Are the Oscars scared of Horror?

2022 was nothing short of a monumental year for the horror film. Critical reception was nothing but praise for the genre, with the year seeing career defining performances in horror from stars such as Mia Goth and Keke Palmer respectively, in the extremely highly received films Pearl (2022) and Nope (2022). If this is all considered, it leads to the questions that are whispered across both critics’ and fans’ lips, why are horror performance always snubbed during award seasons, specifically by the Academy Awards? Despite having films packed full of amazing acting, cinematography and direction, the Academy consistently overlooks horror, belittling it as a whole in comparison to other genres.

Horror going widely unrecognised during award seasons is not a new trend and can be seen through the history of the Oscars. In the span of 94 years, only six horror films, The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Sixth Sense (1999), Black Swan (2010), and Get Out (2017), have ever been nominated. Only one of these films, The Silence of the Lambs, won the prestigious award. The lack of respect for horror movies has existed as long as the Hollywood award system has, yet it is now 2023, where claims of championing inclusivity and unique visions are made regarding film, so why is horror still being overlooked?

When we consider horror’s place in the world of Hollywood studios, it can’t be regarded as anything other than important. For example, in the 1970’s we saw horror pave the way for the age of the blockbuster, with Stephen Spielberg’s Jaws considered one of the first ‘summer’ blockbusters. Looking back at horror, the genre consistently cemented itself as a huge draw to audiences, continuing to bring in fans both new and old to both cinema going and at home streaming.

One problem continually seen when considering horror and its relationship to awards is where to draw the line at defining what is a ‘horror movie’, so to speak. Often belittled to the worst representation of the genre, the C-list slasher flicks full of bad jump scares and not-so-realistic gore, which despite often being a fun and entertaining watch, obviously lack the best picture credentials. However, horror as a genre is actually full of nuance, representing the most primal human emotion - fear. The sidestepping of the genre, describing award worthy films as thriller instead, for example, continues to disrespect the genre and promote the perception of being unnoteworthy outside its own cult circles.

This is not to say all aspects of the genre go unrecognised. Oscars have been won, including but not limited to, Best Special Effects for The

Birds (1963), Best Art Direction for Alien (1979) and Kathy Bates got Best Actress for Misery (1990). But when we think about the scope of the Academy Awards, with 581 different films nominated for Best Picture throughout its 94 years, horror is barely a speck of dust on the Oscar’s trophies. It can be boiled down to a simple yet controversial fact; horror fails to be recognised as worthy a genre as drama or comedy despite also representing the fundamental human condition, just from an alternative angle.

There is now a wide and considerable acknowledgement of the Academy’s bias against horror, especially due to the snubbed performances in the last few years. Toni Collette’s emotionally charged performance in Hereditary (2017) was ignored causing outrage from fans and critics alike. This was then a trend continually seen with Lupita Nyong’o for Us (2019) and Florence Pugh for Midsommar (2019), shut out from nominations despite stellar performances and that’s to just name a few. This is not to deny that the actors and actresses who were nominated in the respective years did not deserve to be so, it is instead highlighting how due to a film being a horror, the performances are not being considered despite being on an equal level. It also must be noted how it is often women who are the ones who are having their performances ignored despite providing deep and nuanced characters, seen again in this year’s nominations lacking the inclusion of Mia Goth or Keke Palmer.

Goth in a recent interview commented on the lack of representation of horror at the Oscars, simply saying what every fan feels: ‘I think that it’s very political. It’s not entirely based on the quality of a project per se. There’s a lot going on there and a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to nominations. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, but I think that’s true. I think a lot of people know that.’ The prejudice against the horror genre is obvious yet still exists. Ultimately, the Academy will not move forward until they embrace their fears and start showing how being afraid is something of huge worth.