The Importance of A24 in an Age of Repetitive Narratives in Film and TV: A Discussion with Fans.
- gelsomina de lucia
- Dec 13, 2020
- 11 min read
It would be unjust to deny that, for over the past decade, cinema has been dominated by remakes, reboots, reimaginings and franchises. From audiences who thrive on consuming media from their adored franchises to fans who enjoy watching their childhood favourite animations come to life and to audiences who enjoy watching numerous interpretations of their favoured stories, all of these viewers have become blinded by escapism and nostalgia and refuse to acknowledge that these films also - and primarily - serve for monetary gain.
An example of recent remakes, reboots, reimaginings and franchises.
The film and television industry are conscious of the equation that, films which either belong to a well established franchises or are successors of box office hits, have a higher probability of accumulating a profit. This is - predominantly - due to the films inherited audience from either a previous film, or existing media such as a book (any Stephen King or Roald Dahl book), or video game (Tomb Raider) which the film is based on. By acknowledging the powerful influence of inherited audiences in regards to profits, production and distributions companies can firmly create a film with a blanket of security.
It tends to slip peoples mind that the entertainment industry is, first and foremost, a business. To fund a film that has no pre-existing media or an audience establishment is risky and more likely not to generate a profit therefore, it is safer to focus on the remakes, reboots, reimagining's and franchises.
However, A24 is firmly proving that originality can be successful.
A24 is an American based distribution, financing and production company founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges in 2012. They are most known for creating their TV series Euphoria (2019 -) alongside films such as Moonlight (2016), Midsommer (2019), Lady Bird (2017) and Hereditary (2018).
Personally, I believe that their popularity stems from their films focusing primarily on emotive and thought provoking storytelling instead of focusing on creating something which sells. Additionally, they equally use and challenge conventions and do not shy away from blurring genres as seen in their horror films Hereditary, Midsommer, It Comes at Night (2017), The Monster (2016) and Into the Forest (2015). The horrific moments in these films are not - to me - the conventional horror jumpscare moments but, scenes where there is intense emotional tension between the characters. This is well displayed in the 'dinner sequence' (shown below) in Ari Aster's, Hereditary.
Martin Scorsese described "Hereditary" and "Midsommer" as films which dig deep into emotions that are "real and deeply uncomfortable".
The dinner argument in Hereditary, the way Dani's boyfriend treats her, the tension between the families in It Comes at Night and how they deal with it, a child dealing and caring with her mothers drug addiction and a woman coming to term with bearing a child produced out of a sexual assault; these are all human situations which can happen to anyone and A24 know how to utilise humanity and human qualities to showcase horror.
My passion for A24's respect and understanding for film - especially the horror genre - led me to create my own film festival on Instagram during the early months of lockdown.
The event ran from April 24th (abbreviated to A24) to May 1st and allowed for people to share their favourite films from the company in a creative manner. Creating posters (shown above), teaser trailers, countdowns and character recreations are some of the things I did to generate buzz for the event and I was pleasantly surprised with how successful it was. Over two hundred posts where created during that events time frame through the hashtag I created called, #A24festival.
Trailer I edited announcing the festival had begun.
Recreations of A24 characters I created and utilised to create a countdown to the festival.
A video showcasing the festival in its entirety.
Through the hashtag I created for the event, I discovered others who adore A24 as a company and decided to interview a handful of those people regarding their love for A24, why they believe the company is successful and where they think the future will take this independent company and cinema.
How did you stumble across A24 and what got you hooked to them?
Person One: A24 first came to my attention back in 2014 or 2015 when the trailer for Robert Eggers'
'The Witch' dropped. Immediately I was caught off guard by the style. The use of the relatively disused 1:66.1 aspect ratio met with camera work that both reminded me of cinema long forgotten met with things I've not seen before proved to me that the director behind this was somebody with a love for cinema and it's history, but with such a passion that he could push things in new directions.
When 'The Witch' was released, I was becoming increasingly aware that cinema was going in a direction I didn't care for with superheroes really starting to push out cinema that promoted and inspired individual thought and expression. I had just started college at the time and was surrounded by filmmakers much like myself, but instead of wanting to say anything, they all wanted to be part of Disney and work for them making what are to me, products. If Disney is there for the business minded filmmakers, A24 is there for the artistic minded and that is what hooked me.
Person Two: I stumbled across them through Robert Egger’s The Witch. I hadn't heard of them until I saw that movie.
Person Three: I think my first A24 was “Ex Machina” I loved it and “Green Room” immediately after. Right away I was surprised by the quality and originality of these two movies and just kept digging ever since.
Person Four: I stumbled across A24 when Hereditary came out, so only a few years ago. I remember watching Hereditary in awe at what a different kind of psychological masterpiece it was. After looking into the company more I realized I had seen “The Lobster” and “The Vvitch” already and remembered what an impact that those films had on me as well. They had such a different concept and different beauty to them than other films nowadays. Figuring out I had seen two extremely different, yet stunning films from the same company made me want to delve into them more. After that, I knew this was a company I would follow for the rest of my life.
What A24 film means the most to you and why?
Person One: 'The Witch' has held my number one slot from the second I saw it. Hollywood tries to capture certain eras in cinema by making modern movies in that style, and this often feels like you're being bashed over the head. The recent trend of setting everything in the 80's is evidence. The Witch' however, does what many directors these days struggle to accomplish and perfectly pays homage to the golden age of horror films without being consumed by that. Instead, Eggers is able to veer off in his own direction and tell his own story without being bogged down in the inclusion of various tropes or subverting expectations from such tropes in order to get a reaction from his audience. Most films in the current cinematic climate will bash you over the head with nostalgia and 'remember this!?' moments to evoke an emotion from the audience and it's just cynical. Eggers is able to borrow from the past to move forward and that demands respect.
Person Two: Probably The Witch because it was the first one I saw knowing it was an A24 movie.
Person Three: My favorite A24 film is probably “The Lobster” I love a good dark comedy and I could rewatch it and it still feels new and fresh and hilarious
Person Four: The A24 film that means the most to me is Midsommar. I wouldn’t say it’s a “horror” film, and that’s why so many horror lovers hate it. Midsommar is a psychological FUCK of a movie. It’s absolutely beautiful in scenery, plot and score. The acting? Phenomenal. The feeling that movie gave me, the realization of what I had been through and didn’t see. Watching Dani breakdown after multiple things Christian said to her, or the way he reacted to something, resonated with me. It opened my eyes to my past relationships, my current relationship, and myself. It helped me realize I need to love ME, take care of ME, and drop any significant other that doesn’t feel like “home” to me. Midsommar made me realize I have never been with a person that feels like “home”. Midsommar also taught me that it’s okay to be alone, because you never are truly alone. You have family, whether they’re blood or not. You are loved by many, and you must love yourself.
Why do you think A24 has become a successful independent company?
Person One: People think making any film that isn't a superhero film won't make returns as they've been taking in less profits since the popularity of the superhero genre has boomed over the past decade, but this is mainly due to poor marketing than anything else. I believe Disney's domination of the industry and their ability to fund 3-4 blockbuster hits a year has shown Hollywood an easy route to making their billions, hence the apparent 'risk' of funding anything that doesn't conform to this. A24 aren't afraid of this. They do this because of a respect for cinema as an art form and the desire for directors not to be silenced or pushed aside. Also, people want something different and A24 can always provide that.
Person Two: I think they have managed to be successful by choosing really out there movies to distribute.
Person Three: People want good original movies, tired of the same old rehashes and sequels. A24 takes risks on young, talented filmmakers and it pays off big time.
Person Four: A24 has become so successful because each of their films are so different. Look at “The Death of Dick Long” compared to “The Lighthouse”. Or “Tusk” to “The Killing of the Sacred Deer”. Each movie is a masterpiece, in an extremely opposite way than any other movies in the industry today.
What makes them stand out to you as a company?
Person One: A24 stand out to me because they will always go against what's popular or a guaranteed money maker in favour of promoting the talent they have.
Person Two: What really makes them stand out to me is that they are giving filmmakers with original scripts the chance to bring their visions to life. A lot of these projects do not sound like money makers on paper so it would be really hard to get a lot of this stuff made through Universal for example.
Person Three: They are not afraid to take risks. It really feels like they let the director make the movie they want to make.
Person Four: A24 stands out to me because they are so different. They are a company that takes risks, a company that will make any kind of movie and not worry about the affect it will have on the viewers. A24 wants you to FEEL their movies. They’re not a “here’s some tits, ass, and murder” company. Their films have a depth and difference to them that movie lovers have longed for.
Do you think we need more companies like A24 and why?
Person One: Yes because, not only do they not depend on making sequels and remakes but they don't force wokeness into their work. A24 are able to tackle social justice respectfully in films like 'Moonlight' by telling an actual story. 'Moonlight' was made by people who thought this story needed telling and that the best kind of filmmaking. The reactions of audiences all around the world further proves that. They refuse to patronise their audience and never come across as condescending. They believe in marketing their work so audiences can easier find them and this pays off. They probably have the biggest balls in Hollywood at the moment.
Person Two: Yes I think we do. I’m excited for more original stuff like The Green Knight coming out down the line.
Person Three: Yes! And with the current global situation I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we don’t see a lot of smaller production companies emerge. The big Hollywood machine is broken and will not recover from this pandemic
Person Four: I believe we definitely need more companies like A24 because the industry is falling apart in my opinion. All movies being released in current times are shitty remakes, or non imaginative plots that have been made over and over. More found footage films with the same dumb jump scares, the same hack and slash killers with a final girl that beats them in the end. A24 has such a variety of psychological, fucked up, beautiful, films to choose from. All so vastly different from what the industry is used to. A24 needs to grow and become more known in the world because this is a company that is making waves. Their films are a breath of fresh air.
Do you think a company like A24 is vital during a time where reboots, remakes, reimagining and franchises dominant the film industry?
Person One: As Hollywood has proven before, a lack of risks will cause the industry to suffer. Superhero films, remakes, reboots, etc aren't really pushing any boundaries if at all. When Hollywood starts to struggle and people get tired of the same old things, A24 will be standing still with new audiences coming to them for original storytelling.
Person Two: Definitely. I love cinema in general so I think it's just as important to have A24 movies as well as popcorn films.
Person Three: Absolutely! Originality and freedom of expression is everything.
Person Four: A24 is an extremely important company nowadays because the movie industry is running out of ideas. All that comes out now are remakes of old classics. A24 is a company that will give you something different, something amazing, each and every film they release. You want different? It’s A24. They are something big, and more people need to realize how much of an impact this company could have on the world if their movies were more appreciated.
How would you like to see the company evolve?
Person One: I don't think A24 can evolve. They have everything just right. They need to keep doing what they're doing and the only thing that will evolve is the size of their returns and with that, their output. You can't evolve when you're constantly introducing new visions. Evolution implies their work has a formula that will change into something else. Their work doesn't follow a formula, whereas a sequel or remake might. They need to keep doing what they're doing and keep giving independent directors that voice.
Person Two: Just keep pushing original and fresh stories. I want more stuff that I haven't seen before.
Person Three: I don’t actually want to see them evolve or get bigger. When that happens it’s easy to lose focus on quality.
Person Four: I would love to see A24 have more movies that make it to awards ceremonies. I want A24 to have the next golden globe nomination for best picture because I know this company could give the world a movie worth that respect and honor. They have given us films that are worthy of the world knowing what they are, how psychological fucked they are, and how eye opening they are to our culture and life. This world needs change, and A24 offers change in a form of cinema. Absolutely perfect cinema.
When I started planning this article, I wanted to highlight - through my experience with A24 as a viewer and an independent filmmaker, their importance in the film and television industry due to their focus on emotive storytelling and blurring of genres.
However, while discussing with other A24 fans, it became apparent to me that this company has had the same impact on other people through specific or a handful of films.
As a viewer, they have allowed me to comprehend my feelings in a healthy manner.
As an independent filmmaker, they have motived me to tell the stories I have always wanted to tell.
Writing this article has indicated to me that, while remakes, reboots, reimaginings and franchises dominated the entertainment industry, movie goers warmly welcome films that embrace authenticity and emotion.
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