Amid the glitz and glamor of this year’s award season, one ceremony sets itself apart from all the others—the 96th Academy Awards, otherwise known as the Oscars. It is unique for a few reasons, mainly because it takes place at the end of the award season and is a cumulative celebration of the most noteworthy films of the past year. When most people think of the Oscars, they picture the fanfare, the A-list celebrities, the fashion, and, of course, the movies. You would assume that this includes all movies, from all genres and countries. However, if you examine past nominees and winners across all categories, an obvious trend emerges: almost all are barren of horror films. What reasoning is behind this exclusion? Why are horror films specifically blacklisted from these prestigious events?
What defines a horror movie? According to Britannica, horror movies are defined as “motion pictures meant to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread.” Horror is an umbrella term for many different subgenres of film as well, such as psychological, slasher, Gothic, cosmic, folk, paranormal, etc. A few famous examples of horror movies, both old and new, are Psycho (1960), Aliens (1986), Halloween (1978), Get Out (2017), and Scream (1996). Horror cannot be placed into a single category, and it can span a wide range of media. It is an extremely lucrative film genre as well, with the highest-grossing horror movie of all time being the widely acclaimed Jaws (1975). All across the world, people flock to see the latest gorey blockbusters released every year. Some of the most praised movies of all time are horror movies or movies that have elements of horror in them, such as The Shining (1980) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). The aforementioned movie won 5 Oscars at the 64th Academy Awards, for best picture, director, screenplay, actor, and actress, displaying the incredible impact these films have had in the entertainment industry.
Horror is seen as a taboo topic for the general public, with people either loving or hating it. Because of the sensitive topics often explored in the genre, such as violence, death, assault, mental illnesses, social and political issues, and gore, it often gets pigeonholed as purely existing for shock value devoid of any real purpose. Often, the most talked about films are the ones that misrepresent the entire category and project a dirtied image of what it is and can be. However, from the films mentioned earlier, we can see that there are genuine masterpieces made with intent and care that deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has existed since its creation in 1927 and is lauded as the leading institute for the development of film as a whole. For a title as broad as that, it must represent only the best-of-the-best in terms of the entertainment field. Film has a huge impact on society and culture, and should be handled with care. One explanation for the exclusion of horror films from the Oscars is that horror is the opposite of what the Academy represents, a messy and untamed class that does not deserve a seat in the upper echelon of Hollywood.
Despite the ostracism of horror films from the Academy Awards, the genre continues to triumph on its own. It is among the most-watched variety of movies in America and dominates at the box office. The national holiday of Halloween has become synonymous with horror, and characters such as Ghostface and Michael Myers have become household names. Even though it has a while to go to prove itself, horror has a bright future in the realm of cinema.
