A24, the studio which has dominated the box office and awards circuit in recent years, has earned a loyal viewership in a way that the big studios such as Disney or Universal could only dream of. With their social media campaigns they have very much targeted a younger audience, as well as with their fairly large focus on coming-of-age stories, but the studio has by no means restricted itself to this genre.

“Moonlight went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and this was only the beginning of their success at the Oscars”

A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, all of whom had extensive previous experience in the film industry, but became disillusioned with the way that cinema was being produced and wanted to focus on auteur-driven films. They began as a distributor, with A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (2013) as the first film that they were involved in. Despite the mixed reviews the film received, it marked the beginning of the seemingly exponential rise of the studio. But it was not until Moonlight (2016) that A24 would begin producing rather than distributing films, and given the phenomenal critical reception that Moonlight received for its exploration of sexuality, race and identity, the studio was clearly one to watch. Moonlight went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and this was only the beginning of their success at the Oscars.

“The main question is why, and how a studio which releases films that are not linked in the same universe unlike, say the Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to build this cult viewership”

A24 is behind some of my favourite films of the past few years, such as Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), the absurdist comedy-drama which somehow made me tear up over rocks with googly eyes and cackle over ‘Raccacoonie’. The film had a phenomenal social impact and seemed to dominate the headlines for the majority of the year it came out, especially in the run up to awards season. The film went on to win a staggering 7 Oscars at the Academy Awards in 2023, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Everything Everywhere All At Once also notably earned Jamie Lee Curtis her first Oscar nomination and win for Best Supporting Actress.

Following the behemoth that was the Daniels’ second feature film, A24 has maintained a strong media presence and its very loyal audience has continued to grow. The main question is why, and how a studio which releases films that are not linked in the same universe unlike, say the Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to build this cult viewership. For me, the films the studio releases tend to be hit or miss; I was deeply moved by Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017), and its focus on the push and pull dynamic between independence and familial obligation has made it one of the most affecting coming-of-age films I’ve seen. However, despite some positive reception, this year’s I Saw the TV Glow simply did not land with me. I found it to be style over substance, with the third act being rushed. Despite being beautifully shot and having a very high concept narrative, the two simply did not fit together and resulted in a confused, unsatisfying mess.

“this does raise the question as to whether the studio is beginning to become that which its founders wanted to avoid”

My espousing this view will surely be enough to rile up certain supporters of the studio in whose eyes, A24 can seemingly do no wrong. There is no other studio that you frequently hear someone call themselves a fan of. Given the great disparities between genres that a studio may produce, this stance seems untenable, and yet in the case of A24, it is very much the reality. When was the last time that you saw someone walking about with a Paramount cap on? I would hazard a guess that the answer is never, yet on my most recent trip to the cinema, I saw three people wearing A24 merch. No, not merch from one of their films which of course they also sell but clothing that has their logo on it.

Despite their loyal fanbase, A24 has also come under criticism after they released artwork for Civil War (2024) which was created by AI. For a studio which claims to be the champion of individual voices and artists in the industry, this is of course a very big faux pas. The studio did take down the artwork and apologise, but this does raise the question as to whether the studio is beginning to become that which its founders wanted to avoid. Following the success of their recent releases, they appear to be cutting corners and to be increasingly focused on profit margins as opposed to the craftsmanship behind the films they are releasing.