by Aero S.
It’s an open secret at this point that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the organization that hosts the Oscars – isn’t very fond of horror movies. Granted, horror films have always been a hit or miss. Out of the hundreds that come out each year, only a few dozen manage to do the genre justice, but these few dozen deserve the praise and recognition that they have been deprived of, almost inherently because of the reputation their genre has. In its 95-year run, only six horror/thriller films have won its most prestigious award, Best Picture, with the last one being Jordan Peele’s 2017 hit Get Out. 2022 was an anomalous year in that so many fantastic horror films came out and were generally well-received by audiences. The year saw Mia Goth masterfully play a woman named Pearl not once, but twice in X and the aptly titled Pearl, and the Academy gave both performances the cold shoulder. In response to her films being snubbed this year, Goth recently stated, while promoting her new horror film Infinity Pool at Sundance, that, “I think that [The Oscars are] very political… a shift should take place if they want to engage with the wider public.” And she may be right. The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards came out a few days ago at the time of writing, and I couldn’t help but notice that the Academy has continued the pattern of discrediting and ignoring the incredible horror films that 2022 had to offer.
Aside from Pearl and X, Jordan Peele’s third directing project, Nope, was a critical darling and gave Peele a hat trick of having his films cross the $100 million threshold at the box office. The cast, consisting of Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun and Get Out alum Daniel Kaluuya, all gave stellar performances and had an on-screen chemistry that audiences found endearing, even in the circumstances the characters had to endure. Beyond the incredible acting and onscreen chemistry, this film stood out among the crowd for its sound design. The sound in this film is, for a lack of a better term, haunting. It almost becomes its own character as the film progresses, and as a viewer, it is not just a warning that something scary is about to occur, but also a complement to the disturbing imagery and effects. Many films can be watched on mute and have their quality remain somewhat the same, but Nope is not one of those films. This may sound like a critique, but it’s actually praise for how well-rounded and thought-out everything is. Music and sound can sometimes be thrown in as an afterthought, but with Nope, you can really tell that Peele wanted the music to serve the way that it did. The result is a harrowing, atmospheric, yet at times claustrophobic feeling that envelopes the entire film. Most of all, Nope and the Pearl franchise have something to say. Nope is a commentary on the sensationalism and commercialization of shock and controversy that seems to plague the entertainment industry (though some people didn’t understand this), while Pearl comments on the ‘American Dream,’ and how it’s set up to have its most vulnerable citizens fail or succumb to exploitation.
Obviously, having a profound message or a poignant commentary in a film isn’t a prerequisite to bagging an Oscar nomination – Top Gun: Maverick’s six Oscar nominations are proof of that – but it means that important films aren’t being regarded in the way that they should. The themes present in horror films like Nope could be present in a drama and that film probably would have garnered more attention and Oscar buzz. Even films with less strong messaging like Smile, Barbarian, Bones and All, and many more that have garnered positive reviews both from audiences and critics aren’t getting the attention they deserve. The issue isn’t that these films are too political, not political enough, badly acted, or even badly produced, it’s simply that horror films are still not being taken seriously enough. At least Nope did get a few wins in other, if smaller, award shows, such as Keke Palmer’s Best Supporting Actress win from the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, but it’s disheartening to see that the award show that supposedly matters most won’t even provide them a chance to get their dues.
Evidently, I feel very strongly about horror films and firmly believe that they should be appreciated in the way that they deserve. However, I am also aware that ultimately, these awards are, as Mia Goth says, very political. Because of this, many award shows aren’t just about celebrating and giving the best films in the market their flowers, but also about honoring and following through with the handshake deals that are made behind the stage and curtains we see onscreen. These awards may be important to the futures of those involved in making the films being nominated, but don’t let them determine the worth or quality of the films that haven't been nominated; after all, many films are snubbed every year, and those are the ones we remember more in the long run.
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