For reference, the films* discussed in this post are sorted below by release year.

• The Bling Ring (2013)
• The Florida Project (2017)
• Uncut Gems (2019)
• Zola (2020)
• Minari (2020)
• On The Rocks (2020)
• False Positive (2021)
• The Green Knight (2021)
• Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021)
• Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
• Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
• White Noise (2022)
• Causeway (2022)
• Sharper (2023)
• Priscilla (2023)

*Note: The 15 films discussed in this post are not all of the A24 films I’ve seen, only the ones that I have logged on Letterboxd. 

I first started becoming more interested in film during the summer of 2020. Bolstered by the volume of content on the many streaming services I was subscribed to and the boredom I was experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, I began to fill my time by watching films. It wasn’t long before I found that my taste in film (which is, to be honest, all over the place) coincided well with the indie production company, A24. 

Based in Manhattan, A24 was founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges in 2012. Working in the television and film industry, A24 broke into public consciousness in 2013 with the popular films Spring Breakers, The Bling Ring, and The Spectacular Now. 

Since its conception, A24 has produced some of the most popular films of the decade, including the 2022 Best Picture Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once. The company dabbles in all genres, including drama, horror, comedy, musicals, and documentaries. Frequent directors seen working with the company include Sofia Coppola, Sean Baker, and the Safdie brothers. 

All this is my way of saying that I constantly have my eyes peeled for the next A24 release. I don’t religiously keep up with each one, but I can confidently say that I’ve overall enjoyed each A24 film I’ve seen. As for my ranking? Let’s discuss.

15. False Positive (2021)

I was actually very excited to watch False Positive when it came out in the summer of 2021. It stars Ilana Glazer from Broad City, a show that I discovered and devoured when I was in college. I was excited to see Glazer expand her filmography and try her hand at psychological horror. Unfortunately, even while running at a tight 93 minutes, False Positive couldn’t end soon enough for me. While I won’t spoil the twists and turns of the film for you, I will say that the last twenty minutes are full of blood and gore, screaming, and a trippy hallucination from Glazer’s character. This film is not for the faint of heart or for anyone who has any pregnancy related trauma. 

Letterboxd ranking: 3/5

14. The Green Knight (2021)

I’m going to be completely honest right now and say that I do not remember much about The Green Knight. The film stars Dev Patel, who I adore, and introduced me to Barry Keoghan, an actor who was experiencing a breakout year in 2021. The film is billed as an “epic fantasy,” but mostly left me asking questions and feeling confused. This is one of the A24 films that I watched because of the hype and walked away feeling no connection to it. And that’s okay! Not every film you watch is going to stick with you. 

Letterboxd ranking: 3/5

13. On the Rocks (2020) 

Ah yes, On the Rocks, the film where Sofia Coppola discovered black people!* My personal least favorite Coppola film and the lowest that I have ever rated one of her films. While I typically love Coppola’s filmmaking style, this film is ultimately a drag. A father and daughter tale mixed in with cheating accusations, side characters who aren’t given enough to do, and subpar performances from Rashida Jones and Bill Murray. All of this said, I haven’t watched it since 2020, so a rewatch may be in my future to see if my Letterboxd ranking is still fair. Speaking of which… 

Letterboxd ranking: 2/5

* Please note that a.) I am joking and b.) I can’t take credit for this joke. It appears dozens of times in the Letterboxd reviews for this film. 

12. The Bling Ring (2013)

Another Coppola film, this time with much more flair and a clear point of view. In 2013, Coppola decided to tackle the story of The Bling Ring, a group of Los Angeles teenagers who famously broke into the homes of celebrities to steal big ticket items after tracking their whereabouts on entertainment blogs. The film famously stars Emma Watson in one of her first post-Harry Potter roles and includes a cameo from real life Bling Ring victim, Paris Hilton. This film is fun and light and different from Coppola’s usual melancholy tone. I like this film but it does feel a bit out of place in Coppola’s overall filmography. 

Letterboxd ranking: 3/5

11. Sharper (2023)

Fun, sexy and a bit long at nearly two hours, Sharper is the kind of mystery-thriller-action film that you can watch with your mom and your friends. Starring Julianna Moore and Sebastian Stan, Sharper is told through multiple characters, through different timelines, and over the course of a couple of years. The build up is slow, but once you reach the half hour mark, I guarantee you’ll be interested to see where this story ends.

Letterboxd ranking: 3/5

10. Zola (2020)
Zola! Oh man, this film is a riot. Based on a true story that was documented on Twitter through 148 tweets in 2015, Zola follows Aziah Wells as she goes through a shocking weekend in Florida. For more background on the real life tale, I recommend this article that includes the tweets. The film has an all-star cast of Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo, and Nicholas Braun. Braun is a personal highlight for me, as he has one scene towards the end of the film that had me and my best friend screaming with laughter. A wild and twisty tale, Zola is the first film on this list that I HIGHLY recommend you watch.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my A24 ranking, coming soon! You can follow me on Letterboxd here.