For many, the theater isn’t just a form of entertainment but escapism. Feelings in correlation to leaving a theater should be described as a euphoric state after not only an introspective but inspirational experience. The film production company A24 fails to deliver this to audiences.

A24 is a film production company that has gained popularity over the years with big movie names, including “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Pearl,” “Waves,” “Midsommar,” and “Iron Claw.” The company has created its own genre as well as uniqueness that has made the movies stand out from traditional movies and cinematography. Although it was created in 2012, its first major pick-up was in 2017 after winning its first Oscar with the movie “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III,” and as of 2022, popularity has exploded with major media coverage.

I believe that the genre A24 has become overrated with a disingenuous fanbase. With the increasing popularity, several downsides to their movies have also become more prevalent, including their repetitive visual style, lack of cohesive plot, and minimal target audience. The genre’s original novelty has become the main genre in theaters, which is an accomplishment, but it is contributing to the genre losing its one-of-a-kind sentiment. 

Movie production kicked off strong, but as time advances, artistic aspects become more repetitive, slowly degrading the idea of new. The production as a name has gained so much popularity that failures in their current movies are being blindly defended in the name of former productions by fanbases who I believe aren’t truly fond of the movies themselves.

Media is a major factor in this belief, giving fanbases a platform. Fanbases’ focus on certain movie plots has disguised the fact that without the fanbase, movies simply lack conflict and resolution. A variety of the films resolve with ambiguous endings that social media romanticizes, but in actuality, leave audiences unsatisfied. In fact, for most movies, you have to research explanations of the endings to even comprehend. 

Critics love the production, prioritizing directing, writing, and cinematography, making the genre perfectly tailored to them. They, along with Millennials and Gen Z, are supposedly the target demographic, which is another illustration of the movie’s lack of value through limited audiences. As a part of Gen Z, I can’t imagine my Gen X parents enjoying a movie from the A24 production. Their emphasis on critics’ validation creates a plot based on details that no one but themselves notices, which is another part of the problem.

The production rarely makes complete storylines, with too many like “Waves” being underwhelming. Can we classify a production that’s so inconsistent in its output to be as superior as the public makes it seem? If the company in question was Marvel, a more popular company, numerous people would root for the company’s demise. Once the company reaches its peak, more individuals will realize the exaggeration behind the quality of the movies. Just because something is trendy or new doesn’t mean it’s good.