enough to be excited, but I Saw the TV Glow is also a product of Emma Stone and Dave McCary's production company: Fruit Tree. Thus far, Fruit Tree has been involved with just three films, and all were for A24. The only one released is When You Finish Saving the World, and while that film was a mixed bag, it showed a good sense of what tone Stone and McCary were going with in their films. Basically, a little off the beaten path. So, whatever they do is going to be great under the A24 banner.
2 A Different Man
Release Date TBD
A Different Man follows an unrecognizable Sebastian Stan as Edward, who has paid great sums for a surgery that will allow him a new life. But, after having undergone the procedure, Edward becomes obsessed with a man who is now playing him in a stage play. A stage play based on the life Edward has left behind.
New Territory For Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan has made quite a name for himself in Hollywood. He's most known as The Winter Soldier in the MCU, but it's not as if assassins in blockbusters are all he can play. Stan has always gone to lengths to expand his range (e.g. with Pam & Tommy), and A Different Man looks to be the biggest test of that range yet.
1 MaXXXine
Release Date TBD
The third and final installment of Ti West's ingenious X trilogy (which both began and continued in 2022) does not have an official release date. But set photos with lead Mia Goth and co-star Halsey were hitting the internet all the way back in May 2023, so the chances of post-production lasting long enough to negate the potential of a 2024 release are slim. Just as the film's announcement was a surprise (alongside Pearl's), one might expect MaXXXine's release date to end up a surprise too.
(Hopefully) A Powerful Conclusion to a Beloved Trilogy
Given the fanbase developed by the first two films over the past two years, it's fair to expect West's trilogy-capper to be a bigger hit than the first two films combined. Not to mention, MaXXXine has a particularly stacked cast, including Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, Lily Collins, Elizabeth Debicki, and what's assuredly another masterful performance from Goth (provided some newfound legal trouble doesn't amount to much).
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