A24’s 2024 Horror and Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

Independent studios are the driving force behind creativity and originality in the film industry. Many of the wonderful original stories or boundary-pushing films that are made are produced and distributed by indie studios. Neon is an excellent example of one of the most promising indie studios making films today. Just this year alone they have hit big with movies such as Immaculate, Longlegs, and Anora.

The commercial and critical success of such movies further proves that independent filmmaking keeps the film industry alive with innovative and imaginative ideas. Indie movies break the mold in all genres, from drama to comedy, but especially horror and sci-fi. Pushing past the typical popcorn flick style of making horror and sci-fi films to create provocative, intelligent genre stories is why indie films are needed.

The studio that has largely changed the game for indie horror and sci-fi in recent years is none other than A24. The New York-based independent studio has consistently released original films and television shows that break genre molds since 2012. They have essentially become the standard for what independent filmmaking can and should be. Between dramas, comedies, coming-of-age, and more, A24 knows how to make and pick projects that stand out.

This notion is especially true for horror and sci-fi, with films like Midsommar, Hereditary, Ex Machina, and Under the Skin. The studio continues to bring new ideas and stories to both genres, with 2024 being no exception. So, here are each of A24’s 2024 horror and sci-fi releases, ranked.

5 ‘The Front Room’

Release Date September 6, 2024

Director Max Eggers , Sam Eggers

Main Genre Horror

Directed by Robert Eggers’ younger brothers Sam and Max, The Front Room is a return to horror for Brandy Norwood. The horror thriller follows a young couple whose life is thrown into chaos when they reluctantly agree to house the husband’s estranged stepmother in her elderly years. Everything goes sideways for newly pregnant Belinda (Norwood) as soon as she moves in. As it becomes increasingly clear that her mother-in-law wants to sink her claws into Belinda’s unborn child, Belinda must protect her own.

A Strong Return to Horror for Brandy

The premise of The Front Room is familiar, and it could be described as The Visit meets Rosemary’s Baby. Religious fanatics or devil worshipers have been trying to steal unborn children from desperate mothers for decades in horror movies. However, the younger Eggers brothers tried to spice it up by making the film unnervingly funny and campy. Brandy’s strong lead performance and Kathryn Hunter’s diabolical turn as a mother-in-law from hell work in the movie’s favor as they bounce incredibly well off each other. A solid debut from the Eggers brothers and a well-done return to the genre for Brandy.

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4 ‘MaXXXine’

Release Date July 5, 2024

Ti West’s MaXXXine served as the highly anticipated conclusion to the X slasher trilogy. The last installment sees Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) six years after the farmhouse massacre in X, now living in 1985 Los Angeles. After continuing in the adult entertainment industry, Maxine finally gets her big break when she is cast as the lead role in a horror movie sequel. Her chance at stardom is threatened when a killer stalking young Hollywood starlets runs the risk of revealing her bloody past.

A Tribute to ’80s Horror

Both X and its prequel Pearl beautifully paid homage to the genres they were emulating. X was a loving tribute to the gritty slashers of the ’70s while Pearl was an ode to Technicolor Old Hollywood films while also being a fascinating character study. MaXXXine was an homage to the campy Giallo horror films that were popular in the ’80s. From the killer with gloved hands to the emphasis on color, the movie was an accurate tribute and captured the aesthetic of ’80s L.A. Although the film doesn’t have the same horror elements as X or the psychological aspects of Pearl, MaXXXine was still an entertaining conclusion to the trilogy.

Stream MaXXXine on Max

3 ‘Y2K’

Y2K

Release Date March 9, 2024

Saturday Night Live alumn Kyle Mooney makes his directorial debut with Y2K, a sci-fi comedy that takes place on New Year’s Eve in 1999. The disaster comedy follows two high school juniors, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), as they crash a New Year’s Eve party only to find themselves fighting for their lives. The movie showcases an alternate version of the Year 2000 Problem. Y2K genuinely had people concerned that computers around the world would be unable to handle the change from 1999 to 2000 because dates were formatted MM/DD/YY, and 2000 would be indistinguishable from 1900. This could have potentially brought down global computerized infrastructures. In Mooney’s film, this actually does occur.

A Digital Disaster Comedy

Y2K premiered at SXSW in March of this year and feels like an extended SNL skit with tons of late ’90s nostalgia but framed in a more cinematic way. It starts out delightfully zany before fully committing to the outlandish disaster comedy bit. It’s an inventive take on the disaster horror/sci-fi comedy with superb practical effects that evolve throughout the movie. For anyone who lived through the late ’90s or early ‘2000s, it captures a very specific kind of nostalgia that could only be experienced during the rise of the digital age.

Y2K will have its theatrical release on December 6th.

2 ‘I Saw the TV Glow’

Release Date May 3, 2024

Director Jane Schoenbrun

Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s third film is also a film that portrays a very specific ’90s nostalgia, this time involving late-night teen shows. It follows a teenager named Owen (Justice Smith) as he tries to make it through life in the suburbs when his older classmate Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show called “The Pink Opaque”. The show is a bizarre vision of a supernatural world much like our own. In front of the glow of the television set, Owen’s grip on reality begins to crack.

A Beautiful Nightmare About Being Yourself

A beautiful, moving blend of drama and horror, I Saw the TV Glow is a cautionary tale about the consequences of not living life the way you were meant to. Filled with disorienting, and at times disturbing, imagery and an almost hallucinatory soundtrack, the film is like an extended dream sequence with nightmarish qualities. Aside from some of the freaky visuals, the horror is dialed down here. Instead, the horror comes from within. It comes from denying the differing elements that make each of us up and the inability to communicate feelings.

Stream I Saw the TV Glow on Max

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1 ‘Heretic’

Release Date November 8, 2024

Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ fifth feature-length outing together is a phenomenal, unique take on religious horror. Heretic follows two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), as they go door-to-door trying to persuade people to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After knocking on seemingly innocent Mr. Reed’s (Hugh Grant) door, the young women are soon thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse that will test their strength in their faith.

A Horrifying Discussion About Theology

Hugh Grant gives a career-best performance here, easily switching between unsettling humor to downright horrifying. He plays a charming psychopath effortlessly. While most religious horror focuses on satanic cults or corrupted churches and endless jump scares, Heretic is a fascinating theological discussion about belief vs. disbelief at the hands of organized religion.

The film raises major points about the controlling nature of many religions that have been raised before, but the way it is presented makes it far different from other films in the subgenre. Mr. Reed constantly tests their faith and challenges the very idea of religion, forcing the girls to either stick with their beliefs or give into disbelief. Each girl takes a different approach to his accusations and comparisons, leading to a captivating chase that makes you think about your own beliefs.

Heretic is currently playing in theaters.

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