Are the Oscars Really Biased Against Horror Films? Analyzing 96 years of nominations and winners

Historically, horror has been an extremely popular but often overlooked film genre by critics and award ceremonies like the Oscars. This perceived slight stems from a long-held belief that horror, with its emphasis on scares and thrills, is somehow less “elevated” than other genres. Blockbuster acts have faced similar prejudice, with the implication that they are designed more for pure entertainment than artistic merit.

Although the Academy has gradually begun to recognize the art behind horror, the genre still faces an uphill battle for true recognition. The tide appears to be turning, inspiring bold predictions for the 2025 Oscars. Additionally, Although the Academy has a reputation for not recognizing horror, some horror films have been nominated for and won Oscars. However, most of these victories focus on the visual spectacle with stunning practical effects and CGI in horror films.

Why there is a belief that the Oscars do not recognize horror films

This belief is not unfounded in the 96-year history of the Oscars

The terror was mostly critically neglected until recent years. While biopics and dramas are celebrated, horror is often mistakenly reduced to the sum of its scares. However, while the sheer emotion of horror is important, more recently critics have appreciated the mirror it holds up to society's fears. Horror is a challenging genre for actors and filmmakers, but a perfect and vital vehicle for cultural commentary.

However, this is still an easy trap for some critics to just justify praising horror when it is perceived as “more than“horror. This is more important than ever after the”moving, moving and tragic” The substance receiving five Golden Globe nominations – a big step towards more recognition. The substance It has social commentary, but it's anything but subtle and that's where its brilliance lies, providing hope that the genre is being more appreciated at awards parties.

How Horror Films Performed Best Picture at the Oscars

The horror was widely snubbed as best film

However, horror's limited presence in the Oscars Best Picture category is still a glaring omission. Despite the genre's rich history dating back to 1927 (ignoring classics like King Kong), only six horror films have received nominations for Hollywood's biggest award, and some titles are known to everyone for their prestige.

There are the best classics of the genre: The Exorcist (1973) was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, receiving 10 nominations but losing Best Picture to The sting. Another film today synonymous with horror is Jaws (1975), which received four Oscar nominations. However, he lost to One flew over the cuckoo's nest in what was, overall, a very close Best Picture race. Moving into the 1990s, The Silence of the Lambs (1991) cannot be overstated as a critical darling and finally brought an Oscar to the genre with a Best Picture win.

The Sixth Sense (1999) is perhaps one of the most cited horror films of all time. However, upon its release, it did not receive the Oscar for Best Film, which went to American Beauty. But as the modern era of cinema began, Aronofsky critically reinforced the horror genre with the release of Black Swan (2010), which was probably considered more respectable because it was predominantly a psychological thriller film. However, it also didn't win the Best Film award.

Of course, Jordan Peele was a key director in elevating horror in the 2010s and 2020s. His directorial debut To go out was an incredibly strong candidate. The film received four Oscar nominations at the 90th ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Daniel Kaluuya. However, it lost Best Film to The shape of the water which, despite being influenced by gothic horror, is more recognized as a fantasy film.

This limited recognition suggests a bias against the horror genre within the Academy. While movies like The Exorcist and Jaws are undeniably landmarks in the history of cinema, they often faced competition from more conventional films. The inclusion of films such as Black Swan and To go out suggests a gradual shift in the Academy's perspective, recognizing the artistic merit and cultural impact of horror. However, the general lack of recognition of the genre remains a significant oversight.

Which horror films received Oscar nominations for best director

Best director is an even less award-winning horror category

The pattern of horror directing nominations has also changed in recent years, although it has yet to take home that particular award. Although it won the award for Best Original Screenplay To go out was also nominated for Best Director; a well-deserved compliment when Jordan Peele is the heart of the entire project. Decades earlier, between The ExorcistThe 10 nominations for 2019 were Best Director – another creative that deserved recognition, when The Exorcist it still stands today.

Black Swan it also received a nomination for Best Director and did not win. Previously, Jonathan Demme won Best Director for The Silence of the Lambs. While there are few Best Director nominations for horror compared to Best Actor and technical categories, there are great examples of horrors made by directors who have won Oscars for their other non-horror films. Steven Spielberg is an excellent example of this with Jaws and Poltergeistproving that legendary directors themselves respect the genre.

Which actors received Oscar nominations for horror films

Some actors have been recognized for their horror performances, but perhaps not enough

Viewers are often conditioned to dismiss strong acting with horror, seeing it as secondary to the scares and gore. However, the horror genre lends itself well to deep, disturbing performances, with winners including Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Ruth Gordon in Rosemary's BabyKathy Bates in Miseryand the legendary duo Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. Iconic performances like Sissy Spacek in CarrieBette Davis in What happened to Baby Jane?and Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd they also showcase the caliber of acting often found in the genre.

The Academy has unfortunately shown some neglect of female horror leads. Natalie Portman won by Black Swan; however, it could be argued that it was for the dramatic aspect of the film and her commitment to ballet training, as well as the mentality of the role. While Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs and Sigourney Weaver in Aliens received recognition (although Aliens is often classified as action), iconic horror film Final Girls as Neve Campbell in Scream and Maika Monroe in He follows remain ignored. Toni Collette's powerful performance in Hereditary was also forgotten.

However, praise from other award-winning bodies for films such as Talk to me (2022) demonstrate the power of strong performances within the horror genre. Sophie Wilde's interpretation highlights the need for further shifts in perspective, recognizing the exceptional talent often found in a genre that has long been undervalued. Although neither she nor the film won any Oscars, Talk to me won five AACTA industry awards.

Other categories in which horror films received Oscars

The visual effects category is well recognized at the Oscars

The many nominations that horror films have received over the years tend to be for more technical categories. For example, Foreigner won the award for Best Visual Effects and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) received four Oscar nominations, but all in technical categories: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Best Sound Editing. Many others horror titles won Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup. While these are worthy achievements, the lack of recognition in other categories critically highlights their reduction to visual spectacle.

No entanto, o terror foi reconhecido pela escrita, com vários títulos ganhando prêmios da Academia por seus roteiros. Dito isto, o horror parece ter respondido na mesma moeda, abraçando suas conquistas de efeitos visuais mais recentemente de uma forma irônica. Por exemplo, MaXXXine é um pastiche de horror filmes, e na verdade usa seus efeitos visuais decididamente polpudos como fonte de terror – como na cena em que Maxine está com a cabeça engessada. Outros títulos de 2024, como o crescente sucesso do filme de terror A substância, abraçaram sua grandiosidade visual.