5 Interesting A24 Movies Destined For Critical Acclaim In 2020
4. First Cow
A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, First Cow is a 19th-century tale about entrepreneurs with bovine inspirations. Reputed Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw was one of the first to give it a five-star recommendation and we foresee it being just one of many rapturous responses to the unique story. If it's unique to mainstream cinema, it's certainly not to director Kelly Reichardt. Her films have been called 'Neo-Neo Realism' by critic A. O. Scott and tend to focus on rural settings.
Early word on First Cow is that it's a slow-burning meditation on community and capitalism. Starring John Magaro and Orion Lee, the pair play two men who strike up a friendship based on their mutual goal of finding fortune. They have come west in search of prosperity and decide to exploit an opportunity that comes their way. Or rather, they come its way. What happens next is billed as simultaneously thoughtful and suspenseful.
The western genre has had a rejuvenation over the last decade or so. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and The Sisters Brothers are two notable recent examples. A24 have contributed to this rebirth somewhat with films like Slow West. Perhaps it is a reaction to the noisy world that we live in, never allowing for a moment's peace. We look forward to immersing ourselves in this Reichardt-created world of prosperous cows for two hours.