Better late than never, we bring you a Halloween-related post that magically links into the great and prosperous awards season. We all know the trouble the horror films have trying to be seen when it comes to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. To celebrate the 31st of October, AKA Halloween, here are 31 horror films that many of us here at Filmotomy believe worthy of Best Picture recognition. I use the term “horror” sparingly of course, I mean some of you claim The Silence of the Lambs to be a horror film. Read on, for more or less appropriately labelled movies. Be warned, though, this is a beast of an article, so please hang in there, turn off the lights, and perch somewhere safe. All your comments are welcome. Happy Halloween.
Aliens (1986)
Riddled with technical Oscar nominations, and rightly so, James Cameron’s explosive, non-stop action extravaganza would have made a terrific Best Picture nominee. Horror, sci-fi, monster movie, pure action, whatever – Aliens has the quality and timeless appeal to ranked at the very top of 1986’s finest efforts. Can we go as far as to say it could have beaten Platoon to win Best Picture? Had Aliens swept the techs, including a well-deserved win for James Horner’s score, and managed to reward Sigourney Weaver with the Best Actress prize, then we may well be crying “Game over, man!” in a much more euphoric way. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
Scream (1996)
Alright, just hear me out on this one. Wes Craven’s Scream may not seem the most likely of films to have been overlooked by the Academy. It certainly doesn’t scream Best Picture contender. But this film arrived in a year where something as generic as The English Patient was able to sweep the Oscars. A film that truly turned the horror world on its head, and, for better or worse, revitalised the lagging slasher genre.
With its intoxicating mix of pitch-perfect, self-aware humour and genuinely terrifying scares, Scream was the breath of fresh air the horror genre so desperately needed. Craven crafted a horror film that defied expectations and constantly kept you on your toes. Throw in a brilliant ensemble cast, an intelligent screenplay, and a gallons of blood, this is still the gold standard horror film of the 1990s. A Best Picture nomination was never going to happen, but it could have stood as a moment the Academy acknowledged a pop culture phenomenon. Guess the MTV Movie Award for Best Film will have to do. – – – – – Doug @itsdougjam
Train to Busan (2016)
I would not qualify myself as a foreign movie fan, a horror fan, or even a zombie movie fan. The only movie to ever make me give it a second thought was 2016’s Train To Busan, a South Korean zombie apocalypse film that takes the main thing that frustrates me about the subject and throws it in the trash. I get very caught up in trying to understand how this situation even occurred, especially in media involving the undead. Train to Busan fights this by being so rooted in its characters that you never feel like you are being cheated of any answers.
The film starts with a father and a daughter on a trip to Busan. It is elegantly simple, and it keeps the film moving. Even when the entire ensemble of characters is introduced, the premise is always kept very clear. It is the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. The questions lie in all that we knew before the insanity began: where are the people, and are they okay? If you get grossed out by gore, hate horror, can’t stand another apocalypse film, or get tired of reading captions, I would still implore you to try this movie. You are getting a zombie thrill-ride, but more importantly, you are getting a heartfelt story about community, acceptance, and what it means to be there for someone. – – – – – Celia @filmsunstuck
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s The Thing shouldn’t exist – the 1950 Howard Hawks/Christian Nyby original is too good. But in reimagining it, Carpenter and screenwriter Bill Lancaster preserved Hawks’s core narrative – an alien terrorizes an Arctic military base – while emphasizing something darker. Most horror-movie fans love Carpenter’s remake because of the gore: you don’t forget the hyperreal specificity FX artist Rob Bottin brings to the alien shapeshifting setpieces. Yet Carpenter cares more about the paranoia between suspicious men. The Thing functions as a masterpiece of ambivalent machismo.
Nowadays, Carpenter casts himself a gun-for-hire, but his efforts on The Thing belay this false modesty. A gun-for-hire doesn’t mount large reshoots, as Carpenter did after seeing a rough cut and realizing the movie didn’t work. A gun-for-hire doesn’t approach the aesthetic this carefully, muting colors to emphasize Bottin’s effects or designing sets to showcase DP Dean Cundey’s anamorphic-shooting strategies. And a gun-for-hire doesn’t insist on The Thing’s finale: a sad, quiet conversation between two men too tired to care if the other is human. The Thing is a perfect film. Get lost in its yawning abysses. – – – – – Josh @TrppdnthCg
Se7en (1995)
David Fincher’s Se7en is a dark and all too pessimistic look at the evil in this world, and how we are powerless to stop it. Morgan Freeman’s weathered Detective Somerset carries on, despite all of the horrors he has encountered over his long years on this earth. Fincher’s cold and cynical vision is translated into the art direction of the always gloomy and rainy city Somerset and his tragic partner, Detective Mills, inhabit. With razor sharp editing, a twisted screenplay with a killer ending and Kevin Spacey playing quite possibly the devil himself (how fitting), Se7en remains a stark and profound masterpiece of psychological horror, that will not leave your mind after a first viewing.
In fact, it will have you coming back for more because like Somerset, we want to believe that the world is a just place and worth fighting for. Se7en reminds us that the former is false while the later is still true. It is for these reasons, years before the Academy decided to reward another film that touched upon the senseless evil of this world in No Country For Old Men, that Se7en should’ve received more love from the Academy in 1995. Nominations it should’ve received include Picture, Director, Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Film Editing (Which it received) & Best Production Design. – – – – – Matt @NextBestPicture
The Bad Seed (1956)
They don’t make them like this anymore. Well, they attempt to remake them kind of like this. The 1956 film The Bad Seed is classic eerie and mystery, and one of the very best pictures of the year. The Academy were not so sure, in no doubt another neglect of the genre in such prestige categories. That said, three of the actresses were all nominated, including little Patty McCormack. Could The Bad Seed have landed a warranted Best Picture nod? I think so! This was the year that Around the World in 80 Days took the big prize – so, what do you think? – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
The Shining (1980)
Critics can and will argue for years about The Shining. Is it a faithful adaptation of the novel? Does it make sense to cast Jack Nicholson as an average man driven to madness by isolation and the supernatural influence of the Overlook Hotel when Nicholson on a good day comes across as being three quarters of the way to crazy already? Is Stanley Kubrick a cinematic genius, an abusive perfectionist, or both?
Ultimately, we can nitpick certain elements of this film forever, but when we look at everything as a whole, what we have is a classic horror film hat has stood the test of time. The visuals that Kubrick uses throughout the film are at once artistic and terrifying, and his use of the camera to depict the eerie hotel as a character in its own right as much as any of the human film is incredible. The iconic scares in this film still work forty odd years later, and serve as a testament to the fact that The Shining should have gotten much more attention from the Academy when it first came out. – – – – – Audrey @audonamission
Ex Machina (2015)
There may be some objections to this choice, but I’ll fight to the bitter end to say Alex Garland’s directorial debut, the British psychological-thriller Ex-Machina, is at its heart a horror story about our darkest fears of AI technology and its potential. Admittedly it doesn’t have the tropes, explicit structure, or imagery of more iconic horror films but I’d argue it still has all the suspense and, by the final act, the fear inducing tension required to scare you.
It’s not a traditional horror, but it is horrifically suspenseful. Beyond that, it is also undoubtedly one of the best sci-fi films in recent memory with every element pulling out its A-game. It did garner an Oscar for Visual Effects and a nomination for Original Screenplay, as well as many BAFTA nominations; but even in a year that would have pit it against cinematic greats such as Spotlight, The Revenant, and Mad Max: Fury Road it arguably should have been considered an equal and worthy contender. – – – – – Jon @jonnbridges
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Repulsion (1965)
We’re playing catch-up with director Roman Polanski’s psychological thriller Repulsion. Its distributor, the Compton Group, specialized in softcore porn, and I imagine that Compton exec Michael Klinger expected something straightforward with gratuitous nudity from star Catherine Deneuve, not this subjective exploration of a woman’s fraying psyche. Repulsion entered the canon because of other features. Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver has the same sexual anxieties plaguing Deneuve’s character as Travis Bickle. Cross-breed Repulsion and The Red Shoes, and you get Darren Aronofsky’s Academy Award-winning Black Swan. And in Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, the villain isn’t sex but its biological conclusion. It’s a monster movie about motherhood.
Still, I’m tempted to stick with Repulsion. Deneuve has never been better: it’s hard to watch the disconnect between her placid surface and the rage bubbling underneath. And DP Gilbert Taylor’s jittery monochrome cinematography (which received a BAFTA nomination) makes Repulsion look like a professional snuff film – you feel like the slightest camera bob could shatter the image and everyone watching it. – – – – – Josh @TrppdnthCg
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
There’s a very strong argument that Gary Oldman could have won his Best Actor Oscar some 25 years earlier – had he been nominated. Bram Stoker’s Dracula won three of its four Oscar nominations on the night, Costume Design, Sound Effects Editing, and Makeup, losing Art Direction. It is easy to imagine how a much higher nomination tally could have made this a real contender (Score? Director? Editing? Cinematography?). Murmurs it was a weakish year for film generally, and Coppola had of course been there before, but the contrasting mediocrity of some of the performances (wooden Keanu Reeves; over the top Anthony Hopkins) may have hindered the “horror’s” prospects. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
The Witch (2016)
A seventeenth century in family in New England are being tormented by something… witchy. But who’s responsible? First-born daughter, Thomasin or the family goat, Black Phillip? Robert Eggers removes his production designer hat and instead, excels behind the camera – although his eye for detail, aesthetics and style is still just as strong, if not heightened. Arguably, it’s the visual concept of The Witch (or VVitch if you’re being authentic), that makes it so disturbing. The lighting, camera angles and costumes work together to create a bleak sense of disquietude from the off, making you absolutely dread the night time scenes.
All of this is intensified with subtle undertones of womanhood, sexuality and coming-of-age, for Thomasin. Much like it would have been then (and frequently still is today), Thomasin’s natural progression into womanhood is seen as dirty, dangerous and something to be scared of. So it’s both scary and satisfying when she leaves her life as she knows it and seemingly joins a coven. But you know what they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em… – – – – – Shannon @shazzzzakhan
Hereditary (2018)
We’re calling this one early. We all know Hereditary will be overlooked for a Best Picture nomination. Those horror films falling more into the arthouse category will never sit well with the Academy, especially one that leaves you with an entirely hollow feeling upon exiting the cinema. But therein lies the power of Hereditary, a deeply, deeply unsettling and horrifically disturbing film, filled with imagery that will genuinely haunt you for a lifetime.
In only his debut feature film, writer/director Ari Aster delivers a piece of horror cinema that wisely avoids the endless stream of jump-scares so synonymous with the most disappointing of scary movies. His shocks instead come from his commitment to an array of confronting imagery that linger long in your memory. It doesn’t hurt the film is led by an impeccable and career-best performance from Toni Collette, as a mother slowly descending into madness. It’s a tour-de-force turn that will likely also be overlooked (that’s another rant article in itself) in a film that demands to be in the Best Picture race. Prove us wrong, Academy. – – – – – Doug @itsdougjam
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Bride of Frankenstein ranks up there with The Godfather Part 2 and The Empire Strikes Back as a sequel that could be considered better than the original. Part of that reason is director James Whale was given the opportunity to really let his freak flag fly, and make a much more personal, and subversive film. Bride is considered a horror film, but it is in fact one of the great tragic comedies about death ever made. The film is a return of Boris Karloff’s monster who is really more of an anti-hero than an actual villain. Karloff is able to bring the same amount of pathos he did in the original, and even more so with the monster’s new ability to speak.
We see in The Monster, the need for connection, but he is constantly perceived as evil and unholy by the villagers, he can never be accepted. He seems to realize this when he visits a cemetery and feels more at home there than with the living. To me one of the most tragic lines in film is when Frankenstein is sitting with rotting corpses and says “I love dead, hate living”, and then again in the film’s climax with his final line “we belong dead”.
The film is rich with visuals, and Whale’s flamboyant filmmaking is no better demonstrated than in the film’s climactic creation scene of Elsa Lanchester’s The Bride, an image that has remained in the public consciousness ever since. At its heart though, the film is about the loneliness of an outcast who discovers it’s easier to be with the dead than the living. It’s a timeless story, and ironically for the monster, it’s a film that is able to live on, long after he’s gone. – – – – – Jeremy @jeremytwocities
It Follows (2015)
Let’s not forget, that although It Follows carried some of the classic, well-used horror film conventions, it spun them around somewhat, almost making the themes and techniques original concepts. And to boot, it is a very good film, brimming with natural tension. That notion of being followed is a great horror trope, and It Follows executes the tenderness of our fears. In the days of over five Best Picture nominees, and even with the abundance of multi-genre competition, this is a film that would have warranted a spot. A fan favorite, and acclaimed with the critics, it made the genre look worthy again, awakening its reputation and reminding us just how much we love to be scared. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
The Fly (1986)
Remakes are usually a poor copy of the original. However, David Cronenberg’s The Fly is anything but a poor copy or imitation. Cronenberg’s rewrite of Charles Edward Pogue’s screenplay switches focus from the damsel in distress freak show of the original 1958 film to the slow transformation and decomposition of the human body. The Fly follows Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), an eccentric inventor who meets reporter Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) at a science convention, and tells her about his latest invention, one that will “change the world as we know it”.
A teleportation system for inanimate objects. Seth unwisely decides to rush testing the system with himself, but is unaware that a seemingly innocent house fly is also in the teleportation device with him. The Fly is more than just a horror film, in fact it is a depiction of what happens when man meddles too much with science and tries to play the role of God. It also shows us how fragile the human body and spirit truly is. When you consider the film’s release during the start of AIDS epidemic, the film takes on another sinister meaning. With strong performances, a well crafted script, and special effects which still stand up today; The Fly seems to tick all the right boxes for the academy, but sadly it was overlooked. – – – – – Bianca @thefilmbee
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
If Darren Aronofsky’s mother! can’t get any awards traction, how can you expect a disturbing film like Rosemary’s Baby to make the Best Picture line-up some fifty years earlier? A not wholly valid comparison, sure, but you see both the similarities and the fact that times have not changed that much. Roman Polanski’s horror did have reason to attend the ceremony though, he was nominated for Screenplay, and Ruth Gordon actually won for Best Supporting Actress. So the Academy were a little afraid to honor such a film – no Director, Actress mentions either – but had some courage in their convictions. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
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Alien (1979)
Upon release in 1979, Ridley Scott’s Alien introduced audiences to an abundance of cinematic gifts: acid blood, chest bursting creatures and Sigourney Weaver. It was the perfect mix of horror and sci-fi set in an otherworldly universe that felt terrifyingly familiar. It would go on to revolutionize its genre, kickstart the careers of those involved and spawn a franchise that 8 movies and 40 years later continues. Despite its massive box office and critical success, the Academy would only reward it with two (albeit hugely deserved) nominations in craft categories.
While the Oscars are well-known for rarely rewarding sci-fi or horror, its absence from major categories are a noticeable stain in the awards history. At its core a monster movie, Scott’s film remains a staple of the genre thanks to its brooding, claustrophobic atmosphere. Its effectiveness deriving not only from the frightening creature, but the panic with which the film fills you throughout. From the tilted camera angles and dark cinematography that conceal more than meets the eye, to the quick, jarring cuts in the editing that set off the alarm button. Not only should it have been nominated, it should have won. – – – – – Alex @adounce
The Others (2001)
What we have in The Others is a throwback to class gothic horror that relied upon atmosphere to achieve its scares more than anything else. And in terms of hey horror elements, The Others ticks all the boxes. It has everything: pale, unsettling kids; an old ridiculously haunted house; a mysterious, paranormal presence; and an amazing twist. The Others succeeds in its ability to blend old gothic devices with modern jump scares that always feel earned.
It’s rare to find a film that deftly balances both styles of horror, and The Others stands as a prime example. Nicole Kidman is excellent here, and we’re as emotionally invested in her dramatic narrative and the mystery of what’s actually happening in this house as we are in the ghostly elements of the story. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but you can’t go wrong when a large portion of your movie revolves around creepy kids and their creepy, ghostly imaginary friend. – – – – – Audrey @audonamission
The Conjuring (2013)
Hundreds of directors have tried and failed to make a genuinely scary horror film. Why? Because it’s all too tempting to give into classic tropes such as jump scares and excessive, gratuitous gore. That’s why in 2013, James Wan’s eighth horror film, The Conjuring, stood out from the rest. It scared the shit out of everyone (did you make it past 3:07am?) while simultaneously draining us emotionally. The reason it was so scary? Family was at its heart. Both Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play the roles of real-life husband and wife ghost hunters, Lorraine and Ed Warren expertly.
And we care for the Perron’s too – their fear is as obvious as their love for one another. And as events begin to spiral, an overwhelming sense of dread takes over as it dawns on us, this family could be torn apart at any moment. Wan’s use of character development, slow and steady pacing and impeccable seventies cinematography make for an authentic, formidable creation, worthy of a nomination at least. Furthermore, Wan incorporates the ‘show not tell’ method perfectly, rarely showing us what’s haunting the Perron’s house. Instead allowing glimpses, which drives our overactive imaginations into overdrive – what we can imagine in our minds is significantly scarier than what’s on screen… – – – – – Shannon @shazzzzakhan
28 Days Later (2002)
Regarded as a classic of Danny Boyle’s and sometimes even the entirety of British horror, as well as labelled “a genuine work of art by a director at the top of his game” by Bloody Disgusting, the 2002 film 28 Days Later explores the breakdown of society following the outbreak of a deadly, rage-inducing virus after its taken over the UK. This film is a beautifully intimate look at a contemporary civilisation’s downfall. And I would go as far as to say it reinvented the way we view the iconically terrifying ghouls that are zombies. As while it’s still argued the creatures of this film are not traditional zombies themselves, they definitely share similarities.
And since the film’s release, more archetypical zombie films like Dawn of the Dead and Zombieland have taken strong inspiration from these sprinting, fury-filled beings. Furthermore, in my opinion this film deserved much higher award recognition upon release. As whilst it is a fantastic work of cinema anyhow it arguably deserves a place as a contender due to its “Vancant London” scene alone. It’s there where we see the protagonist (Cillian Murphy) walk through the once-thriving English city as it’s now utterly deserted. A truly grand height of filmmaking and cinematic innovation, created practically in an age before CGI could replace all the difficult on-set efforts, supported by an all-round emotional and intimate horror. – – – – – Jon @jonnbridges
A Quiet Place (2018)
We’re not done calling things early. In the same vein as Hereditary, we’re all in agreement the Academy will also overlook A Quiet Place for Best Picture. Sure, Paramount will give this film an almighty For Your Consideration push, given it’s their only horse in the race. But monster flicks are not the Academy’s bag these days. If any film of this sub-genre of horror deserves to be considered, it’s writer/director John Krasinki’s dazzling and original work.
Krasinki’s concept of one noise equals instant death creates the most uncomfortable yet intoxicating level of tension and suspense which will leave your heart racing throughout almost the entire film. The film shines through a series of wildly entertaining set-pieces, particularly a horrific silent labour. But it’s the quiet, intimate family moments which elevate the film even further. With a terrific (and nom-worthy) performance from Emily Blunt and some of the year’s greatest sound design work, A Quiet Placeis supremely tense, deliciously thrilling, and a wonderfully suspenseful rollercoaster ride. Audiences loved it. Can’t the Academy fall in line too? – – – – – Doug @itsdougjam
Misery (1990)
“I’m your biggest fan.” Such ordinary and innocent words, so sinister and full of menace. These are the first words that Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) utters to Paul Sheldon (James Caan) as he wakes up from a car crash. Already, the horror of waking in an unknown bed in an unknown house, is settling in. The horror of being helpless and bed bound, relying on someone else for assistance is uncomfortable. Misery, like all good modern horror films, is adapted from a Stephen King novel. King has a way of taking the most ordinary, mundane aspects of life and twisting them into a living nightmare. His monsters come in many forms, but none of then are as monstrous as nurse Annie Wilkes.
Misery wouldn’t be so effective if it wasn’t for Bates’ powerhouse performance. She has such an amazing ability to switch her personality, in an instant, from sweet and caring nurse to an angle of death. Bates won an Oscar for her performance, but the film is a Best Picture in my eyes. The screenplay is adapted expertly well without sacrificing any of King’s in-depth character developments and traits. The horror is subtle and isn’t played up. Director Rob Reiner respects the source material, and he respects his main leads, his professionalism and craftmanship helps to hod the film together. Misery remains just as disturbing today as it did back nearly 30 years ago. – – – – – Bianca @thefilmbee
Gremlins (1984)
Give Gremlins the Oscar. Go back to 1984, rip the Best Picture trophy from the clutches of Amadeus and give it to the film it rightfully belongs to. The telecast would be torn to shreds, the pit band would be tortured by being forced to listen to White Snake. Harvey Weinstein would be seen tied to a malfunctioning chair lift ala Mrs. Deagle and flung through the top story window of the Dolby Theatre. If Gremlins won the Oscar, it would certainly be the last Oscars to be broadcast. The ernest, self righteous speechifying of actors, writers, and directors, would be replaced by, terrified hordes of frightened celebrities cowering behind their personal trainers.
Meanwhile Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson would be kidnapped, and held up in the women’s bathroom with a very seductive female Gremlin, something both of these guys would be into. If Gremlins won the Oscar, we would have no Driving Miss Daisy or Crash, or La La Land/Moonlight debacle. There would be no rule changes, no talk of Most Popular Oscar, and no more thank you’s to God, Jesus, and Steven Spielberg. If Gremlins won the Oscar we would no longer worry about the Oscars, because they would no longer exist. – – – – – Jeremy @jeremytwocities
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Eyes Without a Face (1960)
It’s all about the mask – the cold, smooth plaster with two haunting eyes staring out at you. That one brilliant visual is at the heart of Eyes Without a Face, a horror film that is at once frightening and tremendously melancholic. A young woman, after enduring a tragic car accident, is left with a disfigured face and has to wear a mask to hide her injury. But her surgeon father isn’t satisfied with allowing her to remain in this state. He is determined to find her a surrogate face, even if that means stealing faces from kidnapped girls.
And while family loyalty is always to be commended, this does all feel like a little much. The lyrical camerawork and poetic nature of the narrative belie its solid standing in the horror genre. Although it was not properly appreciated in its time, Eyes Without a Face has undergone a serious reappraisal and is now frequently regarded as a standout piece of 1960s European horror. Not exactly the genre the Oscars are most known for rewarding, but that’s neither here nor there. – – – – – Audrey @audonamission
The Omen (1976)
Is it Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting choral score, the use of Catholic Rome, the vault of mystical secrets, as the backdrop for the story’s unraveling; the up ending of the warm, wholesome English governess archetype (a la Mary Poppins popularized ten years before) with Billie Whitelaw’s chilling portrayal as the demon child’s zealous protector; seeing familiar, safe, everyman hero Gregory Peck grapple with the discovery that his switched-at-birth offspring is devil spawn that must be put down; watching the fresh-faced, girl-next-door Lee Remick actually struggling to be maternal with her abnormal child?
Or just the thought of the devil lurking in a prominent political family in line to the White House that keeps even new audiences enduring sleepless nights grasping crucifixes? Perhaps the familiar and good being turned inside out is the reason for The Omen’s tremendous success and noteworthiness as a topper in the genre before the jump scare (not even one here) and special effects that dominate horror films made ever since.
Whatever it is, what we do know is that The Omen consistently scares the bejesus out of its viewers and provides cinematic images and sequences that play on viewers’ minds long after the light comes up in the theater or the family TV room. When asked how he put scary on the page during an interview with Mike DeLuca, David Seltzer, The Omen screenwriter and author of one of the very few successful novelizations of a film, replied, “I think everything is scary, to tell you the truth, if you turn down the lights, play the right music, and put the right shadows in.” Given The Omen, we have to agree. – – – – – Gina @_imaGINAation_
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
So we all know An American Werewolf in London. A groundbreaker in the horror realm. One of the most famous winners of the Best Makeup award, for veteran Rick Baker of course. But that was it. There were no other nominations for the satirical gore-fest surprisingly. Not cited in Visual Effects (which only had two nominees), none of the Sound categories – and I would say John Landis netting a Best Original Screenplay nod would not have been unjust. All other films in contention aside, An American Werewolf in London would have made for grizzly good reading when looking back into the Best Picture history books, in the year the mediocre Chariots of Fire won the top prize. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy
Poltergeist (1982)
All three of the horror films that have been nominated for Best Picture are far more metaphorical than literal, so Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist doesn’t seem to immediately fit the bill as an early 80s chiller. But just like ‘73’s nominee The Exorcist, this film uses its horror to craft a biting critique of the guilt of suburbia. Coming two years after fellow suburban critique Ordinary People won the top honor, Poltergeist came out at the perfect time to get some love from the Academy.
Amid a sea of high-profile genre films and films that blurred the line between popcorn and art house being recognized, Poltergeist is severely missing. While its reputation has been tarnished by two mediocre sequels, a bad remake, and the series of tragedies that befell its cast, it shouldn’t be forgotten how charming, genuinely terrifying, and subtly smart the original Poltergeist is from beginning to end. – – – – – Davey @DaveyPeppers
The Babadook (2014)
Late in Jennifer Kent’s creature-feature The Babadook, Amelia Vanek (Essie Davis) snaps. That she breaks doesn’t surprise us. Amelia has been internalizing psychological trauma after her husband’s death, and all while avoiding the titular character, a storybook monster that wants Amelia to lose her mind and kill her son (Noah Wiseman, giving a boldly unsympathetic performance). Whatever horror movie we thought we were watching, it wasn’t this: a terrifying ode to postpartum depression.
Credit Davis, who gives one of the great genre performances. Recently, the critical cognoscenti have been talking up Toni Collette’s Oscar prospects. Like The Babadook, Hereditary uses its monsters to symbolize mental illness, and treats the mind as a prop, reducing Collette to little more than a plot device. The Babadook never takes the focus off Davis. Her character might grow unhinged, but Davis maintains flawless control of the performance. To call what Davis does here a great genre performance feels patronizing. If there was a better performance in 2014, I didn’t see it. – – – – – Josh @TrppdnthCg
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Any list that shines a light towards the greats of horror Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead deserves a damn good place. Some may even take umbrage with this choice given its comedy roots, but in no way does that make its shocking scares or emotional intensity any less powerful. The more it makes you care and laugh with its characters, the more heart-breaking the eventual descent into blood-splashed tragedy becomes. This film is a dynamic example of masterful screenwriting and phenomenal direction with a more than outstanding cast layered on top.
It is the first entry in what would later become the anthology style Cornetto Trilogy, telling the tale of a humdrum 30-something man (Shaun) attempting to win back his ex-girlfriend and reconcile with his mother – all whilst trying to protect them both from the sudden raising of the dead. Along on this journey is Shaun’s best mate and general slacker, Ed. As awards are concerned, a small-scale British horror-comedy would admittedly have been an unusual Best Picture contender, but in a year where Finding Neverland and Sideways were nominations it’s not unfair to say Shaun of the Dead has more than earned a place among them (aside from your standard Academy politics). – – – – – Jon @jonnbridges
Psycho (1960)
In the beginning of Psycho, we are set up to believe Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is our main protagonist. We see the film through her eyes, as she decides to steal money for her employer in order to pay off her debts and be with her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin). It’s a typical Hitchcock setup, with us identifying with Marion’s predicament, seeing her commit a crime, and wondering if the cops will catch up with her or not. Not a bad suspense film, but nothing really “psycho” about it so far.
That’s when Hitchcock lowers the boom, and suddenly everything we thought we knew, isn’t really important. When rain starts to poor, Marion parks into an empty looking motel, and we are introduced to Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his “mother”. Suddenly, everything we that we thought was important to the plot isn’t really, and the stolen money, and Marion herself become insignificant once she is murdered, and we have a whole new ball game.
We cannot downplay the utter shock of Psycho, and how it completely plays with our expectations. Not only that, but Hitchcock had the audacity to let us into the mind of a person like Norman Bates, a very unhinged personality, who lacks motive, or real understanding This was such a departure for Hitchcock, when it came to his own style, you could tell he wanted to try something new, and shock his audience in a way he never had before. The gamble paid off of course. – – – – – Jeremy @jeremytwocities
Carrie (1976)
One of the greatest Stephen King adaptations (if that is saying anything concrete), Brian De Palma’s coming-of-age chiller landed acting nominees for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. Quite the novelty achievement, as even today we champion strong performances by women in horror films, with very few being recognized by AMPAS voters. Carrie landed in a year when an uncharacteristic choice for the Academy in Taxi Driver, complete with gratuitous language and hefty bouts of violence, made the Best Picture line-up. That’s a different kettle of fish though, the horror genre just can’t catch a break when it comes to the Oscars. Even a compelling film like Carrie, which boasts not just the horror narrative, but also delves into the pain of adolescence and self-awareness. – – – – – Robin @Filmotomy