From "Bodies Bodies Bodies" to "Midsommar," the Best A24 Horror Movies, Ranked

Although technically classified as a psychological thriller, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" is a comedy horror that strikes a perfect balance between creating a story that's as hilarious as it is horrifying. The film follows Martin, a teenager who lost his father during surgery and becomes obsessed with the surgeon who failed to save him. After growing increasingly pushy with Steven and his family, Martin tells Steven he has to sacrifice one family member to save the rest. In Martin's eyes, this "even things out" after his father's death. A revenge story as horrifying as it is comical, this film ends with a terrible sacrifice.

"It Comes at Night" is a postapocalyptic psychological thriller that suffered from misdirection and poor marketing. Going into the film, many viewers expected a monster movie, but what they got was anything but. While the film promised something it didn't deliver on, it's still a phenomenal movie about paranoia and isolation. It follows a small family surviving the apocalypse by isolating themselves in a remote home in the woods. After some time, they invite another family into their house who have a young son, believing there will be safety in numbers. Unfortunately, the family's paranoia eventually leads them to kill their guests, thinking they're infected. Only, in the end, they make a harrowing discovery.

"The Lighthouse" is probably best known for starring "Twilight" and "The Batman" star Robert Patterson and reverting to classic black-and-white cinematography. Taking place in the late 1800s, "The Lighthouse" follows two lighthouse attendees who are isolated on a remote island. Isolation's effect on people is a recurring theme in A24 films, and "The Lighthouse" is the perfect exploration of how it can drive two men to insanity. The film draws a direct parallel to Greek mythology's gods Prometheus and Proteus, and the symbolism makes for a highly compelling story.

Unlike some of the other films on this list, "Bodies Bodies Bodies" disguises itself as being a fairly straightforward slasher film. Not unlike "Scream," the movie follows a group of young adults who get picked off one by one while the survivors attempt to figure out who's behind the killings. Not only is "Bodies Bodies Bodies" hilarious and fun, but the ending reveal of the killer also offers an incredible twist that turns all the slasher tropes you thought you knew on their head.

"The Witch" is one of the more recognizable and highly praised A24 films. Set in 1630s New England, it tells the story of a secluded farming family whose youngest son goes missing. Blame quickly turns to the main character, Thomasin, who had been watching her little brother at the time of his disappearance. Thomasin's family slowly turn against her as their paranoia leads them to believe she's practicing witchcraft and took their youngest child for evil purposes. While the overall story is phenomenal and resulted in critical acclaim, the movie's pacing is a slow burn that, at some points, can make it difficult to stay invested.

Starring "Wednesday" and "Scream VI's" Jenna Ortega, "X" is one of the more recent horror films created by A24. It's also one of the raunchier films the studio has created. As the name suggests, "X" is about a group of young adults trying to make it big by filming pornography during a period when porn wasn't normalized. Unfortunately, they end up renting a guest house at a farm owned by a disturbed and sex-crazed old woman who inevitably kills most of them. This film pushed boundaries with its boldness and willingness to go where many films are too afraid to go. It also cleverly set up future films by casting Mia Goth as both the young and beautiful Maxine as well as Pearl, the elderly woman who sees herself in Maxine.

Much like "The Witch," "Hereditary" is another infamous film that A24 has become known for. "Hereditary" follows the plot of a family bloodline cursed to forever have a powerful demonic entity attached to it. The film is probably best known for its disturbing death scenes, including the beheading of a young girl and her mother cutting her own head off with a piano wire. Beyond the disturbing imagery, though, the film has become a cult classic for telling an authentically scary story that ends with the only surviving member of the family, the son, becoming a vessel for the demon, Paimon, the King of Hell. Paimon needs a male host, and after generations of women, he's finally found one in the film's sole survivor.

"Under the Skin" stars Scarlett Johansson as Laura, a seemingly human woman who drives around looking for isolated men to lure in and seduce. Laura is something otherworldly disguised as a beautiful woman to trap her victims and transport them to another world. Her perspective is unique, as she experiences the darkest parts of humanity, especially from men. The mind-bending movie insinuates that there shouldn't be much sympathy for the men Laura inevitably harms because as she hunts, she sees the true horrors hidden in them and society.

"Midsommar" has become a fan-favorite example of what A24 horror is all about. Starring the incredible Florence Pugh as Dani, it's a folk horror that follows a group of friends to Sweden, where they plan to attend the area's Midsummer Festival. What they don't know is that they're walking right into the midst of a pagan cult. This film is infamous for cleverly giving away the ending early on in the movie without viewers noticing. Dani eventually becomes May Queen after being dosed with hallucinogens, and she ultimately sacrifices her boyfriend in a ceremony that requires nine sacrifices. As the only member of her group to live, Dani is first horrified by what she's done but slowly accepts and even smiles through the ceremony because, despite the horrors she's faced, she has finally broken off from a horribly toxic relationship.

As a prequel to "X," "Pearl" had a lot to live up to, especially since it was released in the same year as the original film, meaning "X" was fresh in fans' memories. The deeply disturbing film "Pearl" tells the story of the elderly killer from "X" when she was still young and in her prime. Growing up on an isolated farm, Pearl dreams of leaving her family behind to become a dancer. As the film goes on, the viewer realizes there's nothing Pearl isn't willing to do to achieve her dreams. But when she fails her audition and realizes she will be trapped on that farm forever, she truly loses any connection to reality or empathy. "Pearl" emphasizes the horrors of everyday life and the realization that most dreams will never come true.