Arthouse movies explore a deeper and more intricate dimension of film. A24, an American independent entertainment company that is best-known for its unnerving and thought provoking films, had a hand in proliferating this niche film genre in the current art and culture climate worldwide.
Founded in 2012, A24 has consistently produced films and television shows that challenge its audience with speculative stories that are eccentric enough to tickle anyone’s fancy—film aficionado or not.
If you’re an A24 film fan, you know how particular the movies the studio has in its arsenal. Here’s what your favorite A24 film says about you:
“Lady Bird” (dir. Greta Gerwig)
Let’s cut to the chase. You have mommy issues. The film centers around Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, as she tries to chase her big New York City dreams.
Her mother is the rock to her balloon, but anyone who sees through the two sides of the coin could see just how much Lady Bird’s mother actually care for her, in her own misguided way.
The film shows a fragmented mother-daughter relationship: the highs and the lows and just how difficult it is to express love in a household permeated in generational trauma. Although Lady Bird’s mother is also confronted by the failure of her own mother, she tries to break free from the cycle to support her daughter.
The film depicts the complex mirroring relationship of mothers and daughters.
“The Lobster” (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
This film is for the ones who believe in the idea of finding the kind of love that isn’t written in the stars. “The Lobster” is set in a world wherein romantic companionship is requisite in one’s survival. One must find their soulmate based on superficial traits that match their own (such as minor ailments, which they find key to compatibility)—and if they don’t find their soulmate in time, they will be turned into an animal of their choice.
The protagonist, David, is set to be turned into a lobster should he find himself soulmate-less. David joins a band of rebels called the “loners.”
David has started to accept his fate of being alone when he and a nameless woman from the rebel group started to fall for each other. They also share the same condition of being short-sighted which has made them soulmates by default. However, the loners prohibit any type of romantic relationship as to oppose the totalitarian hold of the utopian world they live in.
As a punishment, the nameless woman is blinded and the only link she had with David is severed. The film concludes with David blinding himself which concretely represents the thesis of the film (no matter how morbid): some love stories aren’t written in the stars, some take a lot of sacrifice to work.
“The Farewell” (dir. Lulu Wang)
“The Farewell” tackles the constrained relationship between family and culture. If you love this film, you are most likely a family person.
The film explores the Chinese cultural belief of not disclosing a life-threatening disease to a family member. Billie, the protagonist of the film, is conflicted in not telling her “Nai Nai” (paternal grandmother) about her terminal lung cancer. She, along with her family, kept the secret from “Nai Nai” in order to keep her from worrying and worsening her situation further.
The narrative showcases how family-oriented Asians are and how much we care so much for our elderly loved one. The movie marks the importance of filial piety.
“On the Rocks” (dir. Sofia Coppola)
We’ve come full circle. If this is your favorite A24 film, you certainly have daddy issues. “On the Rocks” tells the story of Laura as she grapples with suspicion over her husband’s fidelity towards her.
Laura confides in her father, Felix, about her situation with her husband. As a longtime playboy (and an absentee parental figure to Laura), he helps Laura assess the situation and even proposes the idea of stalking Laura’s husband.
The film depicts a rekindling of a fractured father-daughter relationship. It shows emotional and heart-wrenching scenes while also ensuring a laugh from its viewers from time to time.
“Pearl” (dir. Ti West)
If you liked “Pearl,” you definitely are a big dreamer and you would do just about anything to reach that dream.
Although the film is more of a horror flick than an ode to dreamers, it still effectively narrates the story of the titular character of Pearl as she chases after her dream of being a star.
The gory nature of the film underscores the immediacy of Pearl’s dream of stardom. This film is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Watch with discretion.
The steady-rise of arthouse films is completely warranted in this generation’s urge to be challenged with thought-provoking media. A24 continues to make movies that are nothing short of outstanding.