The only thing scarier than horror movies is how little The Academy recognizes the genre. It’s no secret they tend to turn their noses up at horror films, but the statistics are truly harrowing.
Per Insider, there are only 18 movies that have won Oscars in the 92 years of the award show’s existence.
As a comparison, a 2011 article from Collider showed that drama movies took home 74 Oscar wins. 11 years later, that number has increased.
I can think of a few recent horror films that were snubbed by The Academy. The first to come to mind is Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018). How Toni Colette didn’t receive a nomination for her captivating portrayal of Annie Graham remains a mystery to me. She effortlessly took viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the film: from grief to anger, to insanity.
Hereditary itself could have been easily nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Original Screenplay, or Best Director. Ari Aster is an incredibly talented director and storyteller; he spares no details in his movies, and even the smallest object can play a major role in his films.
Aster’s equally as impressive 2019 movie Midsommar, also did not receive any Oscar nominations. The Academy chose to overlook a beautifully gut-wrenching and thrilling story, filled with impressive acting by Florence Pugh, and one of the most intricate costumes I’ve ever seen: Dani’s May Queen Dress. According to A24, the costume, which now ironically sits in The Academy Museum in Los Angeles, is made up of over 10,000 silk flowers and weighs over 30 pounds.
2022 has been somewhat of a horror renaissance with titles like X, Barbarian, Smile, and Pearl bringing the genre back to life.
Actress Mia Goth was a standout as the title character of Pearl. Although she plays a maniacal serial killer, Goth does it so beautifully, you can’t help but feel bad for her as she experiences disappointment throughout the movie. At one point, Pearl has a soul-crushing cry that makes her heartbreak. But believe it or not, the scene that most showcased Goth’s acting range was the end credits. Her performance in that sequence alone deserves an Oscar nomination for making viewers laugh, feel uncomfortable, and scared, without her even having to say a word.
Before Pearl, came X: the former a prequel to the latter. Goth played two roles in this movie: the elderly version of Pearl (which she did so well, many people didn’t realize it was her), and Maxine, a young adult film actress hoping to be a star. Maxine and Pearl share many powerful scenes filled with sadness, action, and rage that showcase Goth’s variety.
At the very least, X deserves a nomination for Best Makeup for Pearl’s detailed elderly prosthetic, which according to Bloody Disgusting, took makeup artist Sarah Rubano over 6 hours to apply.
And finally, Zach Cregger’s Barbarian is an exciting and refreshing take on horror. Cregger gave viewers the plot twist of a lifetime with his story about a double-booked AirBnb, that seamlessly meshes horror and comedy together in a way that makes it worthy of Best Screenplay.
Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on January 24, 2023, per Variety, and the awards will be held on March 25, 2023. Will the horror be shown any love this year? We’ll just have to find out.
Written by: Diana Gebbia
