A24 is most famous for its psychological and folk horror movies like Hereditary, The Witch, and Midsommar. But did you know that the indie distributor has also released several monster movies? These aren't your typical creature features by any means, as A24 likes to acquire films that push the envelope and subvert viewer expectations.
From the twisted mind of Kevin Smith and his black comedy body horror film Tusk to the more science fiction-heavy Under the Skin, the following list highlights the best monster movies released by A24 throughout the years.
Tusk (2014)
Tusk is an unconventional monster movie from director and writer Kevin Smith. It plays out more like a twisted dark comedy leaning heavily into body horror. The main character is tortured and forcefully turned into a walrus, therefore becoming the "monster" of sorts.
It follows a podcaster (Justin Long) who travels to Canada and meets an eccentric sailor (Michael Parks) who takes the podcast host hostage and mutilates him. It's one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen and one I wouldn't watch more than once.
The Monster (2016)
Another unique take on the monster movie subgenre, this excellent film from Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) follows a mother and daughter stranded at night and hunted by a terrifying creature.
Bertino has proven himself a master at building suspense in just about every one of his projects and it's a standout aspect of these movie, along with the phenomenal performance from its two leads, Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine.
Death of a Unicorn (2025)
Death of a Unicorn leans more into dark comedy than horror, but it is technically a creature feature, and a pretty fun one at that. While it doesn't quite reach the same heights as some of A24's other films, Death of the Unicorn does feature Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd in lead roles, automatically making it an entertaining time at the movies.
It follows Elliot (Rudd) and his teen daughter Ridley (Ortega) as they plan to visit Elliot's boss for the weekend. On the way there, Elliot accidentally hits a baby unicorn. Later, they realize the unicorn's blood might have magical properties, leading Elliot's boss to desire more to experiment with. Of course, then the mother unicorn arrives to seek revenge for his baby and all hell breaks loose.
Under the Skin (2013)
If you watched The Zone of Interest and found yourself keen to discover more of Jonathan Glazer's works, then look no further to this masterpiece of a film.
Under the Skin is a sci-fi horror movie starring Scarlett Johansson in her best performance to date as a mysterious young woman who we later learn is an extraterrestrial that just happens to take on the guise of a female to seek its prey.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
I Saw the TV Glow is definitely more of a psychological horror film than standard monster movie fare, but I'd argue that the villain Mr. Melancholy is truly a terrifying monster. While he doesn't necessarily show up a lot in the film, you can feel his overbearing presence throughout the entire story and when you get to the tragic end, it's hard to imagine a more sinister antagonist out there.