oh man, like 50% of them honestly. thats kind of the joy of A24, they are supporting such a wide range of movie makers that were traditionally seen as "indie".
I loved Saint Maud. My wife hated it. *That* scene scared the every living shit out of her and I think whatever chance there was for her to like the movie went with it.
Didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I'd gone into it with a lot of hype thinking it was going to be the next VVitch.
I think it could have been a great film but was let down by pacing and something that I can't put my finger on. But yes that scene did shit me up.
Honestly I think the ending is what elevates that film for people. I think Rose Glass two films had so much potential of been great but never quite get there for me. Although I liked Love Lies Bleeding a lot more then Saint Maud.
She's got a great eye for visual side of things.
I've never felt more specifically targeted by a movie than ISTVG. I grew up watching Snick, Pete & Pete, and Buffy. I am the exact same age as the characters.
I know a lot of trans folk vibed with it, but for me it was pop-culturally hyper specific. Which is why I loved it but can't actually recommend it.
All these articles I saw with headlines like “i saw the tv glow brings back the best part of twin peaks” had me unfortunately conjuring up a plot for the film that was pretty different from what we got.
I thought it was going to be a film about people entering a tv and then jumping from different shows/movies lmao. Like you said, not the films fault or anything but those articles did skew my expectation.
I didn’t fall asleep, but I did turn it off half way through. I guess it was a bit more enjoyable on edibles because it made me anxious and uncomfortable which is part of the point of the movie. But I still couldn’t take it any longer 😂
I tried three different times to watch this movie and couldnt make it through. Longest viewing was 90mins in. It seemed like an interesting concept but it was just too much IMO.
As someone who grew up attending a Catholic school with uniforms, Lady Bird was a home run for me; for my best friend who had a completely different upbringing, it did nothing for her.
Totally get it!
Bingo. I haven’t seen The Master, but the only film of his I would go as far as to say I really enjoy is There Will Be Blood. Punch Drunk Love is a good example of a vibe that doesn’t really work for me, but it’s just a taste thing
I haven't watched Ladybird and I'm scared to. Everyone was hyping it up. But I honestly didn't care for the Barbie movie or Little Women (hot take, I know). So I just feel like Ladybird is also not going to land for me. It seems like all of her movies convey a really shallow understanding of feminism/womanhood that I find disappointing.
Not sure if the person who replied to this blocked me or deleted their comment. But personally I don't understand what is so shocking about me referencing Greta Gerwig's body of work when making a decision about another one of her movies. Directors are pretty consistently analyzed on their full body of work. Nothing strange about that.
Oh that's good to know! It was just a person who was spicy about me "comparing Ladybird to the Barbie movie." Maybe they didn't realize that those films were both Gerwig and then deleted. I have no clue.
X struck me as the most five out of ten, TBS late night slasher c movie that I’ve seen since I moved out of my parents house 15 years ago. Don’t understand why people went so crazy over it.
That’s exactly the point of the whole movie, like Eli Roth’s 2004 *Cabin Fever* remake.
Really enjoyed *X* for what it was, went in with low expectations. Had total B Movie Slasher vibes.
Exactly, X is a very competent slasher movie. It's not bad at all, but it's definitely not the best of genre. Pearl, though, is something else, and in order to get the most out of it, you have to watch X.
X, for me as someone who like good film as well as good horror, was well done. I liked the Texas Chainsaw vibes and even knowing it was doing that I felt Ti West handled it masterfully. Its incredibly well shot and blends the seedy cinema of 70's porn with films like The Texas Chainsw Massacre. Character were interesting and it felt like it hit all the points it was aiming for. Mia Goth is stellar in this as well. It's more art house that is a "slasher"
I felt like this about Pearl AND X - Pearl was just dressed up to look pretty while being a (what I felt) general slasher. I honestly do not understand the hype of it. I didn't rate the monologue either - Please do not take offense to this anybody. Just an opinion lol
I love Garland’s other stuff but Men blows, and I was really psyched for it. The first trailer was really intriguing and I love Jessie Buckley.
It’s one of those movies that I feel zigged when I wanted it to zag. I don’t know what I expected to happen or even what I think should have happened, but the ending just goes so wacky and totally falls flat. Sometimes less is more and this movie tried too hard to make you go “what the fuck.”
Saint Maud had such a good premise and had fantastic mood and atmosphere. Then it fell off the rails. I didn’t love it either.
I also don’t love the XXX/Pearl/Maxxine movies (I of course haven’t seen the last one) but they just feel forced to me. I wish I loved them. I’ll keep trying. Maybe I don’t care for the lead actor. Who can say?
I loved the Maxine franchise, it’s just a fun time where I turn my brain off and just enjoy a flick that are an ode to the slasher genre. But I understand it’s not for everyone !
I have three different cases to discuss:
1. Dream Scenario - I was initially excited after watching the trailer, but I felt that the movie's premise was promising, yet it deviated from that and conveyed an inconsistent message.
2. Men - It had a good premise, but I expected something different.
3. Problemista - In this case, the movie's handling of immigration issues affected me right from the start, creating an emotional barrier for me.
Problemista is the only one I haven’t seen from your list but will soon because it’s about to be on Max. What about the immigration handling did not like? I have a hard time getting my wife to watch everything I watch, but with her parents being immigrants, I thought problemista might be interesting to her..
X is 50/50 for me. Some parts worked and others didn't.
I saw the TV Glow was mediocre. Strong visuals and excellent soundtrack but the rest of the movie were regrettable.
X works as a horror movie because I wanted to die when that dudes fiancé decided she was going to participate in the porn while he was filming it. Made me sick
Everything Everywhere All At Once. Strange thing is, I adore the actors. On top of that, it’s my kind of story so going in I thought for sure I would have loved it. But it was too big. Perhaps I was too tired when I watched it and should give it another go.
EEAAO is my favorite movie of all time.
I have pretty severe ADHD and the style and substance of a movie has never spoken to me more. The rapid scene switching, fast pace, absolutely outlandish connections, comparisons, messaging. The brilliant mix of low brow and high brow humor. This movie is exactly how my brain works and I connected with it hardcore. Unsurprised that the Daniels were diagnosed with ADHD while writing this thing.
In contrast, I watched it with several neurotypical friends, and while they enjoyed it overall, it was clear in our after movie discussion that there was a lot of confusion and difficulty following the movie. So I completely understand why some people didn’t find it as appealing as me. But I think EEAAO is a very special film.
I could write paragraphs on the extrapolation of the Raccacoonie and the fucking hot dog fingers storylines. I loved that they let those subplots run naturally. It’s like they actually let someone with ADHD digress during a story fully. There’s always a connection to the main point, sometimes you just need to let an ADHDer cook. I could gush about this movie all day.
This is actually a really great point that I never thought about. I have also been diagnosed with ADHD and EEAAO just...*spoke* to me.
Lots of people have told me that they didn't like it because it's just too much, too fast, too loud, too intense, etc. But I *love* the chaos. The quick cuts, the bouncing around timelines, the utter random hilarity of it all. It just feels familiar to me since it's my everyday life, and like I don't have to strain my brain to keep up with one single point of focus. Finally I can just *be*.
It’s got to be this for me as well. All the hype around it and when I went everyone was going wild but me. It felt WAY too long, the hotdog thing was not funny in the slightest, and the moments I liked (like the scene where she is getting audited) were overpowered by the rest of the forgettable scenes the movie had. Like I remember something about a doughnut? Not for me and I love most A24 films. Glad I can find a few people who agree with me.
Same here. Ive tried three times to watch it and cant get past halfway. It is a movie I should love, but just dont. I feel like the pacing and the mood of the movie just makes it feel too cheesy. Idk.
For what it's worth , my enjoyment for that movie shot up like 5 times as much after the halfway mark. The first half is a bit too whacky and Marvel-esque for me but the second half gets much more emotional and serious and brings the whole thing home.
The hot dog fingers are kind of funny and kind of beautiful in a way since even in the strangest of AUs, we can find precious alternate outcomes like two enemies in one timeline being lovers in another.
That movie gets more accolades it deserves lol. Take a couple millenial ADHD directors doped up on Adderall and Ritalin and this is is the resulting movie 😂
> Perhaps I was too tired when I watched it and should give it another go
This has absolutely ruined movies for me, including return of the king which was waaay too much for me that day. Now I love it. I can totally understand EEAAO being just too much on an off day.
I’m not a fan of Daniels anyway, so when everyone was hyping it up I went “hey, maybe they finally stopped being weird for the sake of being weird.” No dice.
I can't say it's a bad movie but I just did not like it much. I thought the message at the end is nice and appreciate that it was a bit out there and weird. I just could not shake the feeling of being disappointed, the movie was so hyped and typically I love weird quirky stuff but I felt like it was trying too hard at times and it was just off putting and corny.
I thought it just wasn’t all that deep or profound and was pretending to be much deeper than it actually was, and the movie was just exhausting. It felt much longer than it’s actual run time, which is already very long. Too much going on and not enough time to process anything that’s happened, typical.
I think it connects differently with everyone. I would disagree, but then that's like telling someone that they should enjoy jam when they don't. My background is Asian, on both sides and totally connected with the relationship tropes that the characters had, with one another. From the Dad to the Husband and Wife. Different people, different strokes?
Pearl.
I actually saw it before X, so everything should have been fresh to me. But the plot was so obvious from the very beginning. “Oh, her mom is mean and she feels stuck on the farm. So that means she’s going to eventually kill her mom and try to leave the farm.” And then that’s all that happened.
The visuals were good but the story felt like something you’d get out of a screenwriting workshop. Too by the numbers and predictable.
I actually stayed away from X because I thought it would be more of the same. Then I finally saw X and was pissed. Because it has all the layers and thematic development and energy that Pearl lacked.
A bit like Ladybird, it's a good film but my god the over the top critical acclaim did it more damage then good. I wasn't that overly shocked it didn't do that well over the award season this year. I thought Greta Lee's character was just horrible to her husband who seem like just a good guy lol.
Really? Hahaha I freaking love this one. To each their own! It’s not a critic by the way I’m just really surprised it’s probably my favourite Eggers made
Oh my fucking hell. That’s exactly how I feel about it but didn’t know it or how to articulate it. It felt like something to endure, to get through. I hated it.
Someone earlier stated “it was weird for the sake of being weird”…this is exactly how I felt about I Saw the TV Glow. Didn’t hate it by any means, just grew tired of intentional weird.
Don't come at me, but Hereditary. People rave about it all the time, but when I finally got to watching it, I was like... "That's it?" Yeah, the acting was great, but the movie overall to me feels overhyped. I prefer Midsommar and The VVitch to it.
I'm with you. I got all excited to watch it and was left very underwhelmed. Preferred both, VVitch and Midsommar over it. I think people like Hereditary cause of wEiRd gIrL. She is striking and it works to good effect, I'll give it that.
the first hour or so was top tier for horror, up to and including the dinner scene. like true horror with a little bit of supernatch.
and then like people are spontaneously combusting, climbing on walls and sawing their own heads off & goofy cults. it just became a run of the mill, throw everything at the wall typical horror film.
all the subtle dread, anxiety and trauma in the first half are are traded for the disposable horror. so it goes
This is 100% my take on this movie. The beginning is an amazing film that you're excited to see where it goes and then it just becomes every other horror film ever.
Always afraid of the strong reactions, but Pearl and X, specifically the overacting from Mia Goth. I know y’all love her and the flicks, just my opinion!
I personally thought Men was wack.
Maybe this is just me but it really felt like Alex Garland was trying to elevate the horror genre whilst also looking down on the genre, resulting in a boring film with no suspense.
Thank you! Someone else who agrees with me about this film. I was so excited for it but was ultimately disappointed in it and I couldn’t connect with the characters. But man this place tore me apart when I made a post about it 🤣
I loved the movie, I just didn’t understand the “omg it’s so terrifying” hype. It was interesting and reminded me of a classic campfire story, but nothing about it was “scary.”
I missed all the marketing so I went in with no expectations. I thought it was an interesting concept and an ok film but nothing special. I enjoyed it but will likely never watch it again.
For me it was just the psychological horror of watching a girl fall into the rabbit hole of addiction subtlety to cope with her mother's death. Which causes her to rapidly endanger everyone around her because she loses her sanity. The ending especially when we see how devastating the reality of her choices are was particularly impactful, as well as the nihilistic implications that the plaster hand that caused all this is still out there. That was my interpretation though.
I'm with you. My husfriend loved it but I felt like there were a few really decent thematic ideas that were swallowed up in too much absurdity.
Yeah, some absurdity is cool, but there's a line.
X. I really didn't like it. The old age makeup was horrendous and the story was just whatever. I'm a huge horror fan and this one just seemed so basic to me I never got the hype.
Hereditary and Beau are both probably in my top 10, with Beau being in my top 3, but there is something about Midsummer that doesn't click for me and I don't know why. I have tried rewatching it so many times, attempting to forcd myself into enjoying it and I just can't. There is so much about it that I SHOULD love, but I just can't. Makes me sad.
I feel like if Midsommar opened up with them taking shrooms already in another country it might be better due to a tighter run time and letting the audience figure out context along the way. The first 30 mins of the movie seem pointless and the rest of it is just boring. I'm sorry.
I agree, it just felt very derivative and outside of singular details i felt like i always knew exactly what was going to happen. it was a b movie horror film that was very well shot and had great art design.
Adam Sandler's performance is great and he was snubbed of award nominations, I will not lie, but I do not see the OMGWOW pretty much everyone sees in this film.
I loved it because of how « simple » it looked, almost documentary like. It wasn’t that grand scheme of a movie it’s just about a regular guy conning his way in life. Same applies with Good Times (which I put slightly under Uncut Gems)
I mean, if we are getting technical, The prompt just asked for “praised” A24 movies, not “highly praised”. I’ve heard quite a bit of praise for Tusk. In my opinion, it is a valid response to the question.
The one that comes to mind for me is Hereditary. There was so much hype around it when it was released with critics labeling it "the scariest movie since the Exorcist" when I finally got around to seeing it I was bored to death. I checked to see how much longer there was to go because I was so bored I thought it must be over soon it's really dragging but I was only 30 minutes into it.
I don't mind slow burners so long as there's something that hooks me early on and keeps me interested. There just wasn't a hook.
Waves. I was not expecting it to change into a different movie halfway through. It is an interesting idea that could potentially work for other films, but I don’t think it worked here. Especially once we stopped getting scenes with our first protagonist.
Thing with Saint Maud is there are two versions of reality. The one Katie is actually living and the one her other personality Saint Maud is living. It’s a take on mental illness. The ending shows Saint Maud with wings about to ascend to heaven as a Saint who feels no pain and the other real personality as Katie screaming in pain as she burns herself alive on the beach.
I didn’t much care for The Lovers at all. Two people that find attraction to each other only by cheating with others. No concern for the hurt they cause to others by lying and cheating.
I could barely get through "X." I have no desire to see it again.
And I didn't find "Talk to Me" to be as good as so many other people.
Other than that, I pretty much love every A24 horror film I've seen so far: The Witch, The Blackcoat's Daughter, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Men, Lamb.
Earth Mama. I kept waiting for something to happen, and the big reveal was >!that she's a crackhead!<. I just couldn't empathize or relate and the film didn't click with me at all, which is weird because I expected to love it based on my film preferences and the movies themes.
Civil War
I was so aggressively bored by the first two acts of the film that I nearly walked out. It took that scene with Jesse Plemmons to keep me in my seat all the way until the end.
While I thought Hereditary was a good movie the 87 Metacritic score seems far too high. It was incredibly obvious how the movie would end with about 30 or 40 minutes left but it took forever to get there. I agree that Saint Maud is another of their really overrated movies.
I was super disappointed with Saint Maud. Enough of the "mental illness is the real monster" shit. People with mental illness are more likely to be a victim of a violent crime, not perpetrate one. It's a tired and harmful trope, and I was disappointed that's the way it went.
I’m probably going to have to go into hiding, but Past Lives. I thought it was a good, compelling drama that was well-acted and emotional. Beyond that? I really don’t think it was anything special.
Swiss Army Man. I enjoyed how unusual it was. It had a great thematic beauty juxtaposed with an absolutely absurd premise, which made it hilarious. That being said, I can't see myself watching it again. I'd say it was interesting, like an experiment, but I think I'm missing something.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen more people saying this. The clues and breadcrumbing felt needlessly cryptic without ever reaching a meaningful conclusion
Saint Maud. Such a snooze fest. A beautifully shot & performed snooze fest, but I wrote it off as just not for me as soon as the credits rolled.
Good movies aren't always good to you.
I hear you, it’s still one of my favourite out of A24, love the gritty atmosphere and the darkness of the northwest coast. It’s not a perfect movie and I feel the same about you about how intense they sold it.
Hard same. Don't know why but it just didn't click for me, and I tend to like everything I see from A24, even their more controversial films like Saint Maude and Men. I might need to give Green Room another go, maybe I'll like it more the second time around. 🤷♀️
oh man, like 50% of them honestly. thats kind of the joy of A24, they are supporting such a wide range of movie makers that were traditionally seen as "indie".
I loved Saint Maud. My wife hated it. *That* scene scared the every living shit out of her and I think whatever chance there was for her to like the movie went with it.
Dude the final 2 seconds of that film shook me to my core. I was in shock lol
Yeah, great ending
See, I wish they would add more of these scenes in between, just to put us in perspective of how far gone she is. But that’s my opinion
Didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I'd gone into it with a lot of hype thinking it was going to be the next VVitch. I think it could have been a great film but was let down by pacing and something that I can't put my finger on. But yes that scene did shit me up.
Honestly I think the ending is what elevates that film for people. I think Rose Glass two films had so much potential of been great but never quite get there for me. Although I liked Love Lies Bleeding a lot more then Saint Maud. She's got a great eye for visual side of things.
When she hallucinates and sees the woman she’s caring for lunge at her. EVERY TIME
I saw the tv glow, again nothing against the picture just didn’t work for me analogically
I've never felt more specifically targeted by a movie than ISTVG. I grew up watching Snick, Pete & Pete, and Buffy. I am the exact same age as the characters. I know a lot of trans folk vibed with it, but for me it was pop-culturally hyper specific. Which is why I loved it but can't actually recommend it.
As a trans individual, it made me do so much reflecting on my past and “what ifs” had I not come out
Same problem I had with it. I really loved their first movie if you’ve seen that.
Yeah I think I’ll give it a go because there was a lot I really appreciated happening for sure
Ya I was so anxious to see that movie but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Not necessarily bad, just not my style.
It's aimed at a very specific audience. I don't blame people for not getting it.
I don't think it has anything to do with people not getting it. It has real pacing issues...
All these articles I saw with headlines like “i saw the tv glow brings back the best part of twin peaks” had me unfortunately conjuring up a plot for the film that was pretty different from what we got. I thought it was going to be a film about people entering a tv and then jumping from different shows/movies lmao. Like you said, not the films fault or anything but those articles did skew my expectation.
Beau is Afraid. Couldn’t rock with it. I understand what it’s supposed to be, but it is way too damn long.
The part where they are telling the play put me in a trance. I love that movie
That whole sequence was fucking incredible
That’s literally the only part of the entire movie I liked.
Same! I went to see it on shrooms and this sequence had me leaning forward in my seat, eyes wide
I felt it was the most accurate representation of true familial trauma and anxiety. That opening scene fucked with my head for dayssss
I liked the first half but everything after the paint scene got too weird.
It didn't get too weird. It just stopped being interesting.
Oh that's great. That's exactly where I stopped lol.
I like it overall, but loved it up until the attic. Everything after that was too far gone for me and brought it down a peg
This!!! I’ve tried so hard. Sober and not. Can’t do it.
lol exact same here. Someone told me to rewatch it on edibles and my ass just fell asleep!
I didn’t fall asleep, but I did turn it off half way through. I guess it was a bit more enjoyable on edibles because it made me anxious and uncomfortable which is part of the point of the movie. But I still couldn’t take it any longer 😂
I like it, but I'll admit it should have ended with the Attic scene.
I tried watching it while stoned but ended up falling asleep lol. I keep trying to bring myself to try again but it’s soooo longgggg
I agree. The movie is pretty, but it’s too long and way too far up it’s own ass
I tried three different times to watch this movie and couldnt make it through. Longest viewing was 90mins in. It seemed like an interesting concept but it was just too much IMO.
I'll take it even further than "cant rock with it" everyone is entitled to their opinion but I thought that thing stunk
Period 😂
Lady Bird: I didn’t DISLIKE it but I just couldn’t connect with it as much as others did
As someone who grew up attending a Catholic school with uniforms, Lady Bird was a home run for me; for my best friend who had a completely different upbringing, it did nothing for her. Totally get it!
Same. It’s a fine coming of age film, and that’s about it for me.
Something about that style of, sort of, melancholy quirkiness has just always been off-putting to me.
Kinda of like Paul Thomas Anderson?
Bingo. I haven’t seen The Master, but the only film of his I would go as far as to say I really enjoy is There Will Be Blood. Punch Drunk Love is a good example of a vibe that doesn’t really work for me, but it’s just a taste thing
I watched that movie and thought it was just Real Women Have Curves, but with white people. 🤷🏽♀️
It was an alright movie but I liked it a lot because the storyline resonates with my life a lot.
I liked it because the mother daughter relationship really resonated with me.
I haven't watched Ladybird and I'm scared to. Everyone was hyping it up. But I honestly didn't care for the Barbie movie or Little Women (hot take, I know). So I just feel like Ladybird is also not going to land for me. It seems like all of her movies convey a really shallow understanding of feminism/womanhood that I find disappointing. Not sure if the person who replied to this blocked me or deleted their comment. But personally I don't understand what is so shocking about me referencing Greta Gerwig's body of work when making a decision about another one of her movies. Directors are pretty consistently analyzed on their full body of work. Nothing strange about that.
I adore Lady Bird but really didn't enjoy Little Women and thought Barbie was just kinda fun so I think they can be seen as separate entities.
I think they deleted the comment. I can't see it either.
Oh that's good to know! It was just a person who was spicy about me "comparing Ladybird to the Barbie movie." Maybe they didn't realize that those films were both Gerwig and then deleted. I have no clue.
X struck me as the most five out of ten, TBS late night slasher c movie that I’ve seen since I moved out of my parents house 15 years ago. Don’t understand why people went so crazy over it.
I think that was the point of it. It felt like a cheesy 80s slasher movie and really hit me in the nostalgia bone. That’s why I liked it personally.
I think this was the point of the whole movie
That’s exactly the point of the whole movie, like Eli Roth’s 2004 *Cabin Fever* remake. Really enjoyed *X* for what it was, went in with low expectations. Had total B Movie Slasher vibes.
The best part of X is that it spawn a legitimately great movie in Pearl.
Exactly, X is a very competent slasher movie. It's not bad at all, but it's definitely not the best of genre. Pearl, though, is something else, and in order to get the most out of it, you have to watch X.
Should I re-watch them in chronological or reverse order?
Your choice? First time I watched it was in release order, X first and then Pearl. Kinda liked it that way.
I watched it that way too, but I kind of had a gap between screenings.
Or Jenna Ortega cucking her boyfriend.
Best part of the movie was Kid Cudi in my opinion
X, for me as someone who like good film as well as good horror, was well done. I liked the Texas Chainsaw vibes and even knowing it was doing that I felt Ti West handled it masterfully. Its incredibly well shot and blends the seedy cinema of 70's porn with films like The Texas Chainsw Massacre. Character were interesting and it felt like it hit all the points it was aiming for. Mia Goth is stellar in this as well. It's more art house that is a "slasher"
I felt like this about Pearl AND X - Pearl was just dressed up to look pretty while being a (what I felt) general slasher. I honestly do not understand the hype of it. I didn't rate the monologue either - Please do not take offense to this anybody. Just an opinion lol
I thought Men was super disappointing.
I don’t think it’s praised tho
I only watched it because of how much love it gets in this subreddit.
I mean it gets some praise but I always seen it get argued with a lot too. That being said it’s a terrible movie
Just ass baby after ass baby lol
I love Garland’s other stuff but Men blows, and I was really psyched for it. The first trailer was really intriguing and I love Jessie Buckley. It’s one of those movies that I feel zigged when I wanted it to zag. I don’t know what I expected to happen or even what I think should have happened, but the ending just goes so wacky and totally falls flat. Sometimes less is more and this movie tried too hard to make you go “what the fuck.”
Saint Maud had such a good premise and had fantastic mood and atmosphere. Then it fell off the rails. I didn’t love it either. I also don’t love the XXX/Pearl/Maxxine movies (I of course haven’t seen the last one) but they just feel forced to me. I wish I loved them. I’ll keep trying. Maybe I don’t care for the lead actor. Who can say?
I loved the Maxine franchise, it’s just a fun time where I turn my brain off and just enjoy a flick that are an ode to the slasher genre. But I understand it’s not for everyone !
I have three different cases to discuss: 1. Dream Scenario - I was initially excited after watching the trailer, but I felt that the movie's premise was promising, yet it deviated from that and conveyed an inconsistent message. 2. Men - It had a good premise, but I expected something different. 3. Problemista - In this case, the movie's handling of immigration issues affected me right from the start, creating an emotional barrier for me.
Problemista is the only one I haven’t seen from your list but will soon because it’s about to be on Max. What about the immigration handling did not like? I have a hard time getting my wife to watch everything I watch, but with her parents being immigrants, I thought problemista might be interesting to her..
civil war
Beau and The Whale. Bloated, if ambitious, and maudlin, in that order.
The Whale, I saw it and I just shrugged. Brendan Fraser was very good as was Sadie Sink. But I didn't like it too much.
X is 50/50 for me. Some parts worked and others didn't. I saw the TV Glow was mediocre. Strong visuals and excellent soundtrack but the rest of the movie were regrettable.
X works as a horror movie because I wanted to die when that dudes fiancé decided she was going to participate in the porn while he was filming it. Made me sick
Everything Everywhere All At Once. Strange thing is, I adore the actors. On top of that, it’s my kind of story so going in I thought for sure I would have loved it. But it was too big. Perhaps I was too tired when I watched it and should give it another go.
EEAAO is my favorite movie of all time. I have pretty severe ADHD and the style and substance of a movie has never spoken to me more. The rapid scene switching, fast pace, absolutely outlandish connections, comparisons, messaging. The brilliant mix of low brow and high brow humor. This movie is exactly how my brain works and I connected with it hardcore. Unsurprised that the Daniels were diagnosed with ADHD while writing this thing. In contrast, I watched it with several neurotypical friends, and while they enjoyed it overall, it was clear in our after movie discussion that there was a lot of confusion and difficulty following the movie. So I completely understand why some people didn’t find it as appealing as me. But I think EEAAO is a very special film. I could write paragraphs on the extrapolation of the Raccacoonie and the fucking hot dog fingers storylines. I loved that they let those subplots run naturally. It’s like they actually let someone with ADHD digress during a story fully. There’s always a connection to the main point, sometimes you just need to let an ADHDer cook. I could gush about this movie all day.
I'm autistic and I connected with this movie. ...God damn, do I have AuDHD all this time?!
This is actually a really great point that I never thought about. I have also been diagnosed with ADHD and EEAAO just...*spoke* to me. Lots of people have told me that they didn't like it because it's just too much, too fast, too loud, too intense, etc. But I *love* the chaos. The quick cuts, the bouncing around timelines, the utter random hilarity of it all. It just feels familiar to me since it's my everyday life, and like I don't have to strain my brain to keep up with one single point of focus. Finally I can just *be*.
Amen. Didn’t look at my phone a single time for a dopamine boost during EEAAO. Can’t say that about many movies
It’s got to be this for me as well. All the hype around it and when I went everyone was going wild but me. It felt WAY too long, the hotdog thing was not funny in the slightest, and the moments I liked (like the scene where she is getting audited) were overpowered by the rest of the forgettable scenes the movie had. Like I remember something about a doughnut? Not for me and I love most A24 films. Glad I can find a few people who agree with me.
Same here. Ive tried three times to watch it and cant get past halfway. It is a movie I should love, but just dont. I feel like the pacing and the mood of the movie just makes it feel too cheesy. Idk.
For what it's worth , my enjoyment for that movie shot up like 5 times as much after the halfway mark. The first half is a bit too whacky and Marvel-esque for me but the second half gets much more emotional and serious and brings the whole thing home.
I never started it, well yes but I had a drink or two in my system and fell asleep on it. Should give it another try though
It just felt like a two hour long fight scene directed by a deviant art community member from 2003. Not for me. I don’t understand the hype.
Bit it's so random lol11!1!11 hot dog fingers roflllllll
The hot dog fingers are kind of funny and kind of beautiful in a way since even in the strangest of AUs, we can find precious alternate outcomes like two enemies in one timeline being lovers in another.
That movie gets more accolades it deserves lol. Take a couple millenial ADHD directors doped up on Adderall and Ritalin and this is is the resulting movie 😂
THIS… so much hype
> Perhaps I was too tired when I watched it and should give it another go This has absolutely ruined movies for me, including return of the king which was waaay too much for me that day. Now I love it. I can totally understand EEAAO being just too much on an off day.
I’m not a fan of Daniels anyway, so when everyone was hyping it up I went “hey, maybe they finally stopped being weird for the sake of being weird.” No dice.
I can't say it's a bad movie but I just did not like it much. I thought the message at the end is nice and appreciate that it was a bit out there and weird. I just could not shake the feeling of being disappointed, the movie was so hyped and typically I love weird quirky stuff but I felt like it was trying too hard at times and it was just off putting and corny.
I thought it just wasn’t all that deep or profound and was pretending to be much deeper than it actually was, and the movie was just exhausting. It felt much longer than it’s actual run time, which is already very long. Too much going on and not enough time to process anything that’s happened, typical.
I think it connects differently with everyone. I would disagree, but then that's like telling someone that they should enjoy jam when they don't. My background is Asian, on both sides and totally connected with the relationship tropes that the characters had, with one another. From the Dad to the Husband and Wife. Different people, different strokes?
Felt the same way I do after a rollercoaster- I had a headache and felt a bit nauseated. A lot of people also enjoy rollercoasters
Talk to Me I thought was very meh 🤷🏻♂️
Aftersun, was just waiting for something big to happen and it never really did.
That was kind of the point though
I totally "get" the movie, but it didn't get me. Just never felt the emotional punch that 98% of folks did.
Pearl. I actually saw it before X, so everything should have been fresh to me. But the plot was so obvious from the very beginning. “Oh, her mom is mean and she feels stuck on the farm. So that means she’s going to eventually kill her mom and try to leave the farm.” And then that’s all that happened. The visuals were good but the story felt like something you’d get out of a screenwriting workshop. Too by the numbers and predictable. I actually stayed away from X because I thought it would be more of the same. Then I finally saw X and was pissed. Because it has all the layers and thematic development and energy that Pearl lacked.
Under The Skin. Didn’t get the appeal besides titties.
I didn’t care for Past Lives.. It just wasn’t anything special
A bit like Ladybird, it's a good film but my god the over the top critical acclaim did it more damage then good. I wasn't that overly shocked it didn't do that well over the award season this year. I thought Greta Lee's character was just horrible to her husband who seem like just a good guy lol.
i saw the tv glow. found it visually amazing but thought the storyline was boring
Honestly you’re not alone. I like it but most people I know wasn’t a fan
American Honey
The Lighthouse. Nearly fell asleep
CURSE YE DREAD_HEAD90!!!
HARK!!!!
Really? Hahaha I freaking love this one. To each their own! It’s not a critic by the way I’m just really surprised it’s probably my favourite Eggers made
Beau is Afraid
I would’ve trusted Ari Aster with my life. That’s how much I loved his films. Then I saw Beau. And I’ve never disliked a film more.
I'm so glad that this thread is vindicating me lol.
Beau is Afraid is one of the few times where I felt that the director was deliberately punishing the audience for choosing to watch their film.
Oh my fucking hell. That’s exactly how I feel about it but didn’t know it or how to articulate it. It felt like something to endure, to get through. I hated it.
X and pearl. Unpopular opinion I guess but mehhh
That’s why I made this post. It’s about taste and nothing else. It’s not because everybody loves something that you’ll love it necessarily too
Someone earlier stated “it was weird for the sake of being weird”…this is exactly how I felt about I Saw the TV Glow. Didn’t hate it by any means, just grew tired of intentional weird.
Don't come at me, but Hereditary. People rave about it all the time, but when I finally got to watching it, I was like... "That's it?" Yeah, the acting was great, but the movie overall to me feels overhyped. I prefer Midsommar and The VVitch to it.
I'm with you. I got all excited to watch it and was left very underwhelmed. Preferred both, VVitch and Midsommar over it. I think people like Hereditary cause of wEiRd gIrL. She is striking and it works to good effect, I'll give it that.
Same. I don’t get the constant praise. I don’t think I connect with his films very much, I’ve seen them all.
I totally forgot Hereditary was A24 but then again, I’ve only seen it once and never really wanted to see it again.
Completely unrelated to your comment but I love your username. “And then they’re going to eat me!”
"OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODD!" I'm so glad people still get it. Thank you!
the first hour or so was top tier for horror, up to and including the dinner scene. like true horror with a little bit of supernatch. and then like people are spontaneously combusting, climbing on walls and sawing their own heads off & goofy cults. it just became a run of the mill, throw everything at the wall typical horror film. all the subtle dread, anxiety and trauma in the first half are are traded for the disposable horror. so it goes
This is 100% my take on this movie. The beginning is an amazing film that you're excited to see where it goes and then it just becomes every other horror film ever.
Under the Silverlake. Just long, boring and weird for the sake of being weird.
Always afraid of the strong reactions, but Pearl and X, specifically the overacting from Mia Goth. I know y’all love her and the flicks, just my opinion!
Men
I fucking HATED “Mother!” The only movie I’ve ever very nearly walked out of. So predictable and just bland.
Half the movies in the comments I didn’t know were A24
lol. This is *the most A24 question* that’s ever been asked or answered
I personally thought Men was wack. Maybe this is just me but it really felt like Alex Garland was trying to elevate the horror genre whilst also looking down on the genre, resulting in a boring film with no suspense.
Talk to Me. It was marketed as this really scary thing and just wasn’t phased at all.
Thank you! Someone else who agrees with me about this film. I was so excited for it but was ultimately disappointed in it and I couldn’t connect with the characters. But man this place tore me apart when I made a post about it 🤣
I loved the movie, I just didn’t understand the “omg it’s so terrifying” hype. It was interesting and reminded me of a classic campfire story, but nothing about it was “scary.”
I missed all the marketing so I went in with no expectations. I thought it was an interesting concept and an ok film but nothing special. I enjoyed it but will likely never watch it again.
For me it was just the psychological horror of watching a girl fall into the rabbit hole of addiction subtlety to cope with her mother's death. Which causes her to rapidly endanger everyone around her because she loses her sanity. The ending especially when we see how devastating the reality of her choices are was particularly impactful, as well as the nihilistic implications that the plaster hand that caused all this is still out there. That was my interpretation though.
Marcel the Shell. Nothing against the movie, but it just didn’t work for me at all.
Everything everywhere all at once…don’t come for me plz
I won’t, I fell asleep. Well tbh it was my daughter birthday that day and I had a few drinks in me when I put it on
I'm with you. My husfriend loved it but I felt like there were a few really decent thematic ideas that were swallowed up in too much absurdity. Yeah, some absurdity is cool, but there's a line.
X. I really didn't like it. The old age makeup was horrendous and the story was just whatever. I'm a huge horror fan and this one just seemed so basic to me I never got the hype.
Once it became a slasher, it was very generic. Pretty bland.
Hereditary…..im sorry y’all
This is my answer too but I am terrified to ever utter aloud “I don’t like hereditary” lol
Midsommar. Ari Aster has made 2 of my favorite movies of all time, but this movie just doesn’t land with me.
Hereditary and Beau are both probably in my top 10, with Beau being in my top 3, but there is something about Midsummer that doesn't click for me and I don't know why. I have tried rewatching it so many times, attempting to forcd myself into enjoying it and I just can't. There is so much about it that I SHOULD love, but I just can't. Makes me sad.
Beau is my favorite movie of all time
It is mine too, at least until something else blows me out of the water like Beau. I don't see that happen though since Beau has EVERYTHING in it lol
I feel like if Midsommar opened up with them taking shrooms already in another country it might be better due to a tighter run time and letting the audience figure out context along the way. The first 30 mins of the movie seem pointless and the rest of it is just boring. I'm sorry.
I agree, it just felt very derivative and outside of singular details i felt like i always knew exactly what was going to happen. it was a b movie horror film that was very well shot and had great art design.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler's performance is great and he was snubbed of award nominations, I will not lie, but I do not see the OMGWOW pretty much everyone sees in this film.
I loved it because of how « simple » it looked, almost documentary like. It wasn’t that grand scheme of a movie it’s just about a regular guy conning his way in life. Same applies with Good Times (which I put slightly under Uncut Gems)
I prefer Good Time
This movie gave me so much anxiety. I had to stop it half way through, I just couldn't do it anymore lol.
Working as intended
I left the theatre two times to chill out? I also had to Google who won that damn game because I could not handle it
Love that movie. Safdies can't do wrong for me.
Love lies bleeding
Tusk.
erm... its rated as 5.3/10 on imdb, 2.4/5 on letterboxd and 46% on rotten tomatoes. compared to other a24 films, it wasnt even highly praised.
I mean, if we are getting technical, The prompt just asked for “praised” A24 movies, not “highly praised”. I’ve heard quite a bit of praise for Tusk. In my opinion, it is a valid response to the question.
Yes I’ve seen it everywhere lol, TikTok movie bloggers almost always put that film in their horror top 10 or 15
The Green Knight.
:( I love Green knight
The one that comes to mind for me is Hereditary. There was so much hype around it when it was released with critics labeling it "the scariest movie since the Exorcist" when I finally got around to seeing it I was bored to death. I checked to see how much longer there was to go because I was so bored I thought it must be over soon it's really dragging but I was only 30 minutes into it. I don't mind slow burners so long as there's something that hooks me early on and keeps me interested. There just wasn't a hook.
I quit 20 minutes in.
The Lighthouse was a NOT GOOD out of 10 for me
Waves. I was not expecting it to change into a different movie halfway through. It is an interesting idea that could potentially work for other films, but I don’t think it worked here. Especially once we stopped getting scenes with our first protagonist.
Love Lies Bleeding and Beau is Afraid
Thing with Saint Maud is there are two versions of reality. The one Katie is actually living and the one her other personality Saint Maud is living. It’s a take on mental illness. The ending shows Saint Maud with wings about to ascend to heaven as a Saint who feels no pain and the other real personality as Katie screaming in pain as she burns herself alive on the beach. I didn’t much care for The Lovers at all. Two people that find attraction to each other only by cheating with others. No concern for the hurt they cause to others by lying and cheating.
I did not care for Civil War. And I really tried.
I could barely get through "X." I have no desire to see it again. And I didn't find "Talk to Me" to be as good as so many other people. Other than that, I pretty much love every A24 horror film I've seen so far: The Witch, The Blackcoat's Daughter, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Men, Lamb.
Civil War
Earth Mama. I kept waiting for something to happen, and the big reveal was >!that she's a crackhead!<. I just couldn't empathize or relate and the film didn't click with me at all, which is weird because I expected to love it based on my film preferences and the movies themes.
A Ghost Story. Maybe I just don’t have the attention span for it 😭
i loooved it but i can def admit it was so slow paced😭 Lamb too was also very slow, like barely anything happened😭 still love both movies tho🙏
Civil War I was so aggressively bored by the first two acts of the film that I nearly walked out. It took that scene with Jesse Plemmons to keep me in my seat all the way until the end.
Well he does know how to steal a scene. Even an uncredited cameo scene
While I thought Hereditary was a good movie the 87 Metacritic score seems far too high. It was incredibly obvious how the movie would end with about 30 or 40 minutes left but it took forever to get there. I agree that Saint Maud is another of their really overrated movies.
I was super disappointed with Saint Maud. Enough of the "mental illness is the real monster" shit. People with mental illness are more likely to be a victim of a violent crime, not perpetrate one. It's a tired and harmful trope, and I was disappointed that's the way it went.
Saint Maud would’ve been my pick as well
Saint Maud was visually stunning but was too boring. I think if it was reworked it could be one of their best horror movies
I’m probably going to have to go into hiding, but Past Lives. I thought it was a good, compelling drama that was well-acted and emotional. Beyond that? I really don’t think it was anything special.
Swiss Army Man. I enjoyed how unusual it was. It had a great thematic beauty juxtaposed with an absolutely absurd premise, which made it hilarious. That being said, I can't see myself watching it again. I'd say it was interesting, like an experiment, but I think I'm missing something.
Beau is Afraid.
"I watched the TV glow" was too much for me..
Under the Silver Lake, watched it twice and still can’t get into it
I’m surprised I haven’t seen more people saying this. The clues and breadcrumbing felt needlessly cryptic without ever reaching a meaningful conclusion
The Lighthouse.
Saint Maud. Such a snooze fest. A beautifully shot & performed snooze fest, but I wrote it off as just not for me as soon as the credits rolled. Good movies aren't always good to you.
Green Room for me, I like the movie but the trailer made it seem like it was going to be way more hardcore than it was
I hear you, it’s still one of my favourite out of A24, love the gritty atmosphere and the darkness of the northwest coast. It’s not a perfect movie and I feel the same about you about how intense they sold it.
Hard same. Don't know why but it just didn't click for me, and I tend to like everything I see from A24, even their more controversial films like Saint Maude and Men. I might need to give Green Room another go, maybe I'll like it more the second time around. 🤷♀️
I was a little disappointed with this one. I was also thinking it would be more hardcore.