The Iron Claw and 4 Other Most Heartbreaking A24 Movies to Cry Your Eyes Out
Need to cry? Then stock up on tissues and turn on one of these movies.
If you look closely, it turns out that the main supplier of art-house and festival hits today is the A24 studio. A24's clever distribution has created a cult, a small new wave that has been noticed all over the world.
We recalled only the most heartbreaking and touching films from the studio.
1. The Farewell, 2019
Billi lives in Brooklyn, but keeps in close touch with her relatives in China – especially her grandmother. When the woman is diagnosed with a terminal illness, her relatives decide not to tell her. Instead, they gather under the pretext of a fake wedding to say goodbye.
The Farewell is a drama about a clash of cultures, the acceptance of lies and grief. Director Lulu Wang based the story on her own experiences. But instead of sentimentalizing the family tragedy, the director took up its light mockery, which added charm to the movie.
2. C'mon C'mon, 2021
Radio journalist Johnny is working on a special project. He travels around the country interviewing children about their relationships with adults and their views of the world. Despite deadlines, Johnny agrees to look after his nephew Jesse while his mother moves to another city.
C'mon C'mon is a surprisingly light and friendly movie, but at the same time it does not feel fake at all. During an unplanned trip, Johnny and Jesse grow closer and learn to understand themselves and their feelings better, share fears and experiences, and admit that they are not okay.
3. The Iron Claw, 2023
Kevin Von Erich is a wrestling star of the 80's. He performs in Texas and aspires to become the NWA Champion. Kevin has three brothers: discus thrower Kerry, future wrestler David and musician Mike.
Their strict and ambitious father, Fritz, was the first wrestler in the family. It was he who changed his real last name Adkisson to the villainous nickname Von Erich.
The Von Erichs fate is one of the saddest stories in professional wrestling. Director Sean Durkin brought it to the big screen and showed that all the troubles that befell the Von Erichs were not because of the curse, but because of a toxic and selfish father.
4. After Yang, 2021
Tea shop owner Jake and his wife Kyra are raising their adopted daughter Mika, an ethnic Chinese. To keep the girl in touch with her roots, her parents bought her an older brother, the robot Yang.
He became part of the family, but suddenly broke down. Jake goes to an underground workshop and finds out that it is impossible to restore Yang, but it is possible to extract the chip with the memories.
After Yang is not a Philip K. Dick sketch or a dystopia about synthetic humans, but an existential drama.
5. Aftersun, 2022
Sophie remembers a summer vacation twenty years ago and watches old videos. When she was 11, she and her father Calum flew to Turkey. She tries to understand her father's feelings and find out what it's like to be a parent.
Debutante Charlotte Wells in 2022 made an amazing family story filled with love and overwhelming fear at the same time.
Viewers watch the carefree vacation of a father and daughter, but because of the details, they constantly expect tragedy. The result is a touching drama about a child who senses something is wrong and wants to help her parent.