2025 has been a major year for A24, as in addition to scoring several Academy Award victories forThe Brutalist, the production company unveiled some of its biggest box office hits ever, includingCeline Song’sMaterialists. A24 has become a brand powerful enoughthat the Marvel Cinematic Universe has drawn inspirationfrom its marketing techniques, and a catalog of branded merchandise has reaped significant profits. However,A24 has a history of not expanding its smaller films in enough cities, giving them little room to become word-of-mouth hits. Ironically, A24 has been deemed a “savior of cinema” in some circles, as it has created precedents that are an impediment to the future of the independent market.
There is nothing more important for the cinematic ecosystem than access, as audiences will only be able to make their voices heard if they are given the opportunity to see quality films. However, A24’s desire for clout has led it to chase festival buzz and score impressive per-theater averages in select markets, denying a vast majority of its fanbase the chance to catch their new releases on the big screen. Cinema cannot become a medium like the Broadway theater, in which it is only available to those with the disposable capital to access it. In order for A24 to truly set a positive example for the rest of the industry, itcannot continue to utilize the limited release model.
A24 Is Selective in the Films It Promotes
A24 tends to highly promote only a select number of films in a given year, as the studio has made it a priority to be a major award season contender. Last year,The Brutalistwas given an expansive release that included many premium formats, and genre films likeHereticandCivil Warwere able to become commercial hits among broader audiences. However, the same opportunity has not been afforded to smaller films that may be considered more niche;I Saw The TV Glow, Janet Planet, Tuesday, andParthenopeare just a few of the recent arthouse titlesthat never reached some cities. Although these films may have been less likely to connect with average moviegoers, A24 has shown that its name brand and strong marketing skills can utilize inventive techniques to get audiences to take an interest in cinema that they wouldn’t have otherwise taken a chance on.
A24’s failure to expand its films has been detrimental to its awards prospects, as the studio has seemingly not been able to promote more than a few titles within its slate of fall contenders. WhileThe Brutalistwas a major success,A24 dropped the ball in the promotion ofSing Sing, a crowd-pleasing, powerful true story that had the opportunity to both connect with audiences and incite real change based on the issues it discussed.Sing Singwas given only a brief window of release in select markets over the summer and was then held from expansion or a VOD release for several months; the attempt to generate “word-of-mouth” for a film that never reached wide release failed, asSing Singwas unable to earn the Best Picture nomination that it clearly deserved. It’s not the only title that was considered a disappointment in the awards season. A24’s last-minute pick-up ofQueerresulted in a rushed marketing campaign that didn’t earnDaniel Craiga Best Actor nomination, andA Different Manwas essentially dumped in theaters in September.
A24 has seemingly taken the wrong lessons from its past successes,as its two Best Picture winners,MoonlightandEverything Everywhere All At Once, are also among its highest-grossing films at the global box office. Clearly, A24 does not struggle in getting audiences to care about unusual titles. While the studio’s top ten biggest films include more commercial horror titles likeTalk to MeandHereditary, it also includes profound character dramas likeLady BirdandThe Whale.
2 Years Before ‘Eddington,’ Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix Pulled Off the Impossible in This Bizarre, Controversial Movie
Can someone say, “avant-garde”?
A24 Needs To Reach Cinephiles Beyond the Coastal Cities
A24 has become too reliant on the reaction of a select number of critics, as it’s unfair to base a distribution strategy on the opinions of select industry pundits and journalists who have the privilege of attending festivals. This year, films likeDeath of a Unicorn, Opus,andThe Legend of Ochireceived underwhelming reviews at their festival debuts, and received only minimal marketing campaigns by A24 in the aftermath. Audiences can’t be expected to seek out films that they aren’t aware of, but these titles all had the potential to be breakout hits:Death of a Unicornhad the benefit of charismatic stars likePaul RuddandJenna Ortega,Opusconnected to relevant themes about abuse within the music industry, andThe Legend of Ochioffered an opportunity toget younger audiences engaged in arthouse cinema.
A24 has betrayed its mission of promoting young talent, as the studio never committed to expandingSorry, Babyinto any substantive release, despite the fact that it has been hailed as one of the best films of the year.Eva Victor’s highly personal directorial debut would certainly connect with the younger audiences that A24 tends to target; it also handles sensitive issues of sexual abuse much better thanthe more comerically appealingMaterialists, which A24 unveiled an expansive press tour for. It’s also disappointing that A24 has not created the “event cinema” hype for the all-time great filmmakers that have decided to work with them; the newSpike LeejointHighest 2 Lowestis only receiving a three-week run in theaters before being dumped on Apple TV+, despite the fact thatDenzel Washingtonis one of the most consistent box office draws of the last few decades.
A24 still has an opportunity to change its strategywith its fall slate. While it’s expected thatThe Smashing MachineandMarty Supremewill receive significant hype because of the involvement of the major starsDwayne JohnsonandTimothée Chalamet, respectively, it remains to be seen if A24 will show the same passion in introducing audiences to more austere titles likeIf I Had Legs I’d Kick You,Pillion, andEternity. A24 has an obligation to both its creative partners and audiences to distribute exciting cinemain the face of a blockbuster-obsessed culture, but it can’t fulfill that promise if it continues to exclusively cater to New York and Los Angeles audiences.
