The Horror Genre Shutout at the Academy Awards

“DON’T you swear at me, you little shit! Don’t you EVER raise your voice at me! I am your mother! You understand?”

This is the start of an explosive, and impressive, monologue by Annie (Toni Colette) in the 2018 horror film Hereditary. Colette’s performance is captivating, stunning, and haunting. That type of work should have garnered her an Oscar nomination. However, there was no nomination. No recognition.

Colette isn’t the only one, particularly actresses, to be overlooked by the Academy for Oscar nominations. But why? Why are horror films like a crucifix to a vampire? Part of me wonders if it has to do with how female-centric horror films are. Many horror films have a “final girl”, a trope in horror films for the female lead who makes it to the end of the film.

In 2019, we saw Lupita Nyong’o in Us portraying two wildly different characters tethered together. For Red, Nyong’o affected a particularly haunting and eerie voice for the character. It gave such depth to Red, and began to highlight the difference between Red and Adelaide. Where was her Oscar buzz?

In the same year, Florence Pugh wowed audiences with her performance in Midsommar. Another metaphorical balls-to-the-wall performance as a young woman who deals with toxic masculinity and finding peace. 

Just looking at these three films alone, it feels criminal that none were given serious consideration for award recognition. All three have strong female performances. Each film highlighted a different aspect of femininity and the female-experience. The Academy has a difficult time with films that are outside performative progressivism, so those that have a deeper meaning, are rarely recognized.

So, what does this mean for moving forward? The 93rd Academy Awards have been postponed a couple of months due to COVID. The number of films coming out this year have been slower, smaller, and there is a chance that, perhaps the age-old shutout of horror films will be rectified.

At the start of the year, Elisabeth Moss began receiving awards buzz for The Invisible Man. A film about the pervasive and insidious nature of domestic violence. Her performance is stellar.

Additionally, Swallow hosts another performance with Haley Bennett as Hunter, a woman who develops pica and devolves as her mental illness and controlling husband and in-laws spiral out of control. It is a very earnest performance, one that truly understands and empathises with someone who has a mental health condition.

So, will the Academy and other award governing boards give recognition to actors who give stellar performances, regardless of film genre. Horror films are a cornerstone in social commentary and if the Academy wishes to move away from performative crap, then they should begin entertaining horror films as legitimate contenders for award-worthy work.

In the meantime, here are 5 recent performances unjustly snubbed:

Toni Collette in Hereditary

Collette is always giving top-notch performances. Why would this horror film about grief and accidentally turning into your crazy mother be any different? She gave us everything and we ignored it. Shame!

Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place

Remember when her character stepped on that nail? I felt that. I feel that now as I write about it. Blunt gave her character depth, heart, and complexities. We don’t get that in every horror film, let alone most films. And yet, once again, Blunt is overlooked.

Lupita Nyong’o in Us

She played two – count them, two! – characters in this flick. And if you, like me, had a hard time telling Armie Hammer apart from Armie Hammer in The Social Network, then Nyong’o made it easy for us by using the most haunting, creepy, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice for Red. She based that voice off of a real neurological affliction called spasmodic dysphonia where someone will have involuntary spasms of the larynx. She didn’t have to use science! But she did.

Jennifer Lawrence in mother!

The film was about Biblical allegories and climate change and toxic masculinity. Lawrence had to ground this absolutely bonkers film. She did that. And now, in times of COVID, we can all understand her want to get all of those people out of her damn house.

Florence Pugh in Midsommar

Pugh had to bring it in every scene. That character was emotionally taxing. She literally let her boyfriend be burned alive in a bear suit! You know what she is capable of, and yet no awards. No nominations. Nothing.