24 Best A24 Movies

15. The Farewell (2019)

Ex Machina
A24

When it comes to uplifting audiences, no film in A24's back catalogue is as effective as The Farewell, a fun but heartbreaking look into the life of a Chinese-American family who take drastic action when they learn their matriarch Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen) is about to die.

Unable to tell her about her impending fate, the family decide to keep Nai Nai's cancer diagnosis from her, and plan a party so they can spend one last time with her. What follows is a loving family drama about cultural identity and tradition that's as side-achingly funny as it is quietly tragic.

Beautifully performed (particularly by an award-winning Awkwafina) and wonderfully sentimental, The Farewell is a joyful exploration of family and unconditional love that everyone should experience.

Contributor

Aidan Whatman hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.