A24’s The Front Room Ends Studio’s Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Streak

As a cinephile with over two decades of movie-watching under my belt, I must say this year has been a rollercoaster ride for A24 – a studio that has consistently delivered exceptional films across various genres. However, 2024 seems to be a bit of a mixed bag for them in the horror genre.

In the coming weeks, A24’s new horror production, titled “The Front Room“, is set to break the studio’s esteemed record in critical acclaim. Directed by brothers Max and Sam Eggers, offspring of renowned filmmaker Sam Eggers, the movie centers around Brandy, portraying Belinda – a pregnant woman who uncovers her stepmother-in-law Solange’s (Kathryn Hunter) devious attempts to manipulate her stepson and seize the baby for her own malevolent purposes. Known for revolutionizing the horror genre in the 21st century with films like “Talk to Me“, “Heriditerary“, and Robert Egger’s “The Witch“, A24 has built a reputation that sets high expectations for “The Front Room” to deliver another critically lauded horror film.

It appears that Max and Sam Eggers’ debut film, “The Front Room,” is not expected to surpass the critical acclaim received by their older brother Robert Eggers’ works, at least based on its initial Rotten Tomatoes score of 46%. With thirteen reviews so far, this places “The Front Room” on par with another A24 film from 2014, “Tusk,” directed by Kevin Smith. As more reviews come in, the score may change, but as of now, it’s a significant difference compared to the critical success of other A24 films this year such as “Sing Sing,” “Civil War,” and “I Saw the TV Glow.” The following chart shows the Rotten Tomatoes scores of A24’s biggest 2024 releases to emphasize the gap between “The Front Room” and the rest of their slate.

A24 Has Become a Big Name in Horror and Beyond

2024 has been a notable year for A24, with “Sing Sing” and “Civil War” contributing significantly to their critical acclaim and box office success. Notably, “Civil War” is A24’s second highest-grossing film globally, surpassed only by “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” However, the release of “The Front Room” seems to indicate a slight weakening of A24’s hold on the horror genre this year. On the other hand, IFC Films have managed to outshine A24 in the horror category with their films “Late Night with the Devil” and “In a Violent Nature.” These two films have garnered impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores of 97% and 78%, respectively, surpassing those of A24’s major horror releases this year, including “MaXXXine” and now “The Front Room.”

In the meantime, Neon’s film “Immaculate” raked in a stunning $28 million globally and received a commendable 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, Neon made waves with the debut of “Longlegs,” which garnered an impressive 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and was a blockbuster hit of the summer, earning $73 million in domestic sales and an additional $103 million overseas. Not only did “Longlegs” set a new record as Neon’s highest-grossing film to date, but its domestic earnings surpassed nearly every A24 movie except for “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

After a potential setback with their recent release “The Front Room,” film production company A24 is poised to make a strong comeback. Their upcoming slate includes “A Different Man” which has garnered an impressive 86% on Rotten Tomatoes following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. They also have in store the drama “We Live in Time,” led by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, as well as the horror film “Hectic” and the apocalyptic teen comedy “Y2K.” The erotic thriller “Babygirl,” starring Nicole Kidman, is set to premiere on Christmas Day and has already received positive reviews with a 93% based on 30 critic assessments. While “The Front Room” may not be a hit at the moment, it won’t damage the goodwill A24 enjoys among its audience.

The Front Room
opens in theaters on September 6, 2024.

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2024-09-06 15:01