When discussing the greatest films of the decade, A24 is a studio that immediately will come up in the discussion. From contemplative visual poetry like A Ghost Story and High Life, to ethnographic dramas like Moonlight and The Florida Project, to inventive horror like Midsommar and The Lighthouse; they consistently put out the best of the year (Even in 2020).
And since my last A24 answer about 6 months ago, my tastes have changed immensely and I’ve reevaluated films like A Ghost Story and The Lighthouse through rewatch, dropping those movies from favorites of all time to outside the top ten of their respective years.
So, with that being said, it is worth spotlighting my new favorite films from the highly acclaimed indie studio. A24 are the kings of indie films right now, and these two movies, both of which are currently in my top 15 of the decade, represent their 7 year reign over cinema.
First Reformed is one of the bleakest films of the last decade, and uncoincidentally one of the best. Schrader’s writing is stronger than it has been in decades, using the structure of Bergman’s Winter Light to tell a distinctly modern story.
It deals with themes such as religion’s place in society and the human destruction of the environment, deftly portraying and commenting on them through Schrader’s authentic dialogue. But it’s greatest trick is how it combines them all.
Schrader filters his themes through a prism of decay, creating one grand argument that humanity is bound to eventually come to an end. Everything, from Toller’s sickness, to the suicide, to the politics of the church lead back to this one discussion.
And, in the middle of this unending bleakness, it manages to create one of the most ethereal love scenes in cinema, one that must be seen to believe. At the end of the film, it gifts us a perfect final shot.
Under the Skin, director Jonathan Glazer’s insane masterpiece, is one of the most visceral pieces of cinema you could imagine. It is a contemplation on humanity, femininity, and the weakness of society told through imagery and Mica Levi’s perfect score.
The film would work just as well as a silent feature, relying on long shots of disturbing images and otherworldly visual effects to create a world that feels lived in. Glazer knows exactly where to place the camera and exactly how long to hold each shot. Scarlett Johannsson is just as perfect in what is by far the greatest role of her impressive career.
But, like all great films, it succeeds chiefly in how much food for thought it brings. It creates a fascinating portrayal of feminism by exposing how Johannsson’s extraterrestrial reacts to the party culture she enters.
It critiques the masculinity that causes men to be so trusting as entirely feeble, contrasting it to how women feel when meeting new people. Men may not be scared, but in the world of Under the Skin they absolutely should be.
But where the film truly excels is when it shows the alien’s crisis of identity. Slowly she desires to become more human as the mysterious motorcyclist pursues her.
This creates an idea that, despite humanity becoming messed up, all beings still have the unconquerable desire to truly belong. And when we can’t belong, we become destructive.
I am only scratching the surface of this near perfect movie, but suffice to say it is one of the deepest, most accomplished films I have ever seen and certainly the greatest that A24 has released to this date.
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