Ever since its bloom in the 1970s, art-horror has never been the most palatable subgenre for most cinema-goers. Taking on an already polarizing genre, it adds an extra layer of inscrutability or just flat-out “weirdness” to films that are already usually pretty weird. It’s not hard to understand why even the genre’s most commercial, revered films, like Rosemary’s Baby and Black Swan, might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
However, art-horror has been undergoing something of a renaissance over the past decade, thanks almost single-handedly to A24. Since 2012, the indie production company has produced a barrage of art-horror films that, each year, seem to work their way more conspicuously into the public eye. The company’s most popular horror film to date was Ari Aster’s 2018 masterwork Hereditary, which grossed over $80 million at the box office - even if that’s nowhere close to Jaws level, it still far beats earlier A24 films, which sometimes struggled to break even.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
A24 has not only compelled people to go out and see more horror movies, but to talk, theorize, and, most importantly, tweet about them. Stills from A24 horror films have become memes or cultural talking points all on their own. Take Florence Pugh’s iconic “happy” face at the end of Midsommar, which has broken the internet on several occasions. Or the Reddit threads devoted to deconstructing the meaning of films like The Lighthouse. A24 is making us eager not only to see, but to engage more actively with artistic horror. Its cultural impact will span far beyond retweeted memes.
The Aesthetics of Terror
BFI / Film4
If there’s anything that A24 is famous for, it’s their ground/internet-breaking usage of aesthetics. Regardless of genre, any A24 film is bound to be tethered to a particular “look” that becomes an irrevocable part of the film’s story itself. Take last year’s Zola, which was based off of a real Twitter feud; the film plays out like a Twitter thread of events, complete with notification chimes at every turn. Harmony Korine’s 2012 film Spring Breakers is a candy-coated portrait of debauchery and hedonism. Uncut Gems is the video game that none of us would ever want to take part in.
When it comes to art-horror, visuals have always played a key role in storytelling. Not only can they frighten us more deeply than any conversation can, but they also help express the themes of horror that are not so easily put into words. Some art-horror films that are particularly visually stunning - and terrifying - journeys include Don’t Look Now, Eraserhead, and Let The Right One In.
Yet A24 takes the idea of visual storytelling to a whole new level. They have redefined the standards of both beauty and terror alike. Because of this, watching an A24 film for its aesthetics alone becomes a completely worthwhile venture, even if the plot of the film might be lost on us. Some A24 horror films that stand out through their otherworldly aesthetics include Under The Skin, Climax, Lamb, and Men. Watching any of these films is a visually immersive experience that will linger with viewers for a long time after the credits role.
A New Generation of Auteurs and Artists
Universal Pictures
A24 has proved a welcoming space for auteurs with singular visions and up-and-coming actors alike. This is a large part of why all their films feel so new, fresh, and captivating; the company knows how to perfectly walk the line between obscurity and the mainstream. Much of what can be so intimidating about art-horror films is that they often provide us with very few familiar faces. A24 has a habit of ushering in up-and-coming actors into the spotlight - not those we can necessarily name, but who we definitely recognize from somewhere. Anya Taylor-Joy, Alex Wolff, Florence Pugh, Anton Yelchin, among many others, have all found starts to successful careers in A24 horror. Even more compellingly, A24 brings us stars like Kid Cudi and Pete Davidson to slasher films - an unexpected route from the expected.
This goes for whoever works behind the camera, as well. When it comes to art-horror, A24 has been the venue for both indie and mainstream directors to fully unleash their terrifying fantasies upon the world. As a result, we get to tirelessly debate who is truly the next master - Ari Aster or Robert Eggers? A24 provides exciting new fodder for these conversations to be happening all the time. Its new directors, actors, and creative teams provide us with names to get our blood flowing.
Horror For the Real World
A24
A24 knows that ghosts and monsters get a bit boring after a while. Besides their aesthetic flare, if there’s anything else we can expect from an A24 film, it’s that the subject of its horror hasn’t been done before. Even its films which ostensibly revolve around classic horror tropes, like The Witch, A Ghost Story, and Hereditary, find ways of putting their own unique spin on the film’s premise and context, so that the result is something unlike audiences will witness anywhere else.
Meanwhile, A24 isn’t afraid of being topical. Even if its films feel unnecessarily weighty at times, they are always shockingly relevant. Many A24 horror films are scathing critiques on deeply-rooted problems within society, or on the outrageousness of Gen Z (and the other generations, too - like the colonial ones). This brand of criticism can take many different forms, from Midsommar, which is an altogether serious and paralyzing film; to Bodies Bodies Bodies and X, which are generally fun and more lighthearted endeavors. Regardless of how A24’s individual films decide to approach their hefty subject matters, it’s always a promise that they will do so in a way that both catches the eye and sparks a conversation. This is the real part of what makes A24 so accessible for many - behind the stylized gore or period-piece sets, they oddly give the audience a little to relate to.
