A24 has emerged as one of the most original production companies in recent years. And while the films it produces span every genre — horror, documentary, comedy and beyond — the entertainment house has become synonymous with a certain aesthetic.
The company has attracted singular filmmakers like Sofia Coppola, Ari Aster, Yorgos Lanthimos and Barry Jenkins, who have helped define the company’s creative ethos to the point that it’s often easy to recognize a film as being an A24 production. And its films aren’t just underground hits, either. Many of them, like Minari, The Zone of Interest and Everything Everywhere All at Once, have also won Oscars.
While HBO Max is the premier destination to stream the most A24 films, you can find some of its best movies across several free streaming services such as Kanopy, Tubi, Pluto TV and Plex. This June, catch the make-your-palms-sweat Adam Sandler thriller Uncut Gems, Oscar-winner The Whale, or the heartrending drama Aftersun, plus many more great films, on those platforms.
Here are some of our favorite A24 hits that you can watch now without spending a dime.
Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems stars Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a jeweler and gambling addict who owes his loan shark brother-in-law money and needs to sell a precious black opal at auction to pay back his loan. Over the course of a harrowing few days, Howard lends the opal to Boston Celtics player Kevin Garnett (who appears as himself). The baller then takes off with the gem, leading Howard on a wild chase to recover it and attempt to make good on his loan, while also sinking deeper into debt as he places other risky bets.
Brendan Fraser won an Oscar for his performance in The Whale, the 2022 film directed by Darren Aronofsky. It follows an obese English teacher who attempts to spend time with his estranged teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), essentially by bribing her with a massive sum of money he has saved. The emotional drama also earned Hong Chau an Oscar nomination for her supporting role.
Minari is a semi-autobiographical story based on director Lee Isaac Chung’s upbringing. Nominated for six Oscars, the film is the story of a family of South Korean immigrants who relocate from California to Arkansas during the 1980s. Youn Yuh-jung won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Soon-ja, the family matriarch who emigrates from South Korea to live with the family, and the film co-stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri and Alan Kim.
The 2022 drama Aftersun stars Paul Mescal as Calum, the young father of an 11-year-old named Sophie (Frankie Corio). The two take a holiday to a Turkish beach resort together, and the film is a moving, lovely character study of their relationship and a reflection on their fleeting, shared moments together. We later see an adult Sophie watching the camcorder footage she shot, reconnecting with the memories of her past. The critically acclaimed film is available on Pluto, Tubi and Plex.
The Disaster Artist stars brothers James and Dave Franco as real actors Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero, who starred together in the 2003 film The Room. The film chronicles their friendship and the disastrous production of the film, which is considered by many to be the worst of all time. Loads of A-listers appear in cameos as themselves, including Kristen Bell, J.J. Abrams and Adam Scott, and the supporting cast also includes Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Jacki Weaver and Seth Rogen. James Franco directed the movie, which was based on a book co-written by Sestero.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
Where to watch: Kanopy, Plex, Tubi, Pluto TV
Swiss Army Man is the feature film debut of directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (collectively known as DANIELS), who went on to write and direct the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once. The surrealist dark comedy film stars Daniel Radcliffe as the corpse of a guy named Manny, and Paul Dano stars as Hank, a man marooned on a deserted island who uses Manny’s body to help get him off the island. Totally bizarre and completely original, the film is a massive departure from Radcliffe’s Harry Potter persona and is ultimately a friendship story between a man and the very flatulent dead body that helps him find his way home.
Before he teamed up with Emma Stone for their productive movie partnership, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos helmed the 2017 thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. In the film, the two star as a married couple, Steven and Anna, who take in a teenager named Martin (Barry Keoghan) who has sinister intentions to break their family apart to get revenge against Steven for something that he did in his past.
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