Let’s face it, not everyone loves a good jumpscare; some people prefer not to be in fight or flight mode for an hour and a half or longer.

The movie genre, horror, is an acquired taste, and it’s one the Academy has yet to acquire.

This is not to say the Oscars completely dismiss the genre. Credit should be given where it’s due. Apart from the Academy’s spooky season tweets here and there - horror is acknowledged and frequently awarded on the big stage for technical categories. While technical categories are important and behind-the-scenes crews rightfully deserve attention, these “below the line” races are usually pre-taped then given little to no regard at the ceremony in comparison to the “Big 5”. The “Big 5” are as follows: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay - with Best Picture being considered the most prestigious honor of the night.

That being said, statistically speaking, out of 581 films nominated for the Best Picture at the Oscars, only 6 of those have come from the horror genre. A number that could be counted on fingers. History has shown that period dramas and biopics are the Academy’s forte, frontrunners, and favorite children. To place this into perspective, biopics have earned a staggering number of 125 nominations and 22 wins alone.

It is safe to say that there has been a slight… or rather huge genre bias going on for the past 94 years.

With such long-standing favoritism, all hope may seem long gone and completely thrown out the window. However, aforementioned six films have received nominations for Best Picture and thus have broken the curse. Below are the chosen few the picky organization has given the seal of approval:

The Exorcist (1973)
Jaws (1975)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Black Swan (2010)
Get Out (2017)

Out of these six nominees, The Silence of the Lambs is the only one to have come out on the other side with not just one golden statue for Best Picture, but five golden statues - one for each “Big 5” category - a feat that has only been swept by three films in the history of the Academy Awards. This triumph alone proves horror can compete.

Yes, many have claimed The Silence of the Lambs is the greatest horror film in history, and therefore accolades were expected and earned. But, what about the other cult classics? King Kong, The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, The Witch… there’s an entire archive of cult classic films that have been highly influential yet also highly neglected.

While the reason for this neglect is up for debate, there’s an interesting take to consider – other than the accusation that the Academy is elitist. Many of the classics that are acknowledged in which filmmakers lean into aren’t necessarily considered horror. There’s a two word wormhole that has been suggested as the difference between a seat at the awards and a seat at home - psychological thriller.

Rebranding as a psychological thriller reframes the stigma and disseminates the bias. And because most horror films have different genre elements integrated into production such as sci-fi or drama, some have found luck in name switching.

While it may solve the recognition problem, this wormhole gives the Academy less reason to look horror in the face and see talent that transpires, such as Florence Pugh’s incredible feature in Midsommar.

Appreciation for film is a subjective matter, but talent itself should be objective. You can acknowledge it without having to particularly enjoy it yourself. The Academy should take into account this upcoming awards season and perhaps be just a tad bit more genre inclusive. Translation: nominate Ti West’s Pearl and its star Mia Goth for some awards…

Written by Beth Baumler, Photography: Krystal Pham, Graphic Design: Kayley Vu, Social Media: Karla Trevino, Videography: Alyssa Dulock

The Academy’s Fear of Horror Cinema