A Different Kind Of Scary: Top 20 A24 Horror Movies That Redefine The Genre

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Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - July 19th 2025, 13:00 GMT+2

Cropped bring her back — Bring Her Back (2025)

Sometimes, the real horror isn't what hides in the shadows – but what smiles at you from across the dinner table. *Bring Her Back* dives headfirst into that uncanny territory, where grief and trauma collide with supernatural dread. Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, the film centers on two siblings, portrayed by rising talents Billy Barratt and Sora Wong, who return to their foster home only to uncover something sinister lurking behind their guardian’s loving demeanor. Sally Hawkins gives a quietly terrifying performance as the foster mother – warm one moment, bone-chilling the next. Rather than relying on loud jump scares, the film excels through unease, building tension with atmospheric precision and disturbing emotional realism. The Philippou brothers, known for their visceral approach, deliver something far more psychological here, taking their genre mastery to a deeper, more intimate place. | © A24

Cropped i saw the tv glow — I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

What starts as a story about late-night television turns into a haunting portrait of identity and dissociation in *I Saw the TV Glow*. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun, this film captures the loneliness of adolescence through a surreal, dreamlike lens that’s more emotional than literal. Justice Smith stars as Owen, a teenager who becomes obsessed with a spooky sci-fi show that feels like it’s speaking directly to him – and maybe pulling him into something deeper. Brigitte Lundy-Paine’s performance as Maddy, the friend who opens the door to this strange new world, is both tender and electric. With a lo-fi, VHS-inspired aesthetic and a synth-heavy score by Alex G, the film leans into nostalgic horror while telling a deeply personal, trans-coded story about becoming – or refusing to become – who you are. It’s weird, sad, and quietly terrifying in ways that stick with you. | © A24

Cropped Ma XX Xine 2024 — MaXXXine (2024)

Glitter, ambition, and blood – all things that pulse through the heart of *MaXXXine*. In this final chapter of Ti West’s X trilogy, Mia Goth reprises her role as Maxine Minx, now chasing fame in the hedonistic world of 1980s Hollywood. But the dream quickly turns into a nightmare as a serial killer stalks the city's rising stars. Goth continues to impress, seamlessly blending vulnerability with ferocity, and she's joined by a stellar cast including Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, and Halsey. The film is a neon-drenched fever dream, dripping with retro style and sharp satire about celebrity obsession. West doesn’t just close his trilogy – he elevates it, turning the genre on its head with both visual flair and a biting critique of fame culture. There’s as much to admire here as there is to fear. | © A24

Cropped heretic 2024 — Heretic (2024)

Hugh Grant as a manipulative and possibly murderous recluse? That’s just the beginning of what makes *Heretic* such a deeply unnerving experience. The story follows two young Mormon missionaries – played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East – who find themselves trapped inside the home of a man who seems charming at first, but gradually reveals far more disturbing intentions. Grant plays against type here, with chilling effect, delivering a performance that's both charismatic and skin-crawling. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods strip the setting down to its raw essentials, letting silence and psychology carry the suspense. What unfolds isn’t just horror – it’s a disturbing meditation on trust, manipulation, and belief. It's intimate, slow-burning, and all the more terrifying for how grounded it feels. | © A24

Cropped pearl 2022 — Pearl (2022)

It’s hard to look away from *Pearl –* partly because of its lush, technicolor aesthetic, and partly because of Mia Goth’s mesmerizing lead performance. Set decades before the events of X, the film dives into the lonely, delusional world of a young farm girl desperate to escape her isolated life. What starts as a character study gradually descends into something much darker. Director Ti West uses the look and feel of a golden-age Hollywood melodrama to frame Pearl’s descent into madness, which makes the bursts of violence all the more jarring. Goth gives one of the most striking performances in modern horror, balancing wide-eyed innocence with explosive rage. You can’t help but be disturbed – and a little moved – by her unraveling. It’s both a slasher film and a psychological tragedy. | © A24

Cropped talk to me 2022 — Talk to Me (2022)

Few films in recent memory have captured the raw terror of possession quite like *Talk to Me*. The concept is deceptively simple – a group of teens use an embalmed hand to communicate with spirits – but the execution is anything but. What unfolds is a tightly wound, emotionally resonant horror story that explores grief, peer pressure, and the thin line between thrill-seeking and self-destruction. Sophie Wilde stands out in the lead role, delivering a performance that feels grounded even as the supernatural chaos spirals. The film, directed by the Philippou brothers, is gritty and fresh, blending social realism with nerve-shredding suspense. It quickly became a fan favorite, and for good reason – it taps into the kind of fear that lingers long after the final scene. | © A24

Cropped men 2022 — Men (2022)

There’s something off in the countryside retreat Harper chooses to heal after a personal tragedy. *Men*, directed by Alex Garland, doesn’t offer easy answers – it crawls under your skin with eerie symbolism and quiet dread. Jessie Buckley gives a masterful, emotionally raw performance as a woman grappling with grief, guilt, and increasingly surreal encounters. Rory Kinnear plays multiple men in the village – each more unsettling than the last – and his chameleonic transformation is disturbing in all the right ways. The film is a psychological horror with mythological undertones, unafraid to challenge and provoke with its exploration of gender, trauma, and identity. Though divisive, it’s hard to deny *Men*’s hypnotic style and unnerving atmosphere, both of which linger long after the final frame. | © A24

Cropped x 2022 — X (2022)

Porn, pitchforks, and pure terror – X is Ti West at his most playful and perverse. Set in rural 1979 Texas, the film follows a group of adult filmmakers looking to shoot their next hit in a rented farmhouse, only to discover their elderly hosts have a sinister interest in what they're doing. Mia Goth stuns in dual roles, playing both the young Maxine and the murderous Pearl, showcasing her impressive range and commitment to the genre. Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, and Jenna Ortega round out the cast, each bringing charisma and energy to a story that’s equal parts slasher flick and elegy for aging and lost youth. With its grainy aesthetic and love for grindhouse tropes, X pays homage to vintage horror while carving out its own bloody identity. | © A24

Cropped lamb 2021 — Lamb (2021)

Sometimes the most unsettling horror stories are the quiet ones. *Lamb* is a slow, eerie fable set in the remote Icelandic countryside, where a grieving couple discovers a mysterious newborn unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Noomi Rapace brings a quiet strength to her role, anchoring the film in emotional authenticity even as the plot edges into the surreal. Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, this isn’t a movie filled with jump scares – it’s a meditation on loss, nature, and the line between human and animal. The stark, beautiful landscapes only enhance the film’s sense of isolation and dread. *Lamb* is weird in the best way – arthouse horror that creeps up on you with its strangeness and leaves you pondering its meaning long after the credits roll. | © A24

Cropped Saint Maud 2020 — Saint Maud (2020)

*Saint Maud* doesn’t scream – it whispers, crawls, and prays its way into your psyche. This psychological horror debut from Rose Glass tells the story of Maud, a lonely hospice nurse who believes she has been chosen by God to save her patient’s soul. Morfydd Clark delivers a quietly terrifying performance as Maud, whose devout faith masks deep instability. Jennifer Ehle plays Amanda, the ailing former dancer whose skepticism becomes both a target and a trigger. The film is intensely focused, rarely leaving Maud’s side as she spirals into religious obsession and madness. With its muted color palette, subtle body horror, and harrowing final shot, *Saint Maud* stands out as a modern horror gem – more unsettling than overtly scary, but no less powerful for it. | © A24

Cropped midsommar 2019 — Midsommar (2019)

Bright, sun-drenched horror rarely gets under your skin like *Midsommar* does. Ari Aster’s follow-up to *Hereditary* trades in shadows for daylight and replaces jump scares with emotional devastation and cultural dread. Florence Pugh’s breakout performance as Dani is heartbreaking and fierce, as she journeys from grief-stricken girlfriend to something far more unsettling. The film unfolds in a remote Swedish commune during a once-every-90-years midsummer festival, where tradition takes a dark and ritualistic turn. With its vivid folk imagery, hallucinatory visuals, and raw emotional core, *Midsommar* is as disturbing as it is beautiful. Aster balances grief, codependency, and the seductive pull of belonging in a horror film that’s unlike anything else in the genre. | © A24

Cropped the lighthouse 2019 — The Lighthouse (2019)

Isolation has rarely looked as mesmerizing – or as maddening – as it does in *The Lighthouse*. Directed by Robert Eggers, this psychological descent into madness follows two lighthouse keepers stranded on a remote island, battling storms, seagulls, and each other. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson deliver powerhouse performances that are both grotesque and poetic. The film’s stark black-and-white cinematography and square aspect ratio lend it a claustrophobic, dreamlike quality. Eggers draws on maritime folklore, Greek mythology, and early 20th-century language to craft a unique horror experience that feels like a lost artifact. It’s not a traditional scare-fest, but rather a study in madness, masculinity, and power that slowly consumes both its characters – and its viewers. | © A24

Cropped Hereditary — Hereditary (2018)

From the moment it begins, *Hereditary* lets you know something is deeply wrong – and it only gets worse. Ari Aster’s breakout feature is a devastating portrait of a family unraveling in the wake of loss, grief, and something far more sinister hiding in plain sight. Toni Collette delivers a tour de force performance, shifting from restrained sorrow to raw, terrifying anguish as secrets are unearthed. Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro also bring haunting depth to their roles, grounding the film in painful realism even as it veers into supernatural horror. Aster’s slow, deliberate pacing and eerie visuals culminate in one of the most disturbing final acts in modern horror. *Hereditary* isn’t just scary – it’s scarring, and it redefined what audiences expect from elevated horror. | © A24

Cropped in fabric 2018 — In Fabric (2018)

A cursed red dress may sound absurd on paper, but in the hands of director Peter Strickland, it becomes a haunting and hypnotic centerpiece in *In Fabric*. Set in a surreal version of 1970s England, the film follows a series of unlucky buyers as they fall victim to the garment’s bizarre and deadly effects. Marianne Jean-Baptiste leads the first act with warmth and vulnerability, while Gwendoline Christie and Julian Barratt add strange, unsettling energy to the ensemble. The film blends fashion satire with Lynchian horror and off-kilter humor, resulting in a deeply unique viewing experience. It’s as much about consumerism and desire as it is about hauntings – and it’s all wrapped in luxurious visual texture and eerie sound design. | © A24

Cropped the killing of a sacred deer 2017 — The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Tension drips from every line of dialogue in *The Killing of a Sacred Deer*, a disturbing tale of moral reckoning and supernatural punishment. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the film follows a brilliant surgeon – played with icy precision by Colin Farrell – whose relationship with a strange teenager spirals into dread when his family begins to suffer unexplained afflictions. Nicole Kidman brings a haunting stillness to her role as Farrell’s wife, while Barry Keoghan is downright chilling as the enigmatic and vengeful Martin. The film's clinical tone, awkward silences, and emotionally detached performances only deepen the unease. It's a slow burn, heavy on atmosphere and existential dread – a horror story told like a Greek tragedy with surgical precision. | © A24

It Comes at Night (2017)

Not all horror needs monsters. Sometimes, fear lives in what we can’t see – and what we’re forced to do to survive. *It Comes at Night*, directed by Trey Edward Shults, is a bleak, intimate post-apocalyptic thriller about a family trying to survive a mysterious contagion. Joel Edgerton anchors the film with a quiet, intense performance as a protective father who welcomes another family into his home – only to discover that trust is its own form of danger. The film’s strength lies in its ambiguity: the titular “it” is never clearly defined, leaving paranoia to take root in the minds of both characters and audience. Sparse, suspenseful, and emotionally raw, it’s a grim reflection on human nature under extreme stress. | © A24

Cropped green room 2015 — Green Room (2015)

There’s something deeply primal about *Green Room –* something that hits you in the gut long before the knives or dogs come out. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, this tight, brutal thriller follows a struggling punk band who accidentally witness a murder in a neo-Nazi venue, turning their gig into a deadly siege. The late Anton Yelchin leads the cast with raw urgency, while Imogen Poots adds an unpredictable, survivalist edge. But it’s Patrick Stewart’s cold, clinical performance as the skinhead leader that shocks most – far from his usual roles, he’s chillingly calm in the face of chaos. The violence, when it erupts, is sudden and real, stripped of glamor. With its punk-rock energy, minimalist storytelling, and unflinching tension, *Green Room* is one of A24’s most intense entries – more horror in spirit than in structure, but unforgettable all the same. | © A24

Cropped the witch 2015 — The Witch (2015)

Few films announce a directorial voice like *The Witch* did for Robert Eggers. Dubbed “a New England folktale,” it’s a slow-burning, historically meticulous descent into spiritual paranoia. The language is archaic, the woods feel genuinely cursed, and the dread seeps in long before anything supernatural appears. Anya Taylor-Joy, in her breakout role, plays Thomasin – a teenage girl slowly scapegoated by her puritanical family as their world begins to unravel. Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie are equally compelling, grounding the terror in piety and repression. The film’s true power lies in its restraint: the horror builds quietly, until a final act that is as beautiful as it is horrifying. Eggers delivers a masterclass in atmosphere, setting the tone for the wave of “elevated horror” that followed. | © A24

Cropped enemy 2013 — Enemy (2013)

Dread doesn’t always need to shout – sometimes it just lingers in a dusty apartment, in the subtle tilt of a head, or in a spider crawling across the ceiling. *Enemy*, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is a haunting psychological mystery that walks the line between horror and surrealism. Jake Gyllenhaal plays dual roles – an introverted professor and an actor who looks exactly like him – caught in an eerie, mind-bending spiral of obsession and identity. The film is cryptic by design, filled with Kafkaesque tension and dreamlike imagery. It’s a puzzle without a clear solution, but the sense of unease is relentless. Even the Toronto skyline feels off, bathed in sickly yellow light. A24 helped usher this strange, cerebral thriller to cult status, and it remains one of the most unsettling – and underrated – films in their catalog. | © A24

Cropped Under the Skin 2013 — Under the Skin (2013)

Alien horror doesn’t get more hypnotic than *Under the Skin*. Scarlett Johansson plays a mysterious, unnamed woman driving through the Scottish countryside, luring men into a surreal black void – and it’s every bit as haunting as it sounds. Director Jonathan Glazer takes a minimalist approach, using non-actors, hidden cameras, and a dissonant score by Mica Levi to create a film that feels more like a trance than a narrative. Johansson’s performance is eerie and detached, but gradually cracks into something heartbreakingly human. It’s a meditation on identity, gender, and alienation, all wrapped in the shell of a sci-fi horror movie. Visually arresting and emotionally elusive, *Under the Skin* has become a modern classic, not just in horror, but in cinema at large. | © A24

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A24 has become synonymous with groundbreaking cinema, especially when it comes to horror. Unlike the typical jump-scare thrillers or slasher flicks that dominate the genre, A24 has consistently delivered films that delve deep into the psychological, atmospheric, and often unsettling aspects of horror. These films push the boundaries of fear, blending artistry with terror in ways that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. In this list, we’re diving into the top 20 A24 horror movies that have redefined the genre, offering a refreshing take on what it means to be scared. From disturbing psychological narratives to supernatural elements, these films are a must-watch for anyone seeking a different kind of scary. Whether you're a seasoned horror fan or a newcomer, these A24 gems will leave you questioning the nature of fear itself.