The nominations for this year's Academy Awards are out. Once again, moviegoers are reminded that a genre such as horror is not welcome at the Oscars. Historically, the Academy has not given many nominations to horror movies. Only 6 horror movies have ever been nominated for best picture and only 1 of those 6 has taken home the award. So, it is understandable when horror fans feel snubbed each winter. The genre may have success at the box office, but that has not translated into success at the Oscars.
So, why is there this wall keeping this particular genre out of the mix? One way to think about it is to compare it to another genre that has been snubbed for years - superhero films. Superhero movies did not do well with the academy unless it was a technical or musical category. When "The Dark Knight" (2008) was not nominated for best picture, fans were outraged. Afterward, the Academy added more slots for nominations. 10 years later, "Black Panther" (2018) became the first superhero movie ever to be nominated for best picture. Superhero films are now being treated equally among other genres. Like horror films, superhero films rake in the money, especially over the past decade.
"The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) is the only horror film to win Best Picture. It also won for best actress, best actor, best director, and best screenplay. The film became the third movie in history to win the so-called big five awards at the Oscars. The Academy has not nominated many horror films for major categories. "The Silence of the Lambs" is one of the few exceptions. Its sweep of major categories at the 1992 Academy Awards shows that the horror genre can be seen as legitimate.
2018 saw 2 successful horror films, "Halloween" (2018) and "A Quiet Place" (2018). Both movies did very well at the box office and they had excellent opening weekends. Fans and critics alike enjoyed each, one being an original screenplay, the other a reboot/sequel. There is even buzz about sequels being made in the future for both films. They were both wildly popular in 2018. Between the two of them, there was just one nomination this year for best sound editing. What is holding these movies back from receiving praise from the Academy? A lot of hard work went into making these movies. When a film stands out, it should be given proper respect, no matter what the genre is.
