Although A24 isn’t necessarily known for its sci-fi movies, the studio has still produced a handful of modern classics. Many ofA24’s best moviesare dramas and dark thrillers. Sometimes, this overlaps into sci-fi, with movies likeEx MachinaandUnder the Skin.
A24 has a reputation for horror movies, some of which incorporate elements of sci-fi to explore cosmic horror, artificial intelligence or other surreal concepts. A24 is one of only a handful of studios with its own fan base, since audiences know that they can expect original and interesting movies, no matter the genre.
The Monsteris familiar territory for A24, as a small-scale horror movie with a creeping sense of dread. The sci-fi elements are what set it apart from other films the studio has released, since the story revolves around a mother and daughter who are pursued by a strange monster of unknown origins.
The Monsteris familiar territory for A24, as a small-scale horror movie with a creeping sense of dread.
The creature design inThe Monsteris reminiscent ofAlienin some regards, and Bryan Bertino also seems to take cues from the way the creature is often just out of frame or obscured by long shadows.It’s a thriller that works more with tension than pure adrenaline, so the focus remains on the relationship between the two characters.
9Into The Forest (2015)
Into The Forest Uses A Sci-Fi Concept As A Jumping-Off Point
For the most part,Into the Forestis a tense thriller about two sisters struggling to survive after a complete societal collapse, but this requires an opaque apocalyptic event that borders on sci-fi. Set in the near-future,Into the Forestalso shows a glimpse of a technologically advanced society before everything falls apart.
Into the Forestrevolves around two compelling performances from Evan Rachel Wood and Elliot Page, as the film is centered around the relationship between the two sisters who lean on each other for survival.Into the Forestis a sci-fi movie about a complete lack of advanced technology, but it still imagines a world different from our own.
White Noiseis based on a novel by Don DeLillo, and Noah Baumbach preserves the author’s absurd tone. It’s a strange story about an environmental catastrophe, a professor in the niche field of “Hitler studies” and a family gripped by their unshakable fear of death. There are sci-fi and supernatural elements peppered throughout.
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White Noisebuilds to a violent crescendo as the family are evacuated to a quarantine camp after a toxic cloud envelops their area, but this plot line is glossed over in an intentionally anticlimactic moment. WhileWhite Noisecertainly isn’t designed to appeal to everyone, Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig both have some great moments, and it leaves its audience with much to ponder.
Kogonada’s second feature-length movie is just as imaginative, cerebral and finely crafted as his audience expected, butAfter Yangnever got too much attention. The story follows a family’s attempts to repair their android son after he starts to malfunction and gradually shut down.
After Yangbalances plenty of different themes with intelligence and finesse. The story deals with grief, childhood trauma and the nature of memory. The sci-fi aspects also allowAfter Yangto delve into the idea of what it means to be human, and what people seek to gain from interactions and friendships.
High Lifeis much darker and more violent than mostspace exploration movies, trading the grand majesty of outer space and the philosophical weight of the cosmos for a gritty meditation on humanity’s desire for power. The confines of the spaceship become a horrific prison, with no chance of escape or rescue.
Robert Pattinson delivers one of his most underrated performances inHigh Life,butit’s Juliette Binoche who often steals the showas a conniving, sociopathic scientist. The malevolent energy she brings to the role capturesHigh Life’s disturbing subversion of the lofty optimism that many astronaut movies hold.
Denis Villeneuve’s movieshave evolved over the years, and he has gained a reputation as one of the finest directors in the sci-fi genre. WhileArrivalwas his true breakthrough into the genre,Enemywas an early experiment with sci-fi concepts, even if it’s best to describe it as a psychological thriller.
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Jake Gyllenhaal plays a pair of doppelgängers inEnemy,which shows off his talent for playing obsessive, neurotic characters just as he does inZodiac, Nightcrawlerand more of his most famous movies. There are various unexplained events throughout the story, ending in a shocking, bizarre final scene that lingers in the memory.
Jonathan Glaze’sUnder the Skinearned glowing reviews, but this didn’t translate into commercial success. Its box office failure could be attributed to its ponderous, methodical pace and its complex plot. There are many different ways to interpretUnder the Skin,and this naturally makes it great to rewatch multiple times.
Scarlett Johansson is a captivating presence inUnder the Skin,even though she has no dialogue and her character displays very little emotion. She plays an alien who roams the Scottish countryside in search of male victims, who she seduces and then banishes to a strange, inky black void.
Yorgos Lanthimos' moviescan be recognized immediately, since they all share a surreal, off-putting atmosphere. While this can be used to create confronting psychological thrillers likeThe Killing of a Sacred Deer,it’s also a powerful tool for absurd dark comedy, likeThe Lobster.
The Lobsteris a wry satire about the state of modern romance, and the ways that people attempt to substitute superficial similarities for genuine human connection. Colin Farrell stars as a man sent to a strange resort for single people who must find compatible romantic partners or be transformed into animals.
Ex Machinapreceded the current wave of artificial intelligence discourseby a few years, but many of its themes are strikingly relevant today.Ex Machinaisn’t just about what it means to be human, it’s also about what people seek to gain from AI, and what that reveals about our true desires.
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Ex Machinahas a small cast and a limited setting, but this creates a pressure-cooker atmosphere that Alex Garland uses to crank up the tension. With great performances all round and a brilliantly written script,Ex Machinamakes the most of what it has.Ex Machina’s shocking ending cements its place as one of A24’s best movies.
Everything Everywhere All at Onceis one of the best sci-fi movies of recent years, winning an Oscar for Best Picture, which is a rare achievement for the genre. The Daniels' masterpiece combines sci-fi with martial arts and plenty of surreal comedy, creating a dazzling multiverse story.
The Daniels' masterpiece combines sci-fi with martial arts and plenty of surreal comedy.
It can be hard to ascertain the deepermeaning ofEverything Everywhere All at Oncebeneath the layers of absurdity, with aRatatouilleparody, characters with sausages for fingers and a long scene of two silent rocks with googly eyes. Ultimately, the meaning lies in this seemingly random onslaught of strange ideas.
